New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-02-28
THE TARIFF.

TIE TARIFF
We should really like to see what sort OF a
Tariff our Western Republicans who are striV-
ing to defeat the bill now before Congress
would frame if they could have their way. we
are willing to suppose they desire to defray
the necessary expenses Of the Government and
| 70 nav the interest on our National debt; and
they they know this will take a large an
nual income They know Also as well as we
know. that there are but two ways OF raising
the money. One is by duties on imports,
| and the other is by taxes on the prop
erty and industry of the counts. But
| they exhibit the extraordinary spectacle
of opposing both. They say, "Reduce your tar
iff, the duties are too high. the consumer is
IMPRESSED by them" Turning TO the other
source of revenue, they exclain. Take Off
"your internal taxes; the way to encourage
production is to tighten the taxes on industry,
:" not increase them" Suppose Congress to
| agree to this view of the case, what would be
the state of the Treasury when called upon to
pay current expenses, soldiers bountes, inter
est Oh tho National debit II must post a
notice on its door, saying. mo FUNDS
How else9 Less from imports, less from in
ternal taxation. is the cry 1t is a simple
policy the easiest kind of policy TO adyo-
cate and enforce. 1t consists in merely throw
| ing away your revenue. You have only to
establish Free Trade, and get rid OF your in
ternal taxes, and the thing is done.
Now we wish to ask gentlemen who have just
as much interest as we have in administering
| this Government on proper principles, and more
responsibility, what sort Of policy is this TO
urge upon Congress- in the face of the enor-
nous and memorable demands of the Treasury
Do they want the Government to 90 to protest on
its obligations to its civilians its soldiers. its bond
holdersi DO they want 10 disgrace it! TO COM
pei it to go into bankruptcy What object have
they in resisting, with temper, with acrimony.
with prejudice, plans matured with patient
labor, with thoughtful providence, with unset
| fish care, to provide the ways and means TO
supply the Treasury with the sums adequate to
meet all its obligationsi One would suppose
! from the way the Tariff bill is resisted in the
| House, that il was the scheme OF an enemy to
| plumber the nation, instead of n measure de-
vised by its friends to preserve its cherished
credit and protect its struggling industry. The
friends Of the Tariff have to fight for it rs
though it were something for their individual
benefit, and designed to rob everybody else,
instead of being a measure designed by de-
voted friends of the whole country to advance
the interests of every part.
Suppose those hostile to the measure, Of
whatever side in politics, should lay aside for
a moment their personal feelings, which are
liable to be reused, uncOnsciously, in all of
us, and for once, while there is yet time, regard
this subject from the point of view of patriotic
craftsmanship. Let them consider how much
is at stake, the difficulties of the position, the
rivalry of interests the absolute impOssibillty
of harmonizing every conflicting claim and
every opposing view and at least DO willing
to give a vote for the country, although it be a
vote for Tariff which they do not in all
respects approve.
The debate in the House yesterday will prove
a trial to the patience of the country. With
a calm deliberation, worthy of the gentleman
who stopped to pull off his gloves before res
cuing his child from drowning the House,
while tho industry of the country is
implOring its aid, pauses to "pick
"out tho Words from q dozen or so of
amendments. With as vague conception of
time as Mr. Skimpole had of money, it then
devoted itself to an exhaustive discussion
of the duty on Wooden Flocks, with
so general an impression that the speakers
| did not know what Wooden Flocks
are that some of them were Obliged to
make full statements of their knowledge
of the article. The House had apparently not
forgotten the Senator who recently vehemently
denounced the duty on Bromide of Potassium.
and being asked what the said Bromide was,
could not tell, though had he been wise he might
have perfectly satisfied his questioner by defin-
ing it as an 0xyd of Manganese. After adopting
some of the Committees amendments on Wool,
the House substituted its paragraph on Carpets,
and might have got as far as Drugs had not
Mr.. Schenck, whose sole idea of Tariff seems
to be that it should suit Ohio, insisted that the
duty on Flax should be increased from S15 TO
S45 per tun. Then followed debate in which
the respective Importance of the Western and
Eastern States, the patriotism of their inhabi-
tants, their rights under the Constitution, the
number of soldiers they had sent to the war,
were examined with great care, with occa-
sional reference to the British Isles and the
probable incomes of New-YOrk merchants.
This course of argument convinced the
House that Mr.. Schenck was only wrong
to the extent of So, and it raised the tax to
$40. Elated by this triumph, but resolved that
the So should somehow be imposed that gen
tleman then moved to raise the tax on hacked
flax to $50 per tm. Mr.. Farnsworth proposed