Union and American. [volume] (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1875-1877, 1876-02-10
REDUCTIONS OF DUTIES,

ways and means committee Of the
House, has prepared a bill, which,
if it should pass, will put the tariff
down to a practical revenue basis.
We doubt that it will pass the
House, and have no idea that it will
get through the Senate. The ma
jority in the house is m~anitestly in
favor Of a tariff for revenue only,
and we believe the country to be
in favor Of such a step being taken.
But to cut down the tariff will be
more or less an experiment whose
result can only be conjectured, and
it is to be expected that if done at
all it will be done with many fears
and forbodings. The date fixed
upon to inaugurate this new con-
dition of things, provided the bill
should pass, is July LIST; but even
at that date it is to be feared there
will be losses to a number of peo-
pie and a contraction of stock IN
the meanwhile in the various bust
nesses to he effected by the reduc-
tons, which will cause a great deal
Of inconvenience and possibly a
panic. That this state Of things
could result from the proposed re-
duction of duties is owing, of
course, to the condition of the
times, and not to any principles in
Tolved. Free trade is Impractical
BILE now, and will he for many years
to come, but we believe firmly in
its principles and regard every step
toward it as a step in the right d.
rection.
The articles embraced in Mr..
MARRIsoN's bill are manufactures
Of cotton; iroa, and manufactures
Of iron; lead and copper, and man
ufactures thereof; silk from or
ganzine to manufactures of silk;
woods and manufactures of wool;
gunpowder; marble, statuary, &C.;
oils; pencils; soaps; varnish;
Drugs and chemicals are put
on the free list. The reduction
in the duties on the articles
enumerated above will amount to
an average of twenty-five per cent,
and, as can be seen, must make a
great reduction IN their selling
prices, and one which we believe
will fully compensate for losses &C
casioned to certain classes by the
reduction.
The total reduction of revenue
from these sources will be $15,613,
472. To make up for this loss of
revenue, the bill proposes to afix a
duty of 4 cents on coffee, 10 cents
on tea and 3 cents on tin in bars,
blocks and pigs. These articles
are at present on the free list, but
a revenue tariff will make none, or
only a very slight, increase in the
price to the consumer, as it is pure
ly a revenue tariff. Additional
duty is also proposed to be levied
on tobacco of $1.00. If there is
any merit in protection our tobac-
co ~raisers will be able to realize it
under the new tariff. From these
articles 1t is expected to derive
$1,000, 376, a balance of $4,355,-
904 in favor of the new "tarif" for
revenue only"
But to those classes the republi-
can party has todied since its in.
ception. To the rights and inter
ests Of the laboring classes It has
shown no mercy. The whole en-
deavor seems to have been to give
the capitalists opportunities TO
make profitable investments and
now that the country has come to
the natural conclusion Of such q
false and tyrannlcal, policy touch
ing the very bottom of hard times;
and when legislation is no longer
powerful to aid :he capitalist by
furnishing o market for his wares,
The resources of the people being
exhausted by these unnatural
drains, it is no time to withhold
the hand Of beneficence because q
few may suffer by chcapening the
things Of daily use or consumption.