A large source of
revenue was cut off by abolishing the sugar duties and by
substituting a system of bounties to encourage home production.
Upon this bill as a whole, Senator Cullom remarks in his memoirs
that "it was a high protective tariff, dictated by the
manufacturers of the country" who have "insisted upon higher
duties than they really ought to have." The bill was, indeed,
made up wholly with the view of protecting American manufactures
from any foreign competition in the home market.
As passed by the House, not only did the bill ignore American
commerce with other countries but it left American consumers
exposed to the manipulation of prices on the part of other
countries. Practically all the products of tropical America,
except tobacco, had been placed upon the free list without any
precaution lest the revenue thus surrendered might not be
appropriated by other countries by means of export taxes. Blaine,
who was once more Secretary of State, began a vigorous agitation
in favor of adding reciprocity provisions to the bill. When the
Senate showed a disposition to resent his interference, Blaine
addressed to Senator Frye of Maine a letter which was in effect
an appeal to the people, and which greatly stirred the farmers by
its statement that "there is not a section or a line in the
entire bill that will open the market for another bushel of wheat
or another barrel of pork.
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