The daily gazette., 1876-02-02
THE PROPOSED TARIFF.
From the World.

From the World.
In the first place MIR. Morrison has
confined himself to such steps toward
Tariff for Revenue only as, when
adopted by the House, the Senate can
not safely refuse to unite in taking.
He has not attempted reform which
the Senate can find sufficient reason to
reject, or the President to veto. He
has preferred, and, as we think, he has
wisely preferred, to deliver the indus
tries of the country from as large a
part of their present burdens as posi-
ble,-now. In other words he has
preferred the craftsmanship of true
economist to the craftsmanship OF a
mere politician. Criticism of his
work must therefore in fairness sub>
iect itself TO the limits of this sound
policy which lie has imposed upon
himself.
The great reform which Mr.. Morri.
son attempts, and in which we do not
doubt that hc viii be sustained by the
Committee on Ways and Means and
by the House as well, is the sweeping
Oft the Statute Book the whole com
plex system Of double rates of duty,
the mixture of specific and ad valorem
duties and the substitution therefor of
simple single and specific tax upon
a given article or class of articles. -
This is reform of prime Importance,
and it will be the prolific parent In
future Congresses of other reforms
like those which comprise the second
part of Mr.. Morrison's scheme.
The reduction of the actual rate Of
hnpA -
second part of his scheme The tables
which we publish exhibit this feature
of the revision of the Tariff in the
clearest possible manner, and to re.
state them here would be superfuous,
They are neither so numerous, nor so
large in the percentage of reduction
as we could wish, but the question
first to be fairly answered is: Are
they so numerous and so large as tc
imperil their passage in the Senate
On this point we are not perhaps the
best possible judges, but we are clear
in the opinion that the rejection OF
this Revision of the Tariff by the
Senate after its passage by the House
would 60 far to defeat the Republican
party in the fall elections. Opposition
10 changes so necessary, 80 cautious
so wisely framed in the interest of al
approach to a simpler and an eouita.
BILE system OF Custom House taxation
will be perilous to the men or the
party that may attemptit.
The third feature of Mr.. Morrison ;,
scheme is the transfer to the free lis
of dutible articles the articles of Tei
and Coffee, now on the free list
ITnhar tho fret hand
opinion that Mr.. Morrison has no
gone so far as he might We have
lately been publishing for the benefi
OF the Tootses who think the Tariff il
not live issue, an exhibit of score
upon scores of articles which paid bu
a few hundred or few thousand dol
lars duty to the Treasury, yet upol
which the duty was the tricky inslru
ment, whereby our protacted monopo
lists glched millions upon millions O
dollars from the peoples pockets, =
This exhibit has given us, as we be
iieve it has given the Democratic part,
and the public in general, a livel,
sense of one of the chief causes of tn,
prolonged depression of American in
dustries and American commerce. =
The retention of these duties canno
be demanded on the ground of rove
nue.. The West, the South and th
Eas. are fast uniting in the settled
opinion t!'at revenue shall be the frs
criterion of Custom House tax.
Under the second head, to wit, tn
transfer of Tea and Coffee from tn
free list to the list of dutiable articles
we do not doubt that the Committee
Of Ways and Means will be supported
by the House and by the country
There is no sort of doubt, unless it b.
inspired by private and local interests
in the mind of any man competent t,
form sound opinion upon these Sui
Jects, that so long as we collect a hun
dred millions or more of taxes at til
Custom House, Tea and Coffee mus
be on our list of dutiable articles. =
The talk about a 'free breakfas
table" is trash, and deceives nobod
but those who wish TO deceive or !,
be deceived.