The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1872-03-22
Senate Tariff Bill and the Polioy of
the House.

the House.
II the SenBte on Friday last, the tariff bill
was taken up, and Mr. Sherman, as Chairman
of the Senate Finance CommiIsee, defended
the measure In an able and exhaustive arpu-
ment, covering the whole ground of the SEN
ate's proposition and the controverted points
! between the Senate and the House The
main features Of the Senate tariff bill have
| been before the country for some time, as well
as the differences between the Senate and the
House; but as the tariff question has now
been reached and will occupy the attention OF
the country as the leeding question of leg
| lslation until disposed Of, we re-state the prin-
| clpal features Of the two plans.
1t is agreed on all sides that O reduction of
| fifty millions can be made in taxes, still Ieav-
ing sufficient revenue to meet all current ex-
penditures and pay fifty millions toward ex-
tingulshing the public debt. And it is further
| agreed that this reduction must be made part
| ly in the repeal OF lowering tariff duties, and
partly by striking of internal revenue taxes
Concerning the latter policy, also, the Senate
and House agree In these details, namely, that
! the income tax should terminate with this
| year by limitation, that all stamp taxes, such
! as those on the production of matches, medi-
| cines, etc, and on deeds, mortgages, drafts
checks, notes, and the like, with the special tax
| On gas and bankers, should be repealed; leav-
| ing whisky, beer and tobacco as the only sour
ces OF internal revenue. In his speech, on
| Friday, Senator Sherman dIstctly and forcl-
| bly, advocated fhls schedule for the mOdihca-
| ton Of our internal revenue system, and show
ed that while the income of the government
from this source would be reduced thereby
So, ,6OO,OOO, this reduction of taxes would be
| accompanied by reduction of expenses of not
| less than S2,50O,000, leaving a net loss of rev.
enue OF S2o,OOO,OOO, and still further margin
OF pracuble reduction of s2l, 100000 more.
A this point occurs the difference IN policy
between the Senate and the House, namely,
how to distribute this twenty-one millions OF
reduction among duty paying articles of i'm
pOrtatlOn. The House has already voted to
make coal and salt, and tea and coffee duty
free, which would exactly fill the bill of prac-
ticable reduction, and require that the general
tariff should remain untouched. The aggre-
gate OF duties collected on these articles in the
last fiscal year was S2l,006,056, or Just the
amount that Congress can repeal. But the
Senate Finance Committee object to making
these artlclos absolutely free, but propose
reduction Of about fifty per cent. on all raw
production OF ten per cent. on all raw products
OF industry on which, as Mr.. Sherman says,
the present duties are excessive, and on most
texnie and metallic fabrics. The reduction
thus proposed is stated by Mr.. Sherman at
81, ,507 1868; but the Senate committee antici-
pate such a lessening OF expenditures as will
reduce the loss to the revenue to S2l, 200, 900,
the amount Of practicable reduction.
The arguments of Mr.. Sherman afainst the
repeal Of the duties on salt and coal are sound,
and should be conclusive. Special articles OF
home production should not be singled out and
made TO bear the whole burden of tariff reduc-
ton. The imported coal is less than one-half
per cent. of that consumed The reapeal OF
ba tariff TETOuld Affect tha
and would benefit consumers to but a limited
extent In New England and New York; the
principal benefit going to Nova Scotia owners
OF coal lands, miners, and British carriers.
Our industry will be diminished, and our MI
ners and shippers injured, without compensa-
ting benefits to consumers; and the grant TO
Nova Scotia of the benefit of our markets
without the burden of our taxes would make
the annexation Of that and kindred provinces
impossi le. We are able, also, to produce our
own salt, and should protect that manufacture
as a means Of selt-detense IN case OF war. The
article Is cheap, and Its cost is increased by
the tariff only on the sea coast and not at ali
in the Interior. 1t Is a western product and
represents American labor, and il the labor
put into all textile and metallic fabrics claims
protection, why not that put into saltH So far
the Senate Is right, and the House has been
carried from the line of policy which its votes
on other questions indicate as likely TO be its
final determination. A compromise betWsel
the Senate and House on these points will not,
we think, be difficult; and other articles oil
importation not produced or manufactured in
TINS country can be found on which TO reduce
the revenue ny the less than two millions pro-
posed by the House to be taken off by making
coal and salt free.
But coming now to the difference betwsen
the two Houses respecting tea and coffee, and
the general reduction of the tariff bv ten nor
-cent., we hold decidedly with the HoDse and
against the Senate. The House will make tes
and coffee nee, thus cheapening the food of
every working man, and interfering with no
domestic industry. The tariff on tea and cof-
fee is purely revenue, and Is paid directly by
the people to the government without the
least resulting benefit to our industries. The
duties on iron and all metallic fabrics, and on
cotton manufactures, and other products of
our skill and labor, afford protection to Amer
lean capital IN competition with the cheap
capital OF Europe, and to American labor in
competition with tine pauper labor of Furope
The tariff Is an advantage to the producing
classes, while the0ulk of 1t, and in most cases
every cent OF 1t, Is actually paid by the foreign
producer and importer as a tax for the benefit
OF our markets. Hence we argue for striking
of the tariff from purely revenue articles. and
keeping 1t on articles which need protection
OF which by mort duties Is not a burden to
American TAX payers, but benefit TO Ameri-
can tax payers, but benefit to American in
dusJry. The whole tariff question could not
be reduced to a simple form or be better dis
posed OF than by adopting the House policy of
making tea and coffee free, and By cutting
dOt0B ITteT1lGt TereNss to stamp duties on SoiT-
ats and tobacco, and then leaving the protactire
tariff as ct IS. And we are glad to see that
while Mr.. Sherman urges the Senate Commit
tees view, he has announced that if it shall be
the Will of the Senate TO concur with the
House in making tea and coffee free, he will
then move TO strike out Of his bill the ratable
reduction on textile and metallic fabrics
CieUsLaHd Leader.
L.. c.a.I.- -. ". ai... L. L:.l