Why was the mckinley tariff passed

Reading about history in textbooks is useful, but newspaper articles, photos, cartoons, drawings, and other artifacts can bring a topic to life in a way that a textbook can’t.

When we set out to write a blog post on the McKinley Tariff, we were excited to find both a New York Times article from 1890 and a Harper’s Weekly cartoon from 1888.

First, the history lesson: Tariffs are taxes levied on foreign goods, generally with the intention of increasing the consumption of goods manufactured at home. At various times in 19th-century America, tariffs were levied on sugar, wool, cotton, and certain metals.

Before becoming president, William McKinley served in the House of Representatives, representing Ohio. He was a fan of tariffs, and a large part of his legacy is the tariff bill passed in 1890, introduced in a committee he chaired. It became known as the McKinley Tariff. From Ohio History Central:

William McKinley was a member of the Republican Party. During the late nineteenth century, Republicans strongly supported tariffs to protect growing industries within the United States from foreign competition. The McKinley Tariff was passed into law in 1890, and it dramatically increased the tax rate on foreign products. While many business owners supported this legislation, American consumers generally opposed it, as prices increased for goods. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, the Republican Party and the Democratic Party continuously battled over tariffs. American opposition to the McKinley Tariff was so high that President Benjamin Harrison, a Republican, may have lost reelection in 1892 partly because of his support for the tax.

Read more about the tariffs here.

Also, a fascinating excerpt from a New York Times article, October 21, 1890 (PDF):

UP GO THE PRICES NOW; HOW THE M KINLEY TARIFF TAXES THE NECESSARIES OF LIFE. MERCHANTS ARE MARKING UP ALMOST EVERYTHING THAT MEN WEAR, EAT, OR KEEP HOUSE WITH.

Subjoined will be found a large amount of information, easily comprehensible, as to the practical workings of the McKinley tariff, all of it answering to the questions whether the tariff imposes a tax upon American consumers and whether greater burdens are put upon the people of this country by the new tariff law than they were bearing previous to its going into effect. …

WHO PAYS THE TARIFF TAXES?

The Republican campaign orators and pamphleteers say that the various import duties levied by Congress are paid by the foreigners who send goods to America, and they deny point blank that the price of any article which may be called a necessary expense will be increased to Americans by the operation of the new tariff law. Fortunately for those who believe in tariff reforms, the question as to who pays the tariff taxes, and likewise the pleas which are made in answer to this question by the partisan defenders of the new law, may be referred to the arbitrament of incontestable facts. It is no longer necessary to meet theories with theories. Let the facts, which are multiplying every day, tell who it is that pays the onerous tariff taxes. They will answer that the American people pay these taxes and that the burden of them rests most heavily upon the poor, inasmuch as there are very few of the necessities of life the prices of which are not increasing on account of the McKinley tariff.

INCREASED COST OF MEN’S CLOTHING

It is the testimony of all persons engaged in the business of supplying men’s clothing that prices are to be greatly advanced during the coming year and in respect to some things advances in price have already been made.

Brokaw Brothers of this city, manufacturers and wholesale and retail dealers in men’s clothing, say: “On our present stock, there will be no advance, but when our goods begin to cost us more, that is to say, when the tariff changes have to be met on new importations, we shall of course advance our prices. Probably the advance will be in the neighborhood of 10 per cent.

Finally, nothing beats a picture. From Harper’s Weekly, 32:500 (July 7, 1888), archived at the Library of Congress:

Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, [Control #:cai1996002826/PP]

TITLE: Mr. McKinley presents a counter attraction to his “all wool” suit of clothing

CREATOR: Rogers, W. A. (William Allen), 1854-1931, artist.

Variant title on verso: The McKinley ‘all wool’ incident revised to suit the times.

“If you don’t see what you want, ask for it” on sign; “Suit of war taxed common cloth. Tariff 89%” on coat; “Untaxed whiskey, 20 [cents] gal.” on jug.

CALL NUMBER:CAI – Rogers, no. 65 (A size) [P&P]

In 1890, William McKinley, a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio, introduced a tariff bill, which became known as the McKinley Tariff suggesting that protective import taxes should be placed on foreign goods. By this, imported products should become more expensive as compared to similar made in America and by this growing industries within the United States would be protected from foreign competition.

