The Tariff in Our TimesTarbell, Ida M. (Ida Minerva)
History
The Tariff in Our Times
Tarbell, Ida M. (Ida Minerva)
Tariff -- United States -- History
Mr. Wells included many other similar illustrations in his report, but
it was wool, salt, iron, and ship-building which demonstrated his points
most clearly: that tariffs, which were so high that they were
practically prohibitive, as in these cases, could not restore a
depressed industry, they raised prices unnaturally high to the consumer,
gave unnatural profits to the few manufacturers as in the case of
pig-iron, led inevitably to monopolies as in the case of salt, and
destroyed related industries as in the case of ship-building.
The report created a great noise and played a big part in the debate on
the tariff bill, which General Schenck introduced into the House in
February, 1870. That any bill attempted at this juncture should follow
the pledges the leaders had given in ’62 and ’64 to reduce the tariffs
as the internal taxes were reduced, would seem evident. But there was no
proof that General Schenck and his committee had given more than a
passing glance at these pledges. That the tariffs, whose unjust and
dangerous excess had been demonstrated, should be corrected, seemed
evident—but they were either ignored or only partially readjusted. Thus
pig-iron, which undoubtedly would have been amply protected by a duty of
$3.00 a ton, was allowed $7.00. The revenue was reduced, as it was
imperative it should be, by lowering the duties on sugar, tea, and
coffee—a “free breakfast table” being the committee’s slogan. An
animated wrangle followed the introduction of the bill. The leaders on
the extreme wings were William D. Kelley of Pennsylvania for the high
protectionists, and S. S. Cox of New York for the free traders; while
Messrs. Allison of Iowa and Garfield of Ohio led the moderates.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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