Los Angeles herald., 1909-04-11
AMERICAN TARIFF LAWS.
.XET-The Mckinley Law
BY FREDERIC j HASKIN

cultural products, and the first to place
unrefined sugar on the free list From
the foundation OF the government
sugar had contributed more to the GUS
toms receipts of the nation than HAD
any other single item of tariff taxation.
Instead of retaining tariff on sugar,
thus getting an income from 1t, the
Mckinley bill provided for the payment
OF bounties for its production thus
changing an income to an outlay
The proponents of protection for ag-
ricultural products pointed out that the
Importation of such products amounted
to a quarter OF a billion dollars year.
The opponents answered that this was
an infinitesimal sum as compared with
the expectations, and that protection
for the farmer. when his whole success
depended upon exports rather than I'M
ports, was SHY and useless.
One of the most amusing incidents or
the debate on the Mckinley bill in the
house was a passage in speech OF
Benton McMillin, afterward governor
OF Tennessee. He imagined a CONVEX
sation between Mckinley and Repre-
sentative Burrows, in which Burrows
wanted to know what had been done
for Michigan. Mckinley replied that
nothing had been done yet, but that he
would fix" that state by putting
duty on cabbages. Mr.. Burrows was
made to respond that this would be
inconsistent, since sauerkraut was put
on the free list to which Mckinley re-
piled that this was necessary to please
the Dutch. Then someone was sup
posed to propose a duty on straw. Will
liam l.. Wilson rejoined that this in
deed is the last straw--free sugar, free
whisky, and now free straw.
The Mckinley measure was reported
to the house about the middle of April.
Some twenty legislative days interviewed
before 1t was taken up for considers
ton. When 1t came to amending the
bill Mr.. Mckinley held his forces to-
gether with consummate ability. He
lost out, however, on his WOODEN sched-
uie, and saved his tin-plate duty by
the narrow margin of one vote. A rule
was brought in which effectually smut
off a vote on any Democratic amend
ment, and the house promptly passed
the bill.
When the measure went to the sem
ate the finance committee, to which 1t
was referred, granted lengthy hearings.
A month elapsed before the bill was re-
ported to the senate, and another
month before it was taken up Tor con-
sideration. Then came month OF de-
bate in the senate, followed by TWO
weeks of consideration of amendments.
It was finally passed on September 10
with 396 amendments added to 1t, and
of these the joint committee of con-
ference was forced to accept 27T and
to compromise on 173 of the remainder.
As viewed by the historian, the Nc
Kinley law was not the success as q
revenue measure that might have been
expected. One of its purposes was to
reduce the revenues of the treasury,
but in trying to carry that purpose into
effect the trainers of the law went too
far. and the end of the Harrison adj
ministfation found the treasury in
such condition that a bond issue
NJ. ox,I fh.,
White House for his second term was
inevitable. Indeed 1t is matter OF
official record that Secretary Foster OF
Mr. Harrisons cabinet ordered the
plates made for the bonds that were
afterward issued by Secretary Carlisle.
All fiscal experts concede that the ex-
act effect of tariff law cannot be fore"
told A reduction of the customs re-
ceipts, accompanied by an enhance
ment of the degree of protection, had
been sought, and the trainers of the
Mckinley tariff had gone beyond the
limit of safety in the former object If
not in the latter.
While the Mckinley bill was pending
there was a continued effort on the
part of the Democrats to get before the
people their prophecy that the McKin-
ley tariff would result in high prices
everywhere. They did not content
themselves with generalities. but set
down speclhc increases tnat were 10 DC
expected. Events in some measure
justified their proprecies, and the YER
dict of the people against the McKin-
ley bill was the most emphatic ever
delivered against any tariff law up to
that time. But it was not the final
verdict. The court of public opinion
was to reverse itself again. If the sin
of high prices was to procure the ban
ishment of the Mckinley law, hard
times was to be the undoing of the
Wilson act.
Copyright, 1909. by Frederic J. Haskin)
TomorrOw-American Tariff Laws.
XY-Reciprocity.