Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-03-28
Our Washington Letter,
WASHINGTON, March 20, 1879.
SENATE.


mined that these articles shall be free
This will reduce the revenue some TWEEN
ty millions and as twenty-one millions i
the extent of reduction which can b
made in custom receipts and still pay
little something upon the public debt, i
is obvious that no further reduction cal
be made without infringing upon thu
well settled policy of gradually reducing
the public debt
To cheaper tea and coffee is to reduce
somewhat the expenses of the daily mea
of nearly every family in the county an(
therefore the act may receive certain
degree of popularity. But the policy i:
| questioned by some of the most prOmi
nent political economists of the day, as
well as opposed by some of the most
able tariff legislators in Congress. Men
do not live on tea ond coffee alone, and
therefore while this act may make a no.
ticable difference i'll the price of these
two articles it does not follow that the
cost of living generally is made less than
it would be by applying the twenty onc
| millions, reduction to be made, upon all
articles of general use. A man pays less
for his tea and coffee but more for every
thing else on his table, more for his cot
ton and wooden cloth, and nearly every
thing else that he consumes. 1t is true
that by keeping up prices on some of
these last named articles, we also keep
up prices of some articles of home manu-
facture, to an enthusiastically small eX-
tent alone, we strike blow under the
fifth rib of our own commerce. Tea
and coffee trade forms no incOnsiderable
part of American commerce, and deal
ers with large stocks on hand with
which to meet the radical reduction of
prices must loose immensely. A tariff
is nothing but tax and tax is a bur
den, and when burdens are to be borne
it seems sensible that that plan is wisest
which affords the most perfect equili-
brium, imposing all equally and accord
ing to their ability to bear.
The Chicago Relief bill has been the
occasion of some lively legislation in
both House. The bill provides for the
admission free of duty of building ma
terials used in rebuilding the burned
city Illinois fought brayelY for it as a
means of relief, while Michigan and
Wisconsin opposed as bravely because it
opened up a market and brings the lum-
Der producing regions into competition
with Canadian lumber. 1t must be adj
mitted that the question has two well
defined sides. Sympathy and charity
for burned city appeals upon one side,
while all the lumber regions of the west,
policy, and precedent, appeal upon the
other Both sides have well manned the
lobby and both sides We're well repre-
sented in the battle of the giants which
came off on the Senate floor between
hill III
ed the Senate by vote of II to 90,
whereupon the discounted lumbermen
picked up their levers and handspikes
and scud over to the house to ieg roll
the thing down there if possible. After
cutting and slashing for while the bill
was referred to the committee on Ways
and Means, which committee doubtless
means to prepare way for this lumber
ing proposition to get before the House
soon where the prospects for its becom-
ing a law are by far more certain than
are the evidences Of the policy aud wis
dom of such legislation.
On Wednesday. Mr. Morrill,, of Yer
mont, made a speech in support of the
tariff bill, which commends itself to
every one interested in political econo-
my. This is to be the live question in
our future history. and Mr.. Morrill, be-
ing proficient upon this question com
mended the earnest attention of all lis
teners; his speech abOunded with hon
est statements, accurate data, and COM
mon sense suggestions from a purely
point of view. 1t requires /
Il student and philosopher to master
the subject of tariff. Considered in all
its bearings, It's action and reaction, its /
cause and effects it Is d question of such
that often eminent doctors, .
the very soul of honesty, disagree upon I
it. Take the average politician, both /
In and out of Congress, and his IDEAS of /
this branch Of political economy are de- .
cidedly meagre, and very apt to be Of .
The iug-handle order. lie is for the high /
st kind of protection when protection .
is in the direct interest of his CON .
and therefore himself, though |
t might rest upon everybody else, and !
le fayOrs free trade when the same |
yeighty reason appeal to his local sell /
ishness. Now we admit that after jus /
ice and right, Representative first .
luty il to obey the will of his COnstitu- .
,nts. But tariff, in its general applica-
ion, is national-applies equally to all /
ator, with a grain of sense and soul |
If honesty, that is obliged to weigh
UGH great neutrality-suspicious. affect
ny the general welfare of his country
II the half-pcnny scale of local interest,
0 be pitied The man that works the
,lane of dutyis often called to rise above
elf, and that same plane may carry him
hove the momentary call Of his ConstitI-
nts and even, perhaps, his country,
There seems now little prospect of any
hing like general revision of the tar
if. The Senate will soon complete the
ill now before it and send it to the
House, where, doubtless. the table"
waits it, and the tariff sQuabble will
eSult it conference committee, free tea
nd coffee, and various complications
n the trade for a while.
Carpenters effort to get d committee
f conference on the defunct St. Croix
Railroad bill, killed in the House, (of
which we made mention last week. in
icates two things, namely: That land
rants have nearly run their race. and
lso that the said old grants will doubt
,ss die hard. Considering the forces
mploycd one should expect to see the
dads victorious, yet Were it not that
heir defeat is in consequence Of public
pinion. The voice of the people has at
ist been heard, and when our folks do
nee speak in earnest nothing can for a
lOment withstand them the only trou-
lie is they sometimes submit to great
nposition befor" they lift MP their
oiccs to effect
TIE HOUSE
one a big thing on the said question Of
md grants, aud many remarked that il
as only spa>m Of virtue and would,
D doubt br followed 10y regular dcler-
I'M trem;us of vicious jobs, but for the
me being the House seemed in earnest,
I'd when this last week the proposition |
lme up, upon the Postal Appropriation {
II, to increase the JapGn steamship {
ne subsidy from one-half million to a !
illion dollars a year, the House not
lly refused to give the coveted increase, a
IT cut off the entire subsidy. Such O
gorous reform even astonished old re- h
rmers in some instances, for some h