The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-04-21


FTfthETheir high rates encourage fraud.
Sirth-On many articles the duty Is made
altogether prohibitory, or 80 high % to yield
but little revenue, while upon the " hole tney
operate SO as to enhance the price OF any I'm
ported article, which, as consequence, en-
hauces the cost to the consumer OF any oomes-
ito o-made like article.
Secenth-Thus q loss of revenue followe'
which causes the necessity of imposing addi-
tional taxation In other ways 60 ss 70 make up
Eighth-The large, complicated and cumber-
some machinery required in its ADMINISTRATOR
is made the pretext for the e@Ployment OF
great number Of subordinate officials, who in
general are partisan retainers, with little WORK,
but great opportunities for profit.
Ninth-Tne expense of collection is equal to
which, if added to the loss by collection and
false valuations upon which duty 10 assessed
would be equivalent to the ordinary expenses
of the whole Treasury Department II admins
tered upon an economical baals.
In short the evils of the present tariff
laws are 80 outrageous that it is difficult to
speak of them with patience. They are
the results of a series OF assaults through
lerislation upon the pockets and labor OF
the people. They are immoral in theory,
utterly indefensible in practice and without
any merits upon which their most ingen-
ious and we'll paid bene6ciaries can main
tain their defence. And yet we do not
propose to deal with them as their demerits
deserve. / recognize an implied moral
right to a little longer continuation of the
favor which they afford to the manufactur-
ing interests. The bill reported affects
them, SO far as the rates OF duties are con
cerned, but little. Ite reductions are
trifliug as compared to what they should
be, and, in my opinion, that they could
afford to bear. If had the power to com
mence de nouo should reduce the dutles
so per cent. instead of less than 10 per
cent upon an averrge, as now proposed
The farmer, whose whole mind ls bent on
his AGRICULTURAL pursuits, has neither the
time nor opportunity to investigate the
INFLUENCE OF THE TARIFF TAX ON HIS
HOUSEHOLD EXPENSES.
1t is a fact, however, that every article he
uses rs either directly eHRjeet-te-a a. taFiA
tax or enhanced by the tariff. Let Ut
enumerate these burdens: The tarmer'e
house in the West, where lumber ls scarce
pays either direct or enhanced tax OF ~
per cent. on the lumber his house is bull'
Of a tax of 35 per cent. on the paint 1t il
painted with of 80 per cent. on his window
glass of 35 per cent. on the nails (; of 81
per cent. on the screws of 80 per cent. or
the door-locks of from 35 to 40 per cent
on the hinges of 35 per cent. on the wal
paper of from 60 to 20 per cent. on Ill
carpet of 40 per cent. on his crockery
of 35 per cent. on his iron hollow-wsre
of 35 per cent. on his cutlery 40 per cent
On his class ware of from IS to 40 pc
cent. on the linen he uses in the house
hold of 81 per cent. on the common Cas-
tile soap he uses 49 per cent. On tn
starch. When he goes into hls stable
barn or workshop he will find that be pay
IS per cent. on the iron he uses 53 pc
centS on the halter -chalns; 45 per cent. o
the files and rasps he may use AZ pc
cent. on the buck-saw 40 per cent. o
cross cut saw 80 per cent. on the hano
, saw and of 35 per cent. on any sheet-lro
, he may require. On his medicines he pay
. 90 per cent on the quinipe pills he swa
r lows, 20 per cent on blue-pills, 40 pc
> cent, and 40 per cent. on any medlcln'
! prepsrations. The female portion of b
! house cannot even go into hystetia will
out paying a tax of 20 per cent. on asst
: f9tida that may be required to quiet the
a tax of at least 60 per cent. AS for tt
= clothing he and his family use, let n
+ enuuerate the tax separately On b
# wool hat he pays from 60 to 30 per cent
n on his fur hat, from As to 60 per cent.
Il his suit of vToolen clothes, come 30 p
: cent. on the leather for his boots al
l. shoes, 25 per cent. on his hosiery, 30
i cent. on his wife's and daughters COZ
! mon alpaca dress he pays 65 to 20 p
d cent. on spool thread, 20 per cent. ; al
i on the needles, IS per cent. If were l
~ clined to pursue these topics further
4 would take up too much time sumce IL
ia say that the furnishing OF his
y cu1LD's CRADLE AND THE COFFIN
ut in which he is finally buried pay dire
4 tax or are enhanced in price by our tai
y system. The committee has not undo
10 taken to reform all the abuses of the pr
q, ent tariff. Though folly conscious of
Is necessity of effecting many radical chant
a q sooner or later, we were content wlti
er duties, changing the phraseology. 80 as
tn avoid ambiguity and doubt as to the pre-
or duty to be levied, large curtailment
oF the number of articles to be assessed
duty, and migrating upon the law imp
D. tanS provisions looking to more hoe
ss commercial intercourse with foreign
nd tious. The changes proposeu Sfe SsS1S
ur to be the foundation ZOE PeLnG;n PS;l
mt measure comprehendiDg new princiE