584 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



would be different, and some of the stumbling-blocks in the way of pru- 

 dent legislation would have been removed. An argument in favor 

 of definite improvement does not involve a belief in Utopia. 



As an example of the problems capable of scientific treatment, let 

 us consider the tariff question. A man who is actively engaged in 

 commerce, manufactures, agriculture, or mining, will, consciously or 

 unconsciously, regard such a problem from the stand-point of his own 

 industry — judging it according to his own interests, and giving less 

 weight to the interests of others. Whatever benefits him must be 

 good for the country ; whatever injures him is surely bad for the coun- 

 try : practical experience and common sense are apparently on his side. 

 Nevertheless, with him, a truly judicial treatment of the subject is so 

 difficult as to be well-nigh impossible ; and this statement is borne out 

 by the existing condition of affairs. Every great industry in the coun- 

 try has either been represented in Congress, or has clamored for relief 

 before it, each asking that certain duties should be raised, and others 

 abolished or lowered. The result of this agitation is practically chaos. 

 Some industries are overburdened, and others are unduly favored ; 

 inequalities appear in every direction ; a fair adjustment seems to be 

 almost unattainable. The tariff, so far, has been framed unsystemati- 

 cally ; the treatment of the question has been unscientific ; hap-hazard 

 experimenting has wrought unmistakable mischief. 



Suppose, now, that the tariff problem were brought for solution 

 before men of scientific training. They would look at it much as they 

 would regard a question in mathematics ; as an equation having two 

 sides to be exactly balanced. First, they would group together the 

 objects capable of taxation by import duties, classifying them by a 

 scientific method, and specifying each one with definiteness and pre- 

 cision. The list so formed would next be simplified as much as pos- 

 sible, by striking out repetitions and superfluities, and making as few 

 general headings as would properly cover the ground. Then would 

 follow the consideration of each group by itself, with reference to the 

 amount of revenue needed by the Government, and to the possible 

 prohibitive character of any given rate of duty. Finally, the effects 

 of the tariff upon consumers and producers would be taken into ac- 

 count, and the relations of industries to each other would be carefully 

 studied, so that a duty favorable to one should not be destructive 

 toward another. Thus, step by step, there would be wrought out a 

 tariff system as even and just as possible ; not an ideal system by any 

 means, but one moderate and practicable. 



Now, although at first sight it would seem to be a simple matter 

 to adjust such a tariff system, something which any steady-going man 

 of average common sense could attend to, a little consideration will 

 show where the value of a scientific education comes in. First, the 

 rigid application of the method proposed is more likely to be carried 

 out by a man of scientific training than by any other, or at least more 



