The San Francisco call., 1904-10-23

DOuys a uOctTlHe dDnOrTeo OF I'll SOuuo-
thinking men.
Protection did not come to an end,
however, in 1912. On the contrary. it
was augmented in that year from 20
per cent to 80 per cent average. The
next tariff, enacted in 1S46, was a re-
duotion to 22 per cent-the Walker tar
iff., There was a further reduction in
1887, in which the protected classes
themselves concurred, to 20 per cent
average.
CIVIL WAR REVENUES.
'At this point in our history the
tariff question ceased temporarily to be
an issue in American politics. 1t dis
appeared SO completely that when the
Republican party was formed no one
thought Of rexiving 1t and there is
good reason for believing that it never
would have been revived but for the
Civil War, which necessitated the rails
ing of a large revenue to meet the ex-
traordinary demands upon the treas
ury. Certain classes availed themselves
OF this opportunity to reintroduce the
protective system for their own advan-
tage and they were successful. The
result was the Morrill, tariff. or. rather.
AO6i S0NSCSStNC VI Tic
Morrill, tariff. of which Senator Sher-
man, In a debate on the tariff bill of
1872, spoke as follows:
It must be remembered that the
present duties, taken together, are far
in excess of what they were before the
war and they have been three times
largely increased since the passage of
the Morrill, tariff act of 1861 If the
present rates of duty were high enough
during and since the war, when home
industry was burdened with heavy in
ternal taxes, with stamp duties, in
come taxes and high rates on raw ma
terials, then surely they are now too
high when all these taxes are re-
moved
The views which Senator Sherman
here expressed and which many other
Republican statesmen entertained
gained such ascendancy in the coun-
ellis Of the party that plan for the,
revision OF the tariff was made
distinctive feature of President Ar
thurs administration. With the sane
tion of a protectionist Congress a COM
mission was appointed for this purpose
in 1882, consisting. with one exception,
- ~@AS ~AAOcCAA AC CPAOSChNdt1NCS Vi tue
protected industries. 1t spent several
months taking testimony and made a
report in which it summed up it's
conclusion in these words:
Early in it's deliberations the COM
mission became convinced that a sub
stantial reduction of tariff duties is
demanded, not by mere indiscrim-
mate popular clamor, but by the best
conservative opinion of the country,
including that which has, in former
times, been most strenuous for the
preservation of our national indus
trial defenses. Such a reduction of
the existing tariff the commission re-
CARDS not only as a due recognition of
public sentiment and a measure of
justice to consumers, but one con-
ducive to the general Industrial pros
perity, and which, although it may
be temporarily inconyenient, will be
legitimately beneficial to the special
interests affected by such reduction
COMMISSIONS BILL 'sKILLED."
The commission also reported a bill
which, it said, would make an average
reduction OF 20 to rs per cent in the
rates Of duty. The protected interests,
which had previously given their con-
sent and support to the commission,
now suddenly changed front They
went to Washington, killed the COM
mission bill and caused Congress to
pass another in its place. 1t was
framed in a conference committee
that is, in secret. 1t was never con-
sidered in detail in either house of
Congress. 1t was passed in one lump.
Instead Of reducing duties from 20
to 30 per cent, as the commission had
recommended, this bill increased the
average rate of dutiable goods from
41.35 per cent to 1886 per cent.
This was the tariff of 18SS Not
withstanding the betrayal of public
interests which 1t involved and the
clandestine manner of its enactment.
this tariff was more moderate than the
subsequent Mckinley tariff of 1890 or
the Dingley tariff now in force. The
average rate of the former, as shown
by the importations of 1892 was 48. II
per cent on dutiable goods. The duti-
able importations Of the last fiscal
year, ending June 80. 1904, were $685.
940,690 and the duties collected were
s2S0,so4. .11s, which is an average rate
of 5s per cent.
ITO this condition we have come at
last. Beginning with a tariff of 81
per cent in 1889, when many of our in