The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-11-11
miscellaneous.
TARIFF FOR REVENUE ONLY

Explained by Two Well Known Political ECOnO,
mists-It Does not Mean Free Frade-NOr a
Continuation Of High Taxation Nor a Mixed
System Of Duties But What 1t Does Mean.
The undersigned, having been request
ed from various sources to explain what
they understood by "a Tariff for Reve-
nue. Only" submit the following state
ment;
First-A tariff for revenue does not
mean free trade; for under the present
system of deriving from duties on i'm.
ports large proportion of the revenue
necessary to defray the large exp1ndi-
ture of the national government, a tariff
for revenue necessarily means a Compar-
atively and absolutely high tariff and
one that, in all conscience, ought to sat.
isfy any reasonable demands for pro-
lection.
Second-A tariff for revenue does not
mean further continuance of high tax
alton Imposed originally and solely to
meet the exigenCies of great war; in
time of peace, when all necessity fol-
such taxation has happily passed away
Third-It does not mean the furCheT
continuance of mixed system of duties
80 much specifically per pound, per yard
per gallon, or per bushel, and then, in
addition, so much ad valOrem No ordi
nary person-often not experts-Can
readily tell what such duties amount to
in the aggregate. They were intention
ally made complicated to prevent knowl
edge; they afford constant temptations
on the part of importers to deceive and
on the part of off icials to abuse theil
trust. Such duties ought to be repugnant
to the whole moral sense of our people
Such duties, furthermore, act as prohib
itors of imports and 80 dry up Commt rec
increase enormously the cost of Commo
dities to the people and prevent the
treasury from obtai, ing revenue.
In support of these statements takC
the following illustration and proof; II
lS79-80 we imported $33 900 900 worth
of woolsn goods; in this vast amour
only $5 ,032 in value represent imports o
blankets and the people of the UniteC
States use annually blanke to the value
of $40 900 600. Now the reason why on
ly So 600 worth of blankets we're impor
ted in lS79-S0 is that on the Commonest
cheapest class of blankets, such as tht
poor man only can buy and must have
that the miner, the traveller, the employe
on our railroads, canals, forges and fur
naCes generally buy and use, such blan
kCts as cost 80 cents per pound in Europe
the duty is 20 cents per pound and 81
per cent Gd ValOrem. Now, how man!
persons know how much these mixeC
duties amount to2 They amount to 10I
per cent. How many persons, when tn
facts are explained, would CountenanCt
such an out-and out stea2 How man,
members of Congress would ever be re
turned by their constituents if they vo
ted aye on plain ndsimple proposition
to tax an essential article of consumption
to our poor to such degree2 In 1873
the duties on blankets were so heav,
that almost none were imported; tn
treasury deriving from our imports th
pitiful sum of 81 ,293 SO, while the peopl
were no doubt unnecessarily taxed owe
and above what the blanket mills CoulC
require for protection, several million
of dollars, A tariff for revenue only IA
will be seen by the classification hereat
ter submitted) of 40 per cent. would Civ
some revenue from this source to tn
treasury and still protect the domesti
manufacturer.
Again, worsted yarns, which cost il
England 81 cents, are charged with
duty of 20 cents per pound and 35 pc
cent, ad VdLOrem. equal to over 993 pc
cent. The consequence was that, in 1875
we imported and consumed exactly $4
wor h in value and the treasury received
Just $43 80 in revenue. Worsted yarn
costing in England 40 cents, is subject t.
a duty of 80 cents per pound and 80 pc
cent. Gd UdLOrenl, or equal to 963 per cent
In 1879 we imported exactly $l03 wort
of such; the treasury received in reVe
nue. 800 49.
Certainly no one will dispute the dem
onstration, that if the above product
we're subjected to duty of 40 per cent
ad UQlOrem, the treasury would reCeiv
more revenue and therefore diminish tn
necessity for taxing other things in orde
to secure revenue. A tariff for revenue
therefore, means giving the treasur
something and taking load of taxation
off the shoulders of the masses of tn
people.
Fourth-A tariff for revenue onl
means simplifcation of our tax laws
more receipts into the national treasury
the lifting of load of not less than sew
eral hundred millions of direct and in
direct taxes from the people and at tn
same time insuriug continuance Of pro
lection to domestic manufacturers, de
gree of protection greater than was eve
granted under any tariff enacted frou
he foundation Of the government u
to 1861. DAVID A. WELLS,
I g MooRE