Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-01-08
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.
The Proposed Revision of the Tariff


The Proposed Revision Of the Tariff-As
far as We can ascertain, there seems to be some
Misunderstanding as to the result Of the eau
Gus OF Democratic Senators and Representa-
tlves held on Wednesday night last. Some seem
to understand that the virtual meaning of the
resolution adopted was to advise the support
OF the bill rel orted by the majority of the
Ways and Means Committee On the other
hand, others draw no such conclusion from the
action in question, translating their resolution
as recommending an adherence to the advice
of the Secretary of the Treasury, as guide
for their legislation upon the tariff. When
doctors disagree, who shall decide? Now,
there are few very plain facts bearing on the
subject, which all Congress and the country
should comprehend and ponder over, ere the
former come to legislate upon it, Thus. the
country is not now in the commercial condition
in which it was in 1S46. A ratio of duty or
some articles which answered well then. will
Tot work either probably for the Treasury, or
for tho interests Of the citizen, at this time
owing to the changes which have since taken
place In our commerce. More of some articles
and less Of others are now imported, and the
change in the demand and markets fer various
articles, have rendered some of the existing
duties prohibitory, which, in 1916, were mere
revenue duties. Take the article Of coarse
woods, for instance-wools costing less than
sixteen cents per pound at the place whence
exported. All American manufactures of
broadcloths have stopped. England admits
such woods duty free, which enables her man
ufacturers to get them up at prices which ut
terly defeat the sale of American coarse wool
len goods abroad, taxed as they are here by the
30 per cent. now assessed on the raw material.
The duty produces no revenue worth having,
as the demand for them hes ceased, rs explain
ed above. The existing duty protects no one,
as the American wool now raised is, with the
most trifing exceptions, all of a finer and
coarse wool, imported for the purpose explain
ed above, is, therefore, but to discountenance
lis manufacture hereto keep a legal provi-
sion On the statute book, throwing cold water on
the manufacture of coarse wooden goods in the
United States, and taxing the American con-
sumers of coarse WOODEN fabrics, carpets, negro
clothing, &c, forcing them to pay the duty on
all importations of such wool in the goods used
by them. Thus it is ultimately drawn almost
entirely from the pockets of the West and
South, and the users of low price carpets
and coarse woolens throughout the country
The same truths hold good to some extent
with reference to dye woods and dye stufs
We produce mono Of either; and England hay
ing accorded to her manufacturers the oppor-
tunity Of obtaining them duty Free our exist
ing duty upon them, while it nets hardly more
revenue than is expended in its own collection,
simply operates to prevent the descriptions Of
American goods into the composition of which
dyes enter, from competing successfully with
similar English goods in South American, West
Indian and Mexican markets, in all which.
since the enactment of the tariff of 1916, we
h9d began to compete smartly with England
in supplying them with such fabrics.
Another point worthy of note in rejecting
Oh the proper provisions of an altered tariff,
is the expediency of removing al duty of
coal: which, since 1916 has come to be an article
of almost as prime necessity to the mass Of
our population, as either tea or coffee; both Of
which are duty free. 1t is we'll known that
for the last three years, combination among the
mining pToprietors has successfully controlled
prices in all cases, working gross injustice to
those-the poor-who should be protected more
than any Others from i'll effects of such prac
tices, which the law, for the most part, enables
the miners to carry ont successfully.
Next: We have the railroad iron question,
which has become ono of great Importance in
framing new system of duties. The existing
hard times have paralyzeJ hundreds of rail
road enterprises now under way. We have
narrowly watched the circumsta noes resulting
from the construction of our great lines of
railroad with their branches, and venture to
affirm, that in the course of ten years after
being finished, every railroad so far built has
On an average, doubled the value of every
acre Of land within fifty miles of it, Our
country has go. rich through the construction
OF railroads, even though many of them are
themselves, unproductive stocks. PennsyIva.
nia's wealth has been, perhaps, quacrupled
up to this time by her internal Improvements,
though her finances were greatly embarrassed
Immediately after constructing them We
desire to zee the Government do its share, if
possible, to ward off from such works now
projected or under construction, the effect of
the present condition Of the money market.
The Z stern and Middle States have been
favored in the construction of their railroads
by the remission Of the duty on railroad iron.
Inc Southern and Western States are now
building theirs, under a series of financial
embarrassments which threaten to compel the
discontinuancs Of nine out of ten of them.
We are for relieving them as far as the Gov.
eminent can; because, not to do so, under
existing circumstances, will be to invite the
discontiuuance of their construction-than