The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-10-23
JUDGE PARKER SPEAKS
 ON THE TARIFF QUESTION


 of tariff for protection and wish to re- | cau some words that he used in de- bate in the Senate in 1889 justifying | his course in advocating this tnrin re- duction. He said:
 | quotes Henry Clay. NO one, Mir. President, in the com l mencement of the protective policy. | ever supposed that 1t was to be per petual We hoped and believed that | temporary protection extended to our | infant manufacturers would bring them l up and enable them to withstand com petition with those of Europe If the l protective policy were entirely to cease | in 1S42 1t could have existed twenty | six years, from 1916 or 1S44. quite as ] long as at either of these periods It's l friends supposed might be necessary l MT. Clay here voiced the prevailing opinion of the country that the pro- l tected trades were no longer in a state | Of infancy. In fact, the infant industry argument was then superseded by the l pauper labor argument.
 l It was now contended for the first time that the tariff should be used to | compensate the American producer TOT ! the higher wages that he had to pay as compared with his foreign competition. This argument has at times done great service, but is now quite threadbare. Protection did not como to an end. however, in 1S42. On the contrary 1t was augmented in that year from 70 per cent to 32 per cent. average The next tariff, enacted in 1S4S. was re- duction to 22 per cent, the Walker tariff. There was q further reduction in 1857, in which the protected classes themselves concurred. of 20 per cent. At this point in our history the tarim question ceased temporarily to DC an issue in American politics.
 It disappeared so completely that when the Republican Party was formed nobody thought of reviving 1t. and there is good reason for believing that it never would have been revived but for the Civil War, which necessitatea the raising of a large revenue to meet the extraordinary demands upon the treasure.
 Certain classes availed themselves of this opportunity to reintroduce the pro- tective system for their own advantage and they were successful. The result was the Morrill, tariff.
 The views which Senator sherman expressed on the Morrill, bill, and which many other Republican statesmen en- tertained gained such ascendancy Tn the councils of the party that plan for revision of the tariff was made dis tinct feature of President Arthur's. ad- ministration. With the sanction or protectionist Congress, a committee was appointed for this purpose in 1882, consisting. with one exception, or the kchosen representatives of the protected | industries. They spent several months taking testimony and made a report in which they summed up their conclr- sions in these words;
 Report of Commission Early In it's deliberations, the com mission became convinced that sub stantial reduction of tariff duties was demanded. not by a mere indiscriminaie I popular ciamor. but the best sconserva- ttive opinion of the country. including | that which has, in former times, been most strenuous for the preservation of | our national industrial defenses. Such a reduction of the existing tarim the l commission regards not only as due f recognition of public sentiment and a measure of justice to consumers. but | one conducive to the general industrial ! prosperity and which, although 1t may | be temporarily inconvenient. will be legitimately beneficial to the special 1 interests affected by such reduction" l The commission also reported bill | which they said, would make an aver | age reduction of 20 to 25 per cent in |, the rates of duty. The protected inter ' ests, which had previously given their consent and support to the commission
 now suddenly changed front. They went to Washington. killed the commis- sion bill and caused Congress to pass another in Its place. It was framed 1 in a conference, that is, in secret. It
 was never considered in detail in either house of Congress. It was passed In one lump.
 Instead of reducing duties 20 or 30
 per cent as the commission had recom-
 mended. this bill increased the average
 rate of dutiable goods from AIS per cent to 45.S6 per cent.
 Increase Was Enormous.
 This was the tariff of 1883. Begin ming with a tariff of 1-2 percent. in 1879. when many of our industries were really infants, we have by successive steps reached a scale of over 50 per cent. while the industries themselves ! have become enormous.
 Hamilton said that the iron and steel industry was already in a flour ishing condition in his time He was willing nevertheless to give 1-2 per cent of protection to steel. It now | pays 7.S6 per ton on steel rails and the Steel pool' sells them to Cana dians at S19 per ton, but exacts BPS from American purchasers. It is en- ] abled by the tariff to do this for with out the tariff would be obliged to sell at home at the price at which they could be imported.
 l American railways are thus compelled to pay $TS6 per ton more than a fair price. that Is, S7.S6 more than the price at which somebody else would supply them. Why do the railways submit to such extortiOn. Why do they remain quiet? Why do they not establish rolling mills and make their own rails? Surely this difference of S7.S6 per ton
 ment to do so. ] cannot answer this 1 question, but if the leaders of the steel rail industry are also the controllers of those rajlsways which are strong enough to defend themselves against extortion. the mystery is explained. In such a case the profits go into the
 pockets of the controllers of the rail-
 ways in their capacity of steel pro-
 ducers while the other shareholders
 of the railways and the general, public pay the difference. The tariff lends it. self to this sort of grab game and if the men who command large capital do not avail themselves of their op-
 portunity they are not so shrwed as
 they are generally supposed to be. I cherish no grudges against men
 because they are rich. nor do l
 greatly blame them for taking the pro- fits which unjust laws throw in their
 way, but I protest against the unjust
 laws. but protest against the men who
 make them and who stand pat" when
 ever anybody proposes to repeal or
 modify them.