The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1869-09-02
John Sherman on the Tariff.

senator John Sherman, in his speech at
Canton, Ohio, a few days ago, said:
THE present tariff was framed to raise the high
est revenue from the smallest importations Arti-
cles of luxury-such wine, cigars, and silks
selected for the highest duties. Raw articles,
Indispensable for our own productions, were Sc
lccted for the lowest duties"
Now, as Senator John Sherman is chair
man of the Senate Finance Committee,
and as-to cite his own declaration in the
Canton Speech-he has "shared in the
framing of all the tariff bills that have
passed Congress in the last twelve years"
surely he ought to know whereof he
speaks But he will himself concede that
the tariff acts themselves are better evil
dence of the fact than any electiOneering
statement from the stump" by the Sena-
tor who shared in framing them. What is
the evidence of the existing tariff act?
The average adj valorem duties upon the
three articles of luxury the Senator spcci-
fies, and which he says were selected for
the highest duties, are as follows:
Wine ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS GO per cent
Sigars.--- 70 per cent
Silks ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. go per cent.
Now, what are the duties imposed by
the same tariff law on articles indispenSa-
bic to the use and consumption of the
people, and which the Senator says were
brief list of such articles, with the rate
of duty attached:
Wooden overcoming. .................12 7 per cent
Wooden hosiery ...... ....-........ l5s per cent
Felt carpeting ....................1 02 per cent.
Brussels carJeting Observation-Disclosures TO per cent.
Wor~tcd BRAID 12O per cent
bunting lIU per cent.
Blankets, according TO weight.
from ---.---..1 lilo TO 3l2 per cent.
A further comparison would show that
Al
this tariff that ''was framed to raise the
highest revenue from the smallest impOr-
tations" The article of coal furnishes a
very striking illustration of the Senator's
statement that articles of luxury were Sc
lected for the highest duties, and articles
of necessity or comfort for the lowest The
tax on Goals used for fuel ranges from 80
to 40 per cent. adj valorem, while the tax
on camel coal, that is consumed only by
those poverty stricken nronopolists, the
gas companies, is only five per cent.
Mr.. sherman said he never could
make out the precise distinction between
a revenue tariff and protective tariff" Had
he taken the trouble to acquaint himself
with the facts relative to this single item of
mineral Goals, he might have been enabled
to overcome his difficulty of making out
the difference. The government received
not farthing of revenue from the tariff
on bitummOus coal, because, under this
tariff which the Senator shared in franz
ing, not a pound of coal for fuel is i'm
ported. The duty amounts to an absolute
hibition protects =" the Pennsylvania coal
operators in exacting an advance on the
price of Goals more than equal to the
amount of the tax. If this tariff, from
which the Federal treasury derives not IA
farthlng of revenue, was framed to raise
the highest revenue then it must have
been framed to enable Pennsylvania coal
operators to raise the highest revenue from
people who are obliged to keep warm.
And this is manifestly the purpose it was
framed for 1t was not framed to raise the
revenues OF the government, but to raise
the revenues of the coal monOpOlists. In
that sense only is it revenue tariff
The same is true of all other indspcnsa-
bic articles, which Mr.. Sherman says were
selected for the lowest taxes, but upon
which the tariff laws the Senator assisted
In framing imposed the highest taxes.
People who must wear Overcoats and
hosiery, who must have carpets and
blankets, are made to pay the highest
revenue to the manufacturer, while those
who will indulge in wines and cigars,
WHICH tncy would be better oil without,
pay the lowest revenue. Both, i'm Mr..
Shcrman's opinion, are revenue tariffs, be-
cause, while one makes those who con-
sumo luxuries contribute to the Federal
revenue, the other also compels those who
must have the neccsSaries of existence
contribute to the revenues of Il few manu-
lecturers. This must bc the reason why
Senator Sherman cannot understand the
flIff1srenre net Wa for; TO-
nues of the government, and tariff to
raise the revenues of few "protected
man Chicago Times, Au1ust 81