New-York tribune., 1904-10-23

when home Industry was b1rdened with heavy
ana high rates on % raw ma{erais then surely they
moved" N'sh when an these taxes are TO-
nrrss.s Ihe views which Senator sherman here ex-
oIIgl I t famed gained such ascendency IN the
t ,r OF me party that plan Tor REVISION OF
OF protectionist Congress a commission was ap-
pointed for this purpose in 1852 consisting, with
ohe ie exception. of the chosen representatives OF
months taking testimony, and made a report, in
eh wnleh they summed their conclusions in these
Early in its deliberations the commission be-
tariff duties is demanded not by mere indis-
T~Itllste ~ popular clamor. but by the best conSer-
Wnioh has in former times been most strenuous
defences Such a Teduction OF the existing tariff
, the 6Snmission co regards not only as due recogno
20 20 consumers. but one conducive 70 the general
be temporarily inconvenent will be ultimately
beneficial 70 the special interests affected by such
5 The 8@g s9sson also rsRorsa 9ia wgic VI h II hey
terests. which had previously given heir consent
changed front They went to washington. Killed
ano,bo m D a3o caustG 20 P%Ss
enee committee. that: IS, in secret II was never
It p 5a e'o m one II a@p 6i5heF House OF
INCREASED RATE TO 1886 PER CENT
Instead Of reducing duties 20 to 90 per cent. as
The commission had recommended. this bill in
4l.S5 45.eG per cent. This was the tariff of lsS3
which il inVoled and the csnetne aneT of its
eIfsctnent Ibis tariff was more moderate than the
Larn now in force. The average rate of the
former shown by the inportations Of 1892 was
4Sl per cent OF dutiable goods The dutiable i'm
q64 Ta s9s 9 he m m aS6 sGad "a ysaF ending June 80
S-seSV4lIs' which IS an average rate OF IS per
TO this condition we have come at last. Be
61nIhg win tarir OF 81 per cent in l7S9 when
nave by successive steps reached a scale Of over
% per cent, while the industries themselves have
ard steel Industry M was ALREADY IN houTshins
less to give ~ per cent of protection to steel
~ now has 81 a ton on steel rails and the
ton, but exacts s2s from American purchasers II
IS enabled oy the tariff TO do this. for without the
tarir II would be obliged 10 sell rails at home
TOT the price at which they could be imported
a ton more than fair price that is s. 81 more
than 1 ne price at which somebody else would sup
u1',y Why do the railways submit to such extortion?
surejt: th diSseraT Ias ao make thei' own rails
not answer this question, but If the leaders Of the
railways which are strong enough 10 defend them
selves against extortion, the mystery Is explained
4 Of the Pw5Ss s9 into IN ther ehs cRPaeS PPotffS
oFF steeI PToaucers; While the other shareholders
difference. The tariff lends Itself TO this SO SORT of
capital do not, avail themselves of their oppor-
orally suI posed TO be.
NO GRUDGE AGAINST THE RICH.
cherish grudges against men because they
are rich. nor do greatly blame them for taking
but l protest against the unjust laws nrotsst
against the men who make them and who stand
fy them The panper labor argument for The the
SndstTes res To- tHat e nos par dToLped out OF sight
markets no longer have the audacty to saw that
peung on equal terms in the American market
infant tDS 81 vhe paupeT lao9r argument and the
has been substituted ana Is now relied an eo
far as any arguments are used. This assumes that
without the tariff and. indeed. without the 53 per
ket for the farmers products or for any other
childish is it. in view Of what hamilton m ,oId re .,
me nouIlshng condition OF large branches of manu-
of all that has uanspired since. that no answer to
II ls required, The bare statement of such an
What happened under the low tariffs of 1s4s and
on the conrsTS genaf6E cE o NJ home ne market then
said in public debate that the year 1850 which
PROSPEROUS our history This IS also the the test aS
mony OF Professor Taussig in hts tariff history
Of the United States. not alone to the year
authority tells us that our cotton spinning indus
Try never grew more rapidly or prospeTed more
is that the tariff benefciaries and the stand
patters" have abandoned arguments. They virtu-
by this they mean the present pingiey tariff. So
II IS not necessary now for a particular industry
in order 10 get protection, TO show that cannot
stand alone and make fair profits its own
merits.
REFERS TO TARIFF ON BoRAx
few years ago a large deposit Of borax was
found in California. The owners Of It forthwith
advertised that they could produce borax at such
low ties as TO undersell the world which was the
fact They then went to Washington and express,
y on the ground Of their ability to underse
foreigners they got duty OF five cents pound
on borax. They then began TO sell borax In Eng
land rates far below what they charged to
me
this only of the multitude Of like monopolies
which oppress the public. and by no means the
first IN point OF time which has obtained protec-
ton not because IT needed protection. but because
II could command votes.
well what Of it2' our opponents may ask An
answer is supplied by the tariff commission OF 1858
duction OF duties due "a measure Of justice
10 ConsuMers-' A duty which does not raise the
price Of the article TO the consumer fails OF its
object. and IS therefore needless for purposes OF
protection. II IL does Rrtihcally raise the price
then the consumer pays the difference, which as
Hamilton said. is the same thing as a bounty 10
tain high. They paid by the people. The ben
ehCarieE having induced the government to shut
out foreign competition. form trusts and cOmoina-
tons to stihe domestic competition.
Not all the trusts and combines are founded on
the tariff but most Of them are. Their continued
existence and their mode Of self perpetuation lead
erned by principles. but by interest. The most
effective remedy that be applied TO the combi
nations or trusts which owe their existence 20 ex-
cessiye tariff duties is TO reduce the tar1h rates
VII le the remedy which can be effectively applied
as against the other combinations is to enforce
the law. This remedy ! pointed out In my re-
my letter OF acceptance. That the remedy can be
I made effective by an administration disposed 10
enforce the law cannot be doubted by any student
/ Of that branch Of the law. II is not doubted BY
l he trusts who have good lawyers to advise them