The Washington herald., 1909-03-15

views following the analysis with the
declaration that the truth lay between
them in the shape of a protective tariff
that leads 20 ultimate free trade" He
wanted the infant industries 20 he nour-
ished up 20 the point where they could
hustle for themselves, and then withdraw
the government stimulant.
The reasonable man knows that there
IS argument on both sides, but he is
scarcely prepared for the strength Of
the arguments each side can muster. An
incident which happened last winter will
illustrate this. The present Vice Presi-
dent, Mr. Sherman. had printed in the
Congressional Record parallel columns OF
figures. comparing the condition OF the
country under Democratic rule from 1893
10 1887 and under Republican rule since
then. It was an impressive array Of
statistics. and seemed convincing enough
for any one.
The eve Of Representative LLOYD. OF
Missouri. fell on this campaign document,
and he proceeded 10 counter in true pO-
litical prize ring style. He made some
calculations as 20 the relative growth
OF the country from 1880 to 1860 under
a low tariff. and from 1897 70 1907, under
a high tariff lie presented figures
showing that savings bank deposits had
increased 246 per cent in the lOw-tariff
decade. as against Is per cent during
the high-tariff decade; all bank deposits
16S per cent. as compared with $50 per
cent. exports 132 per cent. as compared
with 79 per cent His figures set up the
claim that the national wealth had in
creased 100 per cent during the ten-free-
trade years, as compared with less than
81 per cent during the ten high-tarih
wears According 10 the Lloyd figures,
wheat was worth an average Of more
than double as much, and corn more than
q half more.
To al this the Republicans answer that
the IS50-ls50 period was a happy accident;
that the country was simply enjoying that
prosperity which resulted from the MSxi-
can war and the discovery Of gold in
California. just as the Democrats insist
that the panic OF 1898 came from Repub-
lican misrule in the Harrison administra-
ton. So there you are. This series Of
articles will not attempt 10 settle even
single point of this multi-sided contro-
versy. but will tell the history of the
tariff from the time that II first began.
showing its interdependence with all other
questions. and portray the many changes
OF front by men and parties II Is the
most thrilling story Of American politics
a story that reaches to every home and
every pocketbook in this broad land.
Athens and Rome had their custom
houses. and collected duties on almost
everything that went in and out The
usual rate was per cent. though, in
times OF war 1t was made higher. In
Rome the duty was per cent under the
earliest emperOrs, but when Nero and
some Of his successors were on the throne
81 averaged 12Ik per cent. The Digest OF
Justinian gives a list Of the dutiable arti-
cles, and il IS not widely different from
present ideas Of tariff duties.
But II remained for the little town OF
Tarifa, Spain. to give to the list OF
dutisble articles the name of tariff -
This little town is located twenty-five
miles southwest OF Gibraltar. and it is
ths most southerly town Of Europe. One
who visits II to-day can easily imagine
himself back in the days ot the Moors.
when they ruled TaTifa and made II
SORT OF marine tollgate and halfway
house between Mediterranean and At
lantic ports It's toll list became known
by the international traders as the
y
tongue to-day.
IN feudal times they had a sort OF tariff
for entering the various cities OF Europe
The duty paid at the gates Of Paris to-
day is a survival OF this feudal custom
The first English tariff was collected un-
der King Ethelred. The duties were paid
at Bilingsgate No wonder that historic
entrance into the city OF London has been
embalmed in the English tongue as
synonym OF foul and scurrIIous language.
Tariffs have since become general. and
so long as human nature remains human
nature the tariff viii doubtless remain
the favorite mode Of collecting revenues.
The system works so silently that hardly
a single American citizen can apprcxi-
mate his share of IT, Were the revenues
Of the United States collected by a sys-
tenn or direct taxation. the man who Is
worth $4,000 would have to paw to the
''pGbhcan" tax collected $67 as his annual
contribution 20 the cost Of maintaining