Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1857-03-04


community, find these last-named articles indis-
pensable to individual and national prosperity.
They may with some inconvenience to be sure)
dispense with sugar and its manufactures.
Now, how is it in regard to other items 3
Take the item of steel-another article of prime
necessity. Under the tariff of 1916 certain des-
criptions of that article were admitted at twenty
per cent, willie some of the manufactures of
steel were admitted at fifteen per cent. How
does my friend from Ohio provide for these ar
ticles lie transfers the fifteen per cent articles
to the twenty per cent. schedule-thus imposing
heavier duty than they bear under the tariff Of
1916.
Can it be properly insisted upon, that bill
which takes articles from higher schedule, (and
articles of luxury too0 and runs them down to q
! lower schedule, and which again takes articles
going into the everyday consumption Of the
country, and runs them up into higher sche-
dule, operates fairly afl justly on all the inter-
ests of the country? 1t cannot be. This Shift
ing process looks more to protection for the pri-
vileged class than to revenue for the Govern
ment.
/ propose now to look at another article, the
article of wool, which is reduced from thirty
per cent. to ten per cent. by the bill of the ma
iority do not object to the reduction OF wool
per sc, but do object 10 reduction on wool,
while the manufactures of wool remain unreduc-
/ ed. | am aware that some of those who are
engaged in the woolen manufacture insist that
my bill, which reduces the duty from thirty to
twenty-four per cent, will seriously injure this
branch of industry. While many of them say,
that the manufactures of woolens must go down
under duty of twenty:four per cent, others,
experienced and skilled in the business, enter
tain different opinion Mr.. Caleb Jones, who
has had twenty years experience as a woolen
manufacturer, and whom know to be man OF
intelligence and integrity, in letter addressed
to the present Secretary of the Treasury, in re-
sponse to his circular of 1863 thus speaks on this
subject:
Such is the view which Mr.. Jones presents,
and give it, that it may be weighed in connec,
tion with the views entertained by others of e.
quail experience, intelligence, and integrity.
accidentally observed in paper this morn
ing summary of the provisions of the various
tariff laws, containing statements OF the amount
of duty which has been assessed on the article OF
wool under each law from the foundation of the
Government to the present time. The informa-
ton contained in the article is instructive and
interesting. have not had the time to make
|
to test its accuracy but imagine it will be found
very nearly, if not altogether, correct
We thus see that there were extraordinary
changes in the rates of duty, and the mode Of
laying them, under the various tariff laws enact
ed by Congress between 1889 and 1916. We all
recoect, that at the time of the passage of the
tariff law OF 1885, gentlemen who were then in
terested in woolen manufactures, complained
grievously of the provisions fthat law in regard
to the duty upon WOO, ,and in regard to the duty
upon woolen manufactures of all sorts. Where
was the wool in this country chiefly produced
prior to the passage of the tariff of 1S46? If
you will take the trouble to 90 back and examine
you will find, that up to 1910 there was more
wool in proportion to the population and extent
of territory, produced in the New England States
than in any number of States of the same size
and population of the Union. / have collected
some statistics in regard TO the production OF
wool and have prepared table showing the
productions of different divisions of the Union,
, which have classified as New England States,
northwestern States, middle States, southwestern
States and Territories and southern States
strictly.
/ desire now to call attention to it for the
purpose Of impressing upon the minds of our
j northern friends who are urging here that wool
should be entirely free, and who are maintain.
ing that it would be to the interest of all por-
tions of the country that it should be free. that
they ought to stay their hands for the present,
and recollect that at the time when they were
the wool producers, they were sustained by a
duty ranging from ten to fifty per cent. al ralo-
rem, with specific duty during q portion Of the
same time of from four to five cents per
f pound. But sir, the scepter has departed from
f New England. The product of wool in that Sec
ton of the country is decreasing and the increase
in the product of that article is going row to the
, South and Southwest, and the Northwest oftlis
great country. now present the table which
have prepared, and | ask the attention of the
committee and the country TO the results which
, it establishes
u
have not doubt, if you could have the sta
tistics accurately collected from 1850 up to the
present time showing the annual production of
wool, You would find that the rate of decrease
in the New England States in this item has been
more rapid since 1850 than prior to that time.
And is it not natural that it should be so?-
Look at the rigid climate of the New England
States. The cold is so intense that they must
house and feed their sheep during large por-
ton of the year in order to make them produc-
tive in wool and to do this, the owner is SUBJ
jected to an amount of fexpense which the product
of the wool will very inadequately requite.
desire most respectfully to call the attention
of our friends from the New England States who
object to any duty npon wool, to this table; and
ask them to consider whether they will not be
placing themselves in very unenviable posi-
ton, and whether they may not subject their
motives to serious msconstruction, if they shall
, insist upon the passage of bill in accordance
with the precise terms they demand on this and
| other points in ssue9 Sir, is it reasonable or
right that the manufacturing interests shall be
relieved from duty upon the raw material, and
that you shall leave the burden upon the manu.
featured article, to be paid by the consumer
when he comes to use it, rs use it he must? This
is the the theory that is now inculcated-this
the demand that is pressed upon u.s.
So far as New England is concerned, and all
the diversified interests of this land are invoy-
{ ed, maintain that if You will take the tariff OF
; 1916, if you will reduce it twenty per cent. on
, all the schedules, and if, for the sake of COM
promise, you will go still further, and agree
5 to give to these gentlemen the benefit of their
raw material greatly lightened of their burdens
in the shape of duties, they ought to be content.
, When we advance to that point, have We not
gone great way, III tne ePii!t vi acco'niioua-
f ton, for the purpose of bringing about settle
Lment and adjustment of this controversy upon
business principles The bill reported by the mi
noritv of the Committee of Ways and Means is
the result of this generous spirit and feeling
Srs, can you ask u.s. as Just men, as men hav-
ing proper prospect for the rights and interests
of our own constituents that we shall not only
90 half way, but when we have done that, we
shall 90 still further, and relieve you from all
duties on yonr raw material, while the burthen
of supporting the Government hhy. the duties on
manufactured articles consumed by us remain
tho same, and are TO be paid by the consumers
whom we represent, and whose rights, whose