COMMON SENSE AND THE TARIFF QUESTION. 445 



the Committee of Ways and Means, explaining the reasons why 

 it should be adopted. No hearings were given, and it seemed to 

 be so fair, as I also thought it was, that it was adopted and went 

 into the tariff with some other amendments. In it I used the 

 technical word "hank." That Congress dissolved presently on 

 the 4th of March. A few days later, the principal appraiser of 

 the Boston Custom-House called upon me and put to me the ques- 

 tion, " What is a hank ? " I told him it was a skein of cotton 

 yarn eight hundred and forty yards long ; adding, " Why do you 

 ask ? ?• " Because," said he, " some damned fool has put a duty in 

 the tariff by the hank, and, if we can't get around it, an estab- 

 lished and important branch of domestic industry will be ruined." 

 I asked for an explanation ; and upon the development of the 

 facts I said, " Well, you used the right term, and I am the man." 

 Then said the appraiser, " You must see if there is no way to get 

 around your amendment." I studied the matter carefully, and in- 

 vented a way for avoiding or evading my own act. The threatened 

 industry was saved, but I lost my little investment, as I deserved to, 

 for putting my money into a business which I did not understand. 



But this was not the end. Matters went on smoothly for two 

 or three years, when there was a change of appraisers. The new 

 man contested my construction of my own amendment, and un- 

 dertook to enforce the law in accordance with the real intention. 

 An appeal was taken to the Secretary of the Treasury. By good 

 luck at that time I happened to call upon the collector ; he, know- 

 ing my familiarity with the art but knowing nothing of my pre- 

 vious connection with the act, nominated me as merchant ap- 

 praiser to decide the case on its merits. I of course sustained 

 the practice of the first appraiser who had consulted me, and 

 again the threatened industry was saved ; by sustaining my own 

 evasion of my own act, justice was done. 



This is but one of many incidents which many men could re- 

 late ; it is but an example of many great wrongs which have been 

 done that have never been righted. 



. I have stated the conditions which render important changes 

 in our tariff acts an absolute necessity. It is probable that all 

 intelligent manufacturers and merchants, and all legislators ex- 

 cept those who are bound by mere party ties in considering these 

 changes, would agree upon the following propositions : 



a. In the preparation of measures for collecting duties upon im- 

 ports, such discrimination ought to be used as will most fully pro- 

 mote domestic industry and protect American labor from injury. 



b. In framing such tariff measures, discrimination ought to be 

 used so as to develop the home market for domestic products to 

 the utmost ; so far as this can be done by the exercise of judg- 

 ment in framing tariff acts. 



