The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1857-02-12
For the Gvsstte
he ouaas Duty.

For the ssssue,
ne ssoas Dsv.
y $500 g b Gaaeselly conceded ,Ass
the prsssnt halfrsvsaNe, hal, protective
tariff needs thorough revision nd altsrs.
ton. Indeed, II seems strange that asy
sAas man should Asfsal ouch tumble Of
Inconsistencies.
Lock for example At the ssoesrsSeMssf
and protection afforded y our woolsn nsn.
features. It 10 well known that large
portion Of the raw material 10 and must be,
for years to COME. inportsd--ths consamp-
ton far exceeding the home asPply--yst Ss
lind that wool pays duty Of 70 Per osss.
while ssaies sssds pay ba, ID sid % pr
cont.
But the mos, Objectionable aud opprss-
sise feature Of the prsssa, tariff, 10 the hsa-
w tax il lsvies on sugar. which paysa duty
oil % per cent. Mr.. Colfax, Of Indisna, has
introduced bill into the House abolishing
the dsty. but there appears to BE- little pros
pect Of its passage this session.
The bill reported BY Mr. Campbell, Of
Ohio, removes many Of the Objectionable
'eatures Of the present tariff. and among
other changes reduces the duty on sugar.
molasscs, lead, salt and wool to 10 per cent.
This bill may pass through Congress before
its adjournment, but we think il very doubt.
fol, unless with such alterations a. will de.
stroy its best features. The indicsti oas are
that the reduction Of the duty on sugar will
meet with strenuous opposition from
clique. which. though small, 10 sll.powsr.
ful.
The "Journsl Of Commerce." though
professedly an advocate Of Stree trads," has
raised the note Of alarm, claiming that the
proposal to repeal this duty 10 an attack on
the interests Of the South. But the South
consumes a. much sugar In proportion to Ito
free population % the North. while its inter.
Is. in IL produssion il purely local, being
mainly confined to parts Of Louisiana, Tex
"a, and Florida.
According TO the census Of 1850, the
whole number Of sugar planters 10 the
above named States 10 267a. Total mum.
Der Of scres employed in the cultivation Of
sugar, 100000. The est stsd product TO-
1885 10 l27 .0oo. 900 lbs. being 132.a2I,0o0
ibs. less than the yield In 1883. The aver.
age consumption Of sugar IN the United
States is % ibs. rsr annum to each indvi.
dual. There will therefore be deficit Of
more than 10000 900 lbs. for which We
must look 70 Cubs, Costs Ries. &e. While
our population il rapidy decreasing, the
yield Of the sugar crop Is yssr BY year d.
crsasins. itts fact beyond dispute that
the sugar laads Of the United States are
rapidly being exhausted. and the csas do.
dstsriorstins.
Let Us zee how this question a6se.s the
people Of lows. The population Of this
State at the present time may safely b put
down st 6oo. 900. Allowing that each indivi-
dual will consume but25 lbs. during the year
lss7-whieh viii b. moderate calculation
then W and that Iowa slons viii need
l5yooo.Ooo lbs.
AZ the duty 10 levied a vslsrem Il will be
81 Pressnt rates about 9 cents per ID. The
people Of Iowa will therefore pay $4,000
for duty on sugar alone. Let it be remem.
bered that this sum 10 taken directly from
the pockets of those who labor, to whom the
cost Of living is al object. And who are
benefited Less than 2.7oo planters who
have too much idlensss and too little ener.
gy TO improve thei. land and render it pro-
duetive; and Uncle Sans treasury already
filled TO oyerdowing, il spite Of the efforts OF
patriotic officials to relieve its burden.
Here thenis . practical question for the
people, which ough, to be discussed BY the
people, on ito merits. 1t ID neither party |
nor . sectional question. The continuance
of the duty cannot be justified on the score
of protection" The esss initial idea Of PRO
lection is thct the interest pro .scted vii
eventually become self-sustaining and sup
ply the home market. Does any one pre-.
tend that sugar enough can be raised 10 the
United States to supply our whole populs-
ton! For years the planters have been pro.
.ec'ed by heavy duty, still they are max
ing no progress. Let another course be
pursued, let the crutches be taken away
from the privileged class, AID they will Sc,
to work vigorously to reinyigorats their i'm.
povsrished acres and endeavor TO gain 10 |
quantity Whist they may loose in price.
At any rate it 10 tine that the taxation o,
that which enters % largely into the con-
sumption of 20 millions people should cease.
Ao1IcoLA.