The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-06-12
The New Tariff Swindle

The little rascally Tariff bill, as it passed
the House Of Representatives under a sus-
pension Of rules, contains special legislation
intended to fill the Golfers of the few from
the pockets of the many.
i. The new law enacts that the hither-
to imported silk and cotton mixed goods
now subject to a duty Of 80 per cent. shall
in future pay 60 per cent. Then there is
at the end Of the section the following curl
Gus clause:
provided, that this act shall not apply to goods.
wares, and merchandise which have a. a component
material thereof % per ccntum or over of cotton,
max, wool, or wOrsted'
This is simply for protest and appeal
against appraisers decisions and Treasury
ruling. When the duties paid under pro
test amount to a million or so they will be
refunded. As a rule the Treasury sticks
rs long as it can to the higher duties, in
defiance Of apparent good logic; and we
point this out now and charge here that
the House, in its ignorance Of tariff rev.
enue law, once more opens the door to this
questionable refunding enterprise. The
silk manufacturers, who are now going to
try to make silk mixed goods, do not care
whether the Treasury ultimately pays
back wrong duties or not so long as they
have the merchants annoyed and made
subject TO the caprice Of the appraisers,
who will exact the higher duty of 60 per
centum instead of 80 per centum.
The gamers will be the silk manufac-
turers, enterprising lawyers, smart apprai-
sers and still smarter tricky importers.
The losers will be every wearer of silk and
cotton mixed goods.
III. The duty on still wines is fixed at 50
cents gallon. The importation amounts
to 9,0OO,OOO gallons, of which the average
cost OF :, 2j0,OO0 was - cents in Europe.
The duty is now % cents, and this bill
doubles it.
The gamers are few firms in New
York. having stock amounting to lO,0
casks of cheap wines imported at the
present duty of % cents a gallon. This
piece Of class legislation will increase the
value of their stock over 100000
The losers are 100000 Of Germans,
Frenchmen, and Italians, who make cheap
clarets and cheap Rhine wines their great
beverage. \ more outrageous piece Of
class Legislation against foreigners cannot
be imagined
Ill. The present duty of cents per
pound on hops is doubled, and 10 cents per
pound is enacted.
The gamers are few thousand hopgrow.
ers In the United States, who produce 80,
100000 pounds annually. They receive
an increase OF protection amounting to ST.
100000. Of this amount 90 per centum
comes out Of the pockets Of Germans who
indulge in lager-bee and 10 per cent. out
OF the poorer classes who have advanced in
temperance far enough to exchange whis-
key for ale or lager.
~. On chromate and bi chromate OF
potash the present duty is cents pound
and the new duty passed by the House is
Al cents.
The gamer is one single monopoly in Ma.
ryland and Pennsylvania. Its revenues
are increased $250,0OO annually.
The losers comprise every man. woman
and child that wears either wooden or cot
ten fabric made in the United States which
has any color in it,
V. Macaroni and vermicelli, now free
have duty OF cents per pound
The gamers are less than q dozen maca
rom makers in New York and Boston, on,
OF whom Is a particular friend to the great
man ON the Ways and Means Committee
Amount gained, some 100000.
Losers-Everybody who eats macaron
Is taxed Tor the benefit of these nine or Ter
firms. - WI
vi. Tin plates. The increase of dut,
from 10 per cent ad valorem to II cent,
per pound, which means about % per cent
al Valorem, does not Immediately benef
any home industry. But Kelley and Dave
nave an eye to the future. Pennsvlvani,
Is an IRON State. Pennsylvania can do anv
thlng Il she only gets protection. 1t is no
n'uiueu that TN plates can be success