gen. The reform of a tariff, or of existing tariff conditions; spec. in recent U.S. politics, ‘a reform favoring a general reduction of import duties, and in general a movement away from Protection’ (Cent. Dict., 1891); in British politics since c. 1903 (usually with capitals, Tariff Reform), the extension of the tariff on imports, as opposed to ‘Free Trade.’ Also attrib., as Tariff Reform League, movement, party, policy, etc.
1891. in Cent. Dict.
1895. Funk’s Stand. Dict., Tariff-reform,… applied in the United States to a movement away from the policy of protection.
1903. Morley, Gladstone, I. II. viii. 264. It was by the principles of free trade that Peel and his lieutenant justified tariff-reform.
1903. J. Chamberlain, Sp., Introd. 8. They [speeches] have been … supplemented by statistics and details … which it is the function of the Tariff Reform League and the Imperial Tariff Committee to supply in their publications.
1908. E. E. Williams in Westm. Gaz., 20 Feb., 2/3. [Formed May 14, 1903 as the Protection League] A fortnight later it changed the name to the Tariff League, and again a fortnight later to that of the Imperial Tariff League … [after] some six or seven weeks it was formally amalgamated with an inchoate body (comprising chiefly members of Parliament in sympathy with the new movement) under the title of the Tariff Reform League.
1908. Westm. Gaz., 24 Aug., 2/2. If [Mr. Bryan’s] declaration means anything, it is a notable advance in what Americans call ‘Tariff Reform’—i.e., a change of the Tariff in the direction of Free Trade.
Hence Tariff-reformer, an advocate or supporter of tariff-reform; in British politics from 1903, an advocate of an extended tariff on imports.
1903. J. Chamberlain, Sp., Introd. 9. The Tariff Reformers … believe that … by re-arming ourselves with the weapon of a moderate tariff, we may still defend our home market against unfair competition.