The McKinley Tariff was passed into law in 1890 and dramatically increased the import tax on foreign products. The result was the highest protective import tax in American history to that point, with an average rate of 48 percent. While many business owners supported this legislation many Americans viewed this act as just a method for some businessmen to 'get rich quick' rather than lowering the prices on American goods.

The tariffs of 1890 set the import tax on for example "China, Porcelain, parian" etc. to sixty percent ad valorem and fifty five percent "if not decorated". The tariff law of 1897 - Fifty-fifth Congress, first session - kept the porcelain import tax at this level until further. (Schedule B, #95, page 7).

Regarding the country of origin marking, it was stated in section 6, at page 58 in the original printed Act of 1890:

"That on and after the first day of March, eighteen hundred and ninety-one, all articles of foreign manufacture, such as are usually or ordinarily marked, stamped, branded or labelled, and all packages containing such or other imported articles, shall, respectively, be plainly marked, stamped, branded, or labeled in legible English words, so as to indicate the country of their origin; and unless so marked, stamped or branded, or labeled they shall not be admitted to entry."

This specific regulation that was in force from the 1st of March, 1891 did not outlaw the use of Japanese or Chinese or in fact any other characters then the English alphabet from being used or combined with any particular marking, but it definitely for teh protection of the US home market and industry that all imported porcelains should be marked with the country of origin written in the western alphabet. At first, this regulation resulted in that Japanese porcelain were marked "NIPPON" and Chinese "CHINA".

The original name for Japan is a combination of the two characters ni meaning 'day or sun' and hon meaning 'rising' which gave the name 'Nihon', or 'Nippon' that better fitted the Japanese pronunciation. In 1921 the US ruled that 'Nippon' had to be changed into the by then usual Western name 'Japan'.

The McKinley Tariff Act of 1890, sponsored by William McKinley, a Republican Senator from Ohio, increased the tariffs on manufactured goods to as high as 49 percent. The Act passed with the understanding that Republicans would support the Sherman Silver Purchase Act. This Act allowed the Treasury to purchase the gold and silver output of mines in exchange for notes redeemable in silver or gold.

The McKinley Tariff Act hurt American farmers by raising the price of farm equipment and failing to address descending agricultural prices. At the time American agricultural produce was inexpensive as farmers faced minimal competition from imports. Higher tariffs coerced farmers into purchasing protected and expensive products from American manufacturers while selling products in markets that were competitive and unprotected.

The Blaine-Harrison reciprocity provision was included in the McKinley Tariff Act. The Tariff essentially provided the president with the ability to manipulate rates in terms of foreign markets; he was able to reduce tariffs on foreign products if other nations reduced tariffs for U.S. goods. Secretary of State James G. Blaine sought to take advantage of the president’s bargaining power. A supporter of expanding trade into Latin American, he assembled the Pan American Congress of 1889. Blaine considered the reciprocity provision as a means to gain access to Latin American products and markets. The McKinley reciprocity provision is credited with being a pioneering effort to widen American trade.

The tariff increased costs for all Americans in terms of purchasing power and wages. Many items that came from abroad became pricier than local products; overseas products that remained less expensive than local goods still rose in price in relation to local products. This change meant that Americans required higher compensation to compensate for decreased purchasing power and increased expenses. The escalated price of labor subsequently led to mounting costs to produce local goods.

In 1875 Secretary Hamilton Fish sponsored a reciprocity treat with Hawaii. This treaty backed Hawaiian sugar and subsequently the white planters owned the majority of sugar plantations. The McKinley Tariff Act opened the American market to overseas sugar and therefore contributed to a decline in the Hawaiian economy. The troubled Hawaiian economy created political issues between supporters of the Queen and planters. Although whites gained control in 1893, President Grover Cleveland rescinded an impending annexation treaty.

The Republican Party controlled Congress when the McKinley Tariff Act passed. The passage of this wildly unpopular Act, however, led to massive Republican defeat in the subsequent House and Senate elections. In 1892 voters reaffirmed their displeasure at the polls, reports the U.S. House of Representatives. Republican President Benjamin Harrison lost re-election to Cleveland.