The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-05-28
SPIRIT OF THE PRHsa.
Editorial Opinions Of the Leading Journals
upon Current Topics-CompiIed Every
DaV for the Evening Telegraph.

THE FREE-TRADERS MAKE A MOVE.
From the N! y. Tribune.
The House of Representatives was engaged
day by day, from the I'd of February until
about ten days ago, in the discussion of the
Tariff bill reported by the Committee of
Ways and Means. 1t was talked over liz
general and it was debated in detail, over
one-half of its three hundred items and then
postponed, in effect indefinitely. The dis
cusson and the votes had while it was pend
ing in Committee of the Whole, notwith-
standing the length of the trial. do not
exactly measure the relative strength of COM
batant parties in the House; and the final
vote suspending the further consideration of
the bill is very far from indicating the force
of the protection principle which pervaded
its provisions A multitude of differing in
terests felt in the numerous specialties of the
bill, influenced the votes taken upon them so
far that the aggregate force in the House
for or against the principle of protection
was not definitely tested. The failure
of general revision of the tariff proves
nothing. That is so inconclusive that even
the parties most active in the long struggle
seem at loss to understand the situation.
The protectionists have allowed about one
fourth of the remaining days of the session
to elapse without a new movement. This
may not mean anything as to their under
standing of their strength. The tariff now
in operation is very nearly all they want, and
there is but little time left, and as little pro-
liability of mending it to their mind. We
cannot draw any inferences with confidence
from their inactivity. They have but little
to gain from any practicable amendment, and
being in possession of the field they have
little or nothing to lose by an armistice.
But the free-traders, or revenue reformers,
as they prefer to call themselves, have made
a demonstration which, perhaps, indicates
their feeling of the situation after the fight.
On Monday last Mr.. Judd, as their leader,
followed by every member of his party, pro-
posed bill reducing duties upon half
dozen imports, and, with the aid of about
fifty Republicans, got maj jority of eighteen
for suspending the rules, that it might be put
upon its trial; but the vote in the affirmative,
falling short of two-thirds of the House,
failed. And this again means nothing; for it
in no way measures the force of the protec-
tionists.
But the character of the proposition, it
seems to us, betrays the estimate which the
revenue reformers put upon their strength,
and reveals some other things beside, which
we propose to notice.
First, of the articles selected for relief
tea, coffee, sugar, salt. These are articles of
general consumption-prime necessaries of
life-diet of the mass of the people. Reduc-
tion of duties upon these, with view to
reduction of their cost to the consumers, has
a flavor of democracy, and is SO far good
party, because popular, movement. The only
other commodities in the bill are pig iron and
scrap iron. These are raw materials. Their
importation is in conflict with the labor of
the country, which is not democratic, and is
not good party, because not popular,
movement. For admitting this bill to trial
before tho House, the Republicans were per-
fectly safe in voting even more largely than
they did, because their vote on suspending
the rules did not commit them to the support
of the bill in the whole or in any particular
But the revenue reformers offered it as their
policy, and as a measure which, in the cir
cumstances, they bound themselves to sup
port.
Now let us look at the substance of the
proposed reduction upon the articles entering
into the consumption of the people.
In the calendar year 1869, the duties accru-
ing upon the imported coffee retained for
consumption amounted to $11, 773, 66S; upon
tea, $40, 564, 672; together, $22, 338, $40. This
aggregate the bill proposed to reduce
$4, $40, leaving them still charged with
eighteen millions of duty which, having
nothing of protection in it, is simply tax
upon the consumer collected at the custom
houses Next, the duties accruing upon the
brown sugar and molasses imported and re-
tanned for consumption, in the same year
amounted to 81, ,717,323, and on SALT
%loo, Azoi toSoeucr, @fA, ooo,oto. Iue uuCleS
on these sugars, molasses, and salt are now
81 per cent of the import price, and the bill
proposed to reduce them just one-third, leav-
ing the rate at 3S per cent, and the burden
of duty at $28, 567, ,032. The duties upon tea
and coffee were, last year, 629 per cent. upon
their aggregate import price, and the bill
proposed to reduce them to so per cent.
leaving them charged with $17, $40, 32O. In
the aggregate, these articles, sugar, molasses
salt, coffee, and tea, were last year charged
with $65, 1873, SSS of duties, which was 60 per
cent. of their import value. The bill pro-
posed to reduce the duties, on an equal i'm
portation, to AZ per cent, and to leave them
subject to the burden of $46, 100000
An average of AZ per cent. offered by these
revenue reformers, alias free-traders upon
the food of the people! Well-a-day, the ave-
rage upon all the duty-paying goods under
the tariff of 1912 was in the highest year but
33 per cent, when tea and coffee were free,
and these revenue reformers are now pro-
posing upon sugar, molasses and salt, no less
than 38 per cent! 1t is hoped that after this
they will quit bowling at the oppressive ave-
rage rate Of about ~ per cent. upon the total
foreign imports under the present tariff.
We began by wondering how they feel after
suspending the general Tariff bill, and getting
majority vote for considering their own,
sion, upon a survey of their project, is that
they are totally demoralized. Gould they not
raise the courage to do something better for
the stump in the next canvass than retain so
per cent. on tea and coffee, and loaf sugar
and salt with 3S? Could they do no better
for the country and for their own party too.
than to go before the people with manifest
purpose to burden the consumption of the
poor, that they may have the better excuse for