Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-03-29
Protection.

II not paid within three months.
Protection.
The nti-proiectionists seem to have then
own way now in the House Of Representa-.
ilvcs at Washington. They have abolished
the duty on salt and coal and the duties on
tea and coffee, and it looks as if they were
intending not so much to revise the tariff, as
article by article to sweep it away altogether.
This reaction is in part owing to the eXcesso.
Of the Pennsylvania protoctionists. Certain
great corporations have been cxorbtant in
their requirements and year after year have
raised the protective to a prohibitory tariff.
They have proclaimed their belief in the poll.
icy Of shutting out foreign goods altogether
from our markets, and by the enlargement
Of the duties on their own manufactures and
products have prohibited importations, con-
troled the markets enriched themselves and
impoverished consumers. As the result Of this
prohibitory policy, the country now sends to
Congress an multiplication majority. The
very articles from which the largest revenue
was collected at the least expense and with the
least difficulty, are put by the House on the
free list, and there is danger that one OK
IRENE will be followed by another and
that the dominant party will carry their
ideas so as to change the tariff more than the
revenues will stand
1t is very natural thing that the country
will not long stand prohibtory tariff for the
sake Of pouring wealth into the pockets Of
few men II manufacturers aud producer,
wish the aid they are getting from the gov
ernment should be permanent they must make
their demands reasonable and moderate II
for instance il costs an American manuiac-
turer iorty-Gve dollars to produce railroad
iron, and the English manufacturer can lay it
down in New York for forty dollars per ton,
there is no moderation or reason ia asking
that the tariff on iron shall be twenty five
dollars per ton. 1t simply shuts out foreign
competition, and puts twenty dollars per ton
out of the peoples into the pockets Of a few
iron kings 1t represses our railroad inter-
ests, increases freight and passenger tariffs,
and taxes the industry Of the whole country
to give a-haf dozen corporations an enormous
profit With iron at eighty dollars per ton,
as it has been for the last eight years, it costs
$4,000 per mile to lay railroad track.
With it at forty dollars per ton, the price
for which it can be put into New York
by the English manufacturer, it costs ST.
600 per mile The tariff takes $500 |
per ton out of the consumer, and puts it |
into the hands of the producer. We ques-
tion whether prohibitory tariff is not de-
structiye to the material interests Of a coun-
try. 1t puts the great mass Of the people |
at the mercy of few interested parties |
The protectionist system has weighty reasons
in its favor in the developement of the pro-
auctions and manufactures Of a new country |
but the prohibitory system seems to US PERM
cious and dangerous. At any rate it seems
to be the judgment of the people that it has
inflicted perceptible and great losses upon the
country and the danger now is that the pend
uum will swing to the other extreme. Con-
gress has gone to work at the tariff in man
ner that seems to indicate its entire abolition
to be possible. 1t is rs bad policy to cut it
down rashly as it was to put it up recklessly,
but it appears to be necessity Of our Amer
lean politics to 60 to extremes, to have no
halfway measures, and to rush all things as
fast as possible, straight into the ground
There is much reason to anticipate the break
ing up Of the old parties on this question of
revenue reform. Tho old party watchwords
have lost their power; the questions Of peace,
Of industry, Of revenue, are assuming grave
Importance and the party which will win
in the next Presidential canvass will be
obliged to mature aud develop a financial and
civil reform policy that can stand the test Of
the sharpest scrutiny.
The war record of the Republican party is
a splendid record, but it belongs to the past.
1t will not help it now unless it develops
capacity to meet and settle the issues aud
questions Of the present. The country dcsires
composure and rest 1t wants a scientific aud
statesmnnly policy in respect to commerce,
revenue and civil service. 1t is anxious to
have the difficulties Of the past adjusted !,
complications with foreign powers settled )
the tariff modified so as to deyelope and not
to drain the resources and the material dcye.
opment Of the people; the civil service re-
formed SO that honesty, capacity and integrity
shall get and hold the offices of the govern.
ment; the internal and foreign commerce Of
the country aided and built up by wise con.
gressional action, and Congress itself purified
Of those elements Of disorder and strife Of
which we have had SO painful record in the
past few days, The party that can show
itself wise and able to accomplish these objects,
will be the party of the future.
MISSING LAws.-A writer in the Free
Press Of Tuesday, alleges that two bills, pass
ed by both branches of our last Legislature,