Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1880-05-20
axes.
WHERE THF REAL BURDEN CONES
FROM

People complain bitterly of the
taxes they pay the town, county
and State Governments, and give
never a thought to the far greater
and more burdeusome taxation in-
dire city exacted for the protection
of Northern and Eastern manufac-
tu,e.s. Protective tar fs prev upon
all of Us. They Cypress the people
until they have little money to
spend for goods, except in years
when they are blessed with more
than ordinary crop returns and
other countries are afflicted with
war or scarcity of food, they op-
press the merchants, who in turn
find it difficult or impossible to get
money to pay for the goods they
have bought to sell to their neigh
bOrs; it is matter of doubt if even
the projected manufacturers do
not suffer in the long run, though
their profits are large in years of
exceptional crops and prices, such
as this has been. In short, FRO
tective tariffs Cypress all of US. I.
is very interesting study to ex-
anime statistics aud see what the
present high tariffs actually costs
be country over and above what
it yields in revenue to the govern
meut; aud 10y the tenn ''costs the
country" We mean 10 express the
cost to every purchaser Of the ac-
fual necessaries Of life In the way
Of money paid by him, which money
gees entirely to the use and profit
OF few privileged classes. The
matter is of more than ordinary
interest this year, because this year
we elect congressman, and it is
only through Congress- that we can
get tariff reform, and through Con-
gress only If it be made thoroughly
Democratic. A nominal ma jority
is Of no more use in this than in
other countries. There are always
legislators whose local or personal
Interests control their votes in bnsi
ness matters, just as, for instance,
two members Of the pre- 1t Con-
gress are specially inter ested in the
maintenance of prohibitory duties
on certain materials for paper
manufacture. With only nomi=
nal mrjority in Congress, the demo-
Gratis have been able to reduce ex-
penditnres very materially, hut the
peoples taxes cannot he reduced,
however much expenses are reduc-
I'd, until that nominal majority is
made good working ma ajority
The revenue raised by taxation re-
mains unchanged, and this year
will exceed the wants of govern
ment by one hund,ed and twenty
millions of dollars. That is to cay,
Secretary Sherman says that he
will be easily able to pay off ten
millions of the public debt in each
month of the yea,; in fact, twelve
millions al it were paid in the month
Of April.
The whole amount received by
government from tariffs taxes for
the last fiscal year, ending on June
80, ,lS79.was $l37.25O.O47 10. What
was received 10y the manufacturers
of the protected articles can onIy
be estimated, but taking few OF
| the most prominent articles of ne
cessitv as basis, some idea Of the
exteut of taxation to which the
people are subjected by the tariff
may be gained.
1t must be borne in mind that
when a duty, imposed on an article
is sufficiently high 10 keep the ar
ticle on. OF the market, the manu-
facturer of such article is given
entire control of the price of tho
same, and all the profits go into
his pockets while the govcrnmen
receives very little, and not unfre-
qnently not Il cent, in the way 0
; revenue. Let us then first OK
; anime into the matter Of blankets
The present tariff places duty o
80 per cent. on blankets, aud OF
3 account of that duty their importa
, tion is we'll nigh prohibited. Las
t year the entire importation o
blankets Was valued at $1,67a, AM
e the entire revenue to the cavern.
:. mcnt from foreign blankets W..
: only S1,5O7,5O. The country
p however, consumed two millio
!. rairs Of home-madc blankets
: worth abont S8,OOO,OO0. Th
g price of a home made article wa,
OF course, abont 90 per cent. ovc
what blankets would have cost
d imported duty free, and TINS f.
0 every dollar received ny the gov
t ernnent on this necessary artiel
the manufacturer received 30 ,00l
Again in tho matter of boots an
. shoes. On these is placed a dut
! of 35 per cent, At :his rate tn
government received $4,000 la'
year. wh,le the domestic produs
a amounted to $144, 100000. I'll
y price of these articles being in
Il creased 35 per cent.-tho anon,