Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1881-12-30
The Tariff.
THE TARIFF COMMISSION BILL WILL NOT

IHE IAkItk COMMISSION BILL WILL NOT |
PASS .
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Dec. 24.-The |
opinion prevails among members of
congress that the bill for the creation
of a tariff commission. now pending
in the senate, will not be fsvorably re-
ceiyed by the house. In reference TO
this general subject, Judge Belford, of
Colorado. who has given the revenue
question some consideration. said that
last year General Hancock, doubtless
after comforting with leading demo-
Gratis, said if We intended to remain
honest and pay our debt, we must raise
revenue in some way or another. He
further said some parties were agreed
that the best way to raise the revenue
is largely by the tariff l think the
first bill introduced into the first con-
greSS of the United States was by Mad
ison, and provided that certain duties
should be imposed on sugar, tea, coffee,
molasses and rum, to the end that the
country misht have revenue with which
to pay the national debt. In the dis
cussion which this bill occasioned it
was agreed to place coffee and tea
on the free list, on the ground that
not being produced in this country,
would not come in competition with our
products. Sugars and liquors of all
kinds are still subject to import duties.
A few years ago under the cry of free
breakfast table, the duties were removed
from tea and coffee Experience has
shown that the removal of these duties
| did not produce the results that were
anticipated, which were the cheapen-
ing of these necessities to consumers.
| When We removed the import duties.
the countries producing tea and coffee
levied an export duty equivalent to the
reduction of duties made by the United
States.
| know that it is unpopular to advo-
cate duties on tea and coffee and that
when We consider that about TO per
cent. ad valorem is collected on I'M
ported sugars too, it would seem that
1t would be policy to reduce the duties
on sugar, even if we had to reimpose
duties on tea and coffee. We import
annually, according to the last official
returns, 450,000000 pounds of coffee,
the value Of which is 100000, 900: about
75,000,000 pounds tea, the value of
which is S19,C00,000. Here we have
an aggregate value of SS0,000000 on
which there are no import duties. Our
annual importations of sugar are about
1,S00, 100000 pounds, the value ofwhieh
aside from duty and transportation is
in round figures is $50 100000 which it
will be noticed is equal to the aggregate
value of the annual importation of tea
and coffee. Now every intelligent
housewife knows she uses at least five
pounds of sugar for one of tea, or
coffee, and if ne are to have a free
breakfast table, why should not the
duties be removed entirely from sugar
or distributed so some of the burden
borne by sugar should be placed on
tea and coffee. We now collect about
SIS, 000,0 900 of revenue from sugar i'm
ported, and it seems to me sugar and
molasses stand independent on the
tariff, the last having no relation with
any other articles; that the duty on
these articles should be revised AID re-
duced, particularly as this can be done
| nlltACllb OilSl lhNGI0Sh'
Pm protectionist and believe that the
prosperity of the country is largely
due TO the tariff, but | cannot overlook
the fact that our receipts from taxes
and duties are increasing while ou1
national debt is decreasing. The
question is shall congress primarily dc
this work, or shall we have commits
sion. We have men in congress who
are competent do this work, men Of
large practical experience, and are not
gwen over to any special hobby. A
commission would doubtless be com.
posed of college professors and scien
tific experts, and men identified with
several branches Of industry. Believing
as | do that the present tariff should be
revised and corrected, i fear the PROPOSE
ton for commission is simply design
to prevent any revision whatever. Ii
congress can't, with all the light we have
on this subject, and with exhaustive
reports that have been recently OBJ
tanned through the tenth census, enact
tariff law that will be wise and just
it is hardly to be expected any advan
tage will follow a commission.