, 1881-12-25

QuQ LeE1tfUn Will Dc pTE,tut tEu ~ AAu ! tG't
dent, and they are :lookIng forward to the
event with great Interest f i: NH: ::::
IL: TT z.:.:s:>"t II ~ T RlFF.>::i.
y: .. Z. \ - !, BELFonn's Views g.: J J: "
J.. :WAsu1sGToN,D.C G; Dec. 2l-ihe opinion
prevails among melllbers of, CONGRESS: ttat
the bill for the creation OF a tariff contml5
sion now pending In the Senate will not De
fayorably received By ttie nouse..." . II refer
encc to tllIs general subject, Judge Btlford,
OF Colorado, who has given ::1lleSs: revenue M
question st,me consideration, said =, "a :" Last
year Gen. uancock, doubtless after confer-
ring with leading Democrats, said that if we
intend to remain: honest anu pay our debt,
we must raise money III some way or, other:
lie said, further. that so1ns parties we're re-
agreed that the best way 70 raise :1noneXis is
largely by the tariff. ~ think that the first
bill introduced: Into. the first Congress: Of
tie, United States was by Madison,; and :
provided that certain duties should be I'M
posed on ugar, tea, coffee, molasses, and:
rum, to the end that the country might have
revenue with which to pay: the National: ! ;l:
debt. In the discussion which this bill oc: !
casioned was tie foundation Of bur whole: !:
tariff doctrine: -:
- -.
was put on the free list Oh the ground that,
not being produced in this country. tney
cannot come In competition with ottr prod
-. ucts. Sugar and li1uors Of all kinds arestill
subject to IMPORT duties. "A few years ago,
On lie cry OF "a free BREAKFAST table, y the
duty was removed from tea aud coffee.
Experience has shown . 4: that the n: NJ: r. ~
nloval I: of / these duties i didn't produce
.ts. v
which / wers the: cheapening :of !. these
necessities to the consumers. When We r.
moved the import duties, the countries pro-;
ducing ten and coffee levied nm export duty
equivalent to the reduction IF duties >iitade
by the United States ! know that It IS nll--
popular to advocate duties on tea and colfte,
but.when we consider that about ~ per cent
all va!orem is collected on imported sugars
; it would seem that it would be q wise policy
to reduce the duties on sugar, eyen.if we had
to rsimpose the duties on lea and c"ttee> we
import annually, according t0 the last official
return, about 45o, ,0o0, ,000 pounds ofcof1ee, the
value Of which Is $50. .t0o, ,o0o, are> about .
ooJ.V0o pounds Of tea, valued al S19,0Oo,Wpr
Here we have an; aggregate valuation or
about $50, ,000, ,o3U, on which there are no M iul-
port duties, - " * ! 9: I: 80. - : r s..
OUR ANNUAL T,1PoRrAr1oSs or. SUGAR =
are about 1,8O0, ,ooO, ,O00 pounds, valued IN
round figures az $:sJ,o0j, ,0o9, which, it will be
noticed, is eQual.tO the aggregate value OF
tile annuals, iii,portatlons Ut tea and coffee
Now every Intelligent honsekeeper knows
that she Uses at, t,lrast five pounds OF sugar
ft,r one Of tea or cotfee, and il We are to have
a free break fast-table,: why should not 10 =
duties be removed entirely from sugar, Or
distributed so that solu1 Of the burden borne
by the sugar. should be placed On tea and
coffee? We now collect about 81, QUO,
0oo- of revenue on S80, ,Uo0, COO 4: worth
Of. sugar i: imported, and lit seems
to- nla that !. sugars: q ana ~ molasses
stand sindepen1ent.on; the: tariff list,3llavtng
no relation with any:other article that the
duties oll; these articles should. be revised
and reduced, particularly as this can By done
without affecting any other interest,"
- -:: 80. I AM a .rRoTECTIoN1sr, T.: -
and believe that the prosperity Of the coun-
| try IS largely due to the tariff, but cannot
overlook the fact tt1att'ur receipts from taxes
and duties are increasing, while our National
debt is hscreasrng.S* There will be. no :occa.
sion to keep up these taxes when: the debt i
i paid, and hence soma revision Is necessary.
Tile question is, Shall Congress primarily
do this work. or shall we have a commits
sion p We have men in. Congress who, .'art
competent to do this. work: Men. Of largt
practical experience; are not given over e
any special hobby. a commission would
doubtless be !. composed Of ~ coltsgt
professors and scientific experts and mel
identified with particular branches OF IN
dustry.' These men, while knowing at
about their respective branches are thor
i ouell1y indoctrinated with pet theories, an
would not bs likely to work as satisfactor:
results as men who are. looking solely to tn
general welfare. : For INSTANCE, take !. i
:" OLD .rlG-IRoN KELLEY, :. =; :.
as he is called, who has realized the: amh
tion of his life By becoming Chairman of tn
| Ways and Means after twenty years Of cor
.secutive service III Congress. I would rathe
trust him to make a fair and intelligent tarl
j. bill than any tariff commission that might b
. formed. His knowledge is not Special. bt
/: general, and I have reason to know that
is his rnost !. ardent desire: to- round .
his :. honorable: = career :, In: the publ
. service BY placing on. the statute-books
, tariff act wilic,:wili be fair to all interested
and which, VIII stand asa monument to pe
, ! petuate his reputation and be known as Il
Kelley act. !. Believing, as do, that the prt.
, | ent tariff should be revised. and I: col
: rectcd, / fear the proposition for a co,nmi
sion is simply a design to prevent any r
: vision whatever. If cnngress cannot, wit
ali the light that we have on. this: subjet
8 and with the exhaustive reports that ha,
been recently obtained, through the ten
!, census, enact tariff law that will be vi
/, and Just, it is huEdly to be expected that al
9 advantage will follow a: commission. :,