, 1870-04-05


Tho principal recommendations made BY
the Committee of Ways aud Means, in tho
new Tariff bill, in the apparent interest Of
The people, nze the reduction OF the duties
on tea and sugar. The iniquity attempted
to be pespetsnted for the benefit Of the
sugar refners, by remission of duties, in
part, on the last named article, has been
pretty thoroughly ventilated; but, admit
ting eren that these Recommendations we're
made in good faith, is it polite to adopt
item? Recognizing the cardinal truth,
tEat Ill duties are nothing but taxation, the
revenue. as in England, may AZ we'll be col
lected of dozen articles Of prime
necessity, As to bo distributed
over five thousanl. It daes not relieve the;
people to remit these tea and sugar duties
it simply shifts the amount to other arti-
c.es- Perhaps there are no two articles in
the whole schedule Upon which tAxes can
be so readily collected Being articles OF
universal consumption, the Tax bears equally
On all, and the consumers have the satisfac-
ton Of knowing that every cent Of tho ta1
goes into the vaults of the Treasury, IN
stead of serving to swell the profits of capi.
ta1is.s OF bolster up some totter1ng industry
which is confessed1y too weak to stand
alone. These articles are received, for the
most part, 1T fve OF six principal ports !
uude1-ralnadon Is almost impossible; they
a1etooburkv to be successfully nnuggled, snd
the duties being specific, are readily collected
While the abssement Of sa1es CD tea ant
snear viii not relieve the community from
The necessity Of paying taxes to support "a
government, there is = class OF duf1es Whle' a
can be RENTED, from which the gove1o
ment derives little or no revenue, but iron
which favored individuals derive much
We want cheap coal and cheap iron as II
basis OF every industry. Anthracite coal
protected by duty noanina1ly Of 10 cents
ton, hut AZ ve have 4 monopoly of that Al
ticle, it is really protected to tho a1tant Q
$1-25 ton, gola-thc duty on bituminou
coaL The duty on pig itonis e9.oo par tor
We prodnce, say, 1,75o, coo tona yea
Now, Il Congress s:aAes To confer
substantial ueneft On tho people, Il
it adopt the Recommendation Of Con
missioner Wells to reduce the dirty |
e ton, or repeal it entirely. In th
way the people vii gain $1,000. .ooo, viii
the government VII lose only 500, 900.
Salt is another article by modifying Z
duties on which, Congress can show its
nefcence to the people. While tho cost
p,oductiou is about % cents bushe1
nrice in some Of the Western markets
a. cent?. half million huAhels arc
ported 10 the British Provinces; and
fishermen on tho coast arc supplied at
cost OF the foreign article, duty tee-
the ALT nunopolists enjoy bounty OF
cents per hundred pounds, in bulk, q
"a oenta per hundred pounds
bugs, 4 reduction to. Il and
centa respectively would relieve the peol
of ta1 of $3,ooo,o00 per annum, wh
The government would sustain no loss wh
ever. We might 60 through the praas
ts1id, md show how taxation c2n ba
duced hundred million dollars, while
zersnue vii not >he rsduoed ten miaio
but may even be iunreaaed By admit
.mportations now excluded. 1t is only
breaking down the monopolies which I
attach 70 nearly every branch OF manni