The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1868-01-23
The Present Tariff Law.

FROM lie -aaNI-cA JOsii NaA'
- II view of what has been alleged re-
freeing the present Tariff Law. It lslln-
-{ere. ting to read what Dir. Wells, the
n special Commissioner of Revenue, has
to sag on the subject. 4 prominent OPP
position journal of this state has repeat
e1ir declared that its sole object is to
rrotcct Eastern manufacturers, and es
4sey:aiiy those Of New England, at the
rex ense of the West. The same paper
SAhs.s re presented it as yielding little or ne
ecyenue Ia the Government. Even the
II Chicago tribune, a paper which ought
n0s wilfuiy mis,epresent 1t, has pro-
1-euIced it q Ia to rob the West forsthe
henaft of the New England Manufactu-
rers and Pennsylvania iron-mongers, but
sehon Invited 10 back up its naked asSer
ian with some show of fact or argument,
that journal has maintained an express
atre silence.
The Tribune warmly commends Mr..
Wells report, and especially praises
she clearness and concsien,iousness OF
the reasoning aud marks of patient and
we'll di ected labor which it displays.
Now it happens that Mr. Wells, insthis
report, speaks very approvIngly of the
tariff, and pronounces it the most certain
: AMI equal taxation which we have at pre-
sent. What gives this endorsement still
greater emphasis is the fact that Dir.
:. Il els Is himself in principle a free trader.
Ii IS not rs 4 protec,fnniSt measure that
lie endorses the tariff. but strictly as a
revenue measure. An earnest student Of
financial questions for many years, and
Tor two years past devoting his whole
time ami talents to the consideration of
our revenue system, he finds, In practise,
that the present tariff operates more
equally ami with greater certainty as a
revenue measure than any other In
speaking Of the ability of the Govern
saaent to nleetits gold Obligations he says:
These resources under the present tariff
have become remarkably uniform, and
ampi.' sufficient for contingencies. .
in anosher Place he says In detenlin
ing for ths future what shall be the aver
age rate Of the tariff, it. is important to
.hear IN mind that the practical question
presented Is not SO much what the repre-
tentative advocates OF free trade and pro-
tectlnn may desire, -or what abstract eco
homie science III " teach. but rather what
unda: existing circumstances Is most ex-
pedIent Aud viewed In this light it
seems certain. that with all its objection
abe features, We have as yet devised no
%yssTHb rs q tt!ote lCillch ollerGfes actth SO
naet 9f cerfrinty and equality as tie
system offac sfioa teria{ through the tariff.
III proof OF this we have only to cite in
general the recognized failure to collect
the internai revenue; and, in particular
the wide discrepancy in the receipts of
the income tax from different sections of
the country.
SHch Is the testimony of man who IS
Genera!ly conceded to possess an especial
aptituie, both natural and acquired, for
the o'nsion OF financial problems, and
who speaks not from mere theoretical
Iedsof,sfsI hut from Il careful observation
All patient Investigation Of the practical
working af the several branches of our
ravenae system OF course the tariff is
not i perfect measure some modiica-
tiols :.ni changes IN it from time to time
are d3s.o.Icss demanded by the public in
terest; but Journals like the Chicago
lfioH..es WHICH have been foremost in as
sailing it. invariably treat the question as
II 1t Mere one OF taaif Or free trade AS
far "a they exert any influence upon the
public, that influence IS to excite hostili
t to-any tariff whatever, and to create
"a sea,ime eat favorable to the total abroga-
ton NJ wlit the Commissioner of Reve-
me declares to be the most certain and
eluit revenue measure now in operation