Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-08-26
From the Cincinnati Commercially
QUA NEW TARIFF.

Considering the natural ignorance Of polite I
econmy which characterized the members of a
Congress elected upon old political issues, Il
was perhaps unfair 10 expect tax or tariff bill
Trained 10 the real interests Of the American
people. Such measures would demand other
qualities than the mAjurty Of the present Con-
gress possess and such a measure, wo are
well assured, eill be given 10 this much taxed
country by the Representatives who will at no
very rem0ts day take seats 10 Congress. II Is
not pleasant 10 iud fnnh; Wa would much rath-
er congratulate both Congress and the country
upon the latter by the legislation or the former.
bat when we see no such benefits, We are not
the thoroughbred partisans who stand ready to
applaud what Republican Congress has done,
right or wrong. Nor will anJ false cry Of dis
integratipg tie party lead us 10 abstaia from
any criticism, however severe, which the acts
Of the representative body may call forth. The
surest OF all the ways 10 ruin party Is to con-
ceal the truth as IN its blunders, mistakes and
crimes bp gloss over its malleasances and neg.
Ice, Of duty, and 10 let II Drift down the tido of
party folies aud corruptions until II perishes
by its own baseness or Is dashed TO pieces by
popular indignation.
The Rrst notable fact about The tariff just
PASSED is the extremely few reductions which
have BEEN actually introduced in our monstrous-
ly oppressive system Of duties upon imported
goods. Not single reduction Is made upon
ANY great staple In universal use and largely
imported, provided II is also manufa ctured in
this country with the single exception of two
dollars per tun reduction upon pig iron. Even
this is IN the manufacturing interest, since for
pig iron furnace in the ciuntTy there are many
manufacturers Of iron in its advanced stages
who want to support their raw material as near
ly free as possible. Nor A CENT OF RELIEF mas
BEEN GIVEN TO THK PEOPLE IN ANY ONE oF
THOSE GREAT STAPLES OF NECESSARY CONsUNP-
TIoN, wooen gools, cotton fabric', coal, salt,
hardware and cutlery, linen fabrics, leather and
hides, clothing and iron aud steel, fabrics OF all
kinds Eoery citizen Is consumer Of ttcse articles,
and IS ,dred from forty TO one hundred aud tscliy
fce per cent. Epoa has consumption ofAem. Only
a fraction Of the enhanced cost Of these articles
TO consumers goes into the treasury Of the Gov
eminent in the shape of revenue, but II is i'm
posed directly upon the prices of the dumestic
product OF tho same articles. Thus, for every
millinn OF dollars that goes TO support the Cove
ernment, the people are taxed from two tO ten
miluus in the shape Of higher prices.
We have next 10 note the extremely small
lumber and insig rifcant character Of the art-
clos placed upon the free list compared with
the great flourish OF truinpets about il by the
gans OF protection. They have been claiming
great merit By giving up To the free list a great
number and variety Of articles aud thereby re-
duoing the public burdens. Now it turns out
that these articles which are hereafter to come
in free are nearly all drugs, and sthcr articles
cf small consumption and minor Importance.
The revenue on them, as Is shown by the GUS
TOMS returns, Is tri1ug in comparison with the
cnst Of collecting it. On the contrary, they I've
made the fact Of their being so cnnsid,r ,ble an
addition to the free list plea for imposing mure
duty on their pet mlnufac,uiers, as well as for
retaining every dollar Of the enormnus nxrs
| now levied upon the whole remaining list Of
dutiable articles.
B-0f what beEefi is IL to oar people that
they are permitted TO import asbesb's belladmnr, +,
| carawsy seed aud buehu leaves tree Of duty, ,
fftun tlfalf M MAJ ufaf Hren
cent. on clothing and hundred and h1eHiy -ire per
| cent. WponS III
Eg@ 70 what end is the mechanic told that .
may import turtles, tea plants aud tlap without
paying cent into the treasury, when he must
| pay on the necessary chisees, brace-bits aud
augers Of his trade, tax of forty-6ve per cent
in gold = %
! 9se5- In vain WI, you console tie farmer or the
laborer for the furty five pre- cent duty now lev
led upon his sheepshea; or his skillet, by tell
! ing him that the r. publican Congress will let
/ him have coca-nuts at ten p cent, Zante cur
rants at two and half cents per pound, and
bOne-dust, squills and ipecac free.
The next gross wrong in a tariff full 0f blum
ders as well as Of wrongs, is the imposition of
actually heaeisr duties than those now levied
| upon not a few articles largely consumed by US.
| Thus, SO common an article as silk buttons are
! put up froul forty per cent. (which is itself an
! unconscionable rate) to fifty per ce1t. Scrap
iron, IL wrought, is raised from eight 10 nine dol
lars per tua. All building stone, except marble.
| is put up from twenty five per cent. to one dol
| lar and fifty cents per tun-an enormous increase
up N all STYLES Of stone. Hair cloth is put up from
| thirty per cent. IN forty cents per sJuare yard.
| Granite and freestoue are made to pay one dollar
and fifty cents per tun, instead OF twenty per
cent. ad rrioren. Oil Of linseed and faxseed,
the staple Of all our painters, Is raised fIor
| twenty three cents 10 thirty cents per gallon =
1 or over thirty per cent. German silver and al
bata manufacturers raised from fortysto forty
five per cent. Steel rails are raised from forty
five per cent. ad valoren equivalent " about
twenty two dollars per tun) To one and one
fourth cents per pound, or thirty three dollars
and sixty cents per tun. Nickel is made to pay
twenty-five cents per pound, instead OF fifteen
per cent. which was the equivalent Of fifteen TO
s. xteen cents per pound.
But we are tired Of edumerNtiug these pttty
swindles which have been permitted by the care
lesness or ignorance nC Congress 10 b. fosted H.
t. bill whose sole object shoul have been to re-
duce the burdens Of the psople. Every one that
we have enumerated was putin atihe nstantce
some private interest, against that OF the pub
| lie. When we say that every member Of Con-
gress who o,ed for these contemplate swindles,
OF the people ought to be made ashamed of tina
vote, We use very mild language indeed. The
time will come, aad that quickly, when no repre-
sentative with such record can be reelected tC
either House Of Congress.