Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-11-22
PLANS OF PEOTECTIONlSTS.
What Is Expected 10 Occur at
the COming session.
ws.h. Special to New York Time.

ill their might and main at the com.
ing session Of Congress to reduce the
revenue arising from internal taxes.
They will be assisted by the popular
feeling 10 regard 10 a reduction of tax
ition and by the hostility toward in.
'ernal taxes in some parts Of the
country. If they can cut of at one
blow great part of the internal rev
enae, they may thereby prevent a re.
ducrion OF duties which would
decrease the profits of bro.
tected nonop0iles. There must
be revenue from some source
with which TO pay the expenses Of the
government. 1t heavy reduction is
made in the field Of internal revenue
then 1t will no. be possible to make a
heavy reduction of custom duties
The greater the reduction of revenue
rom internal taxes, the smaller the
reduction OF duties on imports in the
revision OF the tariff which will be
made, Judge Kelley. Chairman OF
the Ways and Means Committee. has
been in the city for two or three days
tnd 1t has been announced that he is
here tor the purpose OF inducing the
President and the Secretary Of the
treasury to recommend to Congress
large reduction Of internal taxation.
The coming session will be a short
one; There will be barely sixty
working days in it, and it cannot be
expected that much progress will be
made in any direction until after the
holiday recess. There will be barely
enough time in the session for the |
preparation, consideration and passage
of the annual appropriation hills. The |
calendars are heavy with all sorts of |
bills, In all stages of progress. Every
Congressman who has a pet bill will |
urge its passage. 1t is not expected
that there will be time for a revision
OF the tariff, although the report Of
the Tariff Commission and the testi-
mony taken ny the commission will
be placed in the hands of members
But something may be done with the
pending bill for reduction of inter.
nal taxes, and the friends of the great
protected industries will make that
oil, or some bill relating TO the same
subject, the center of the legislative
interest outside OF appropriation bills.
Early in the last session the WAYS
and Means Committee undertook to
report bill which contemplated
reduction of internal taxes to the
amount Of $70,000,000 year. The
Republican caucus put its foot upon
this bill and announced that public |
sentiment would not allow taxes to be |
lifted from whisky and tobacco. Then |
a smaller bill was reported and passed |
by the House. This bill repesls the |
stamp tax on bank checks, drafts, or.
ters and vouchers, the tax on the can
ital and deposits Of banks and bankers,
and the tax on matches, perlumers,
aud medical preparations. 1t reduces
the license fees to be paid by dealers
aud manufacturers of tobacco and cuts
down the tax on cigars. 1t was sent to
the Senate and reported without sub.
stantial change on July 6. The Re-
Publicans in the Senate decided
that some tariff legislation was
demanded by the country, al. |
though the commission bill had |
been passed, and therefore several |
important amendments to the reve- |
nue. bill were introduced by Senator |
Morrill,, who had charge of the origi |
nal hill. These amendments propo7ed |
to repeal the emergency duty on su
gar, to authorize the use Of the polar
i'cope, to reduce the duty on steel
rails to $50, aud to readjust the du-
ties on wares made of hoop, band and |
scroll iron. Almost ipn1merable |
amendments relating to the tariff and
to internal revenue were offered and
supported by the Democrats, and
long and tiresome debate ensued |
When the session ended the bill had |
not been passed in the Senate. The
attempt upon the part of the Repub
licans to satisfy the popular demand by
beginning a revision of the tariff |
had opened the door for amend
ments and debate, which prevented |
any fual action from being taken. |
1t is propGs J nQw by the advocates |
OF protection SO TO extend the scope of
the bill as to include the abolition of |
the entire tax upon tobacco. 1t is
urged, and with much reason, that
general revision of the tariff cannot be
made in the coming short session; but |
it will be comparatively easy to cut of |
the TOBACCO tax. That is matter
which does not require much study. |
There are persons who gay, However, |
that no action whateYer will be taken |
at the coming session relating either
to the internal taxes or the tariff, be
cause of the opposition which the eager
proteotionists will arouse. Democrats,
looking forward to a Democratic ma.
jOrity Of nearly seventy in the |
next House, prefer that the tariff |
shall be revised by the Forty.
eighth Congress, They are not |
willing, i is said, that tie work |
OF the revision shall be handicapped |
by previous reduction Of from $780,.
100000 to $7O,O00,OO0 Of in.arnai i
taxes. is predicted that. if the
Senate should pass the revenue Bill. |
with amendments al the coming
session, its final passage would be
delayed or defeated in the House after
its reappearapce there. Party lines
are not strictly drawn upon the issues
involved and for this reason unfore.
seen complications mag arise. II is
believed, however, that a vigorous
attempt will be made by proteclionists
TO abolish the tobacco tax and cut off |
great slice Of the internal revenue at
the coming session. Those who will |
oppose this movement in behalf of
reduction of customs duties for the
purpose of throwing the work into |
Democratic House and for other
reasons will be assisted by the short |
ness Of the session, in which it will
be difficult to find time for important
discussions outside Of the necessary
routine work