Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-12-07
Daylight breaking.

Daylight Breaking.
The report of the Tariff Commission
conveys the gratifying intelligence that
that body declares in favor of an average
reduction in duties of from twenty to
twenty-five per cent, the reduction in
many eases amounting to from forty to
fifty per cent. That the report of the
commission is a surprise to the majority
of the tax payers is unquestiOnable. The
commission was appointed for CONTRA
~ purpose. and the general expectation
was that its recommendations would, in
the main. be in favor of the maintenance,
or increase, Of the present duties on i'm
ports. Indeed, aside from the objects of
its creation. the proceedings of
the body and the tone of its
utterances forbade any conclusion as to
its recommendations other than the one
formed by the people. The popular judg-
ment passed on the grand old party" on
the eth of November, however, was eX-
ceedingly emphatic, and now that the
commission has asserted its common
sense. il is needless to search for the cause
that brought it to exercise its sober rea-
son. 1t is gratifying to know that this
packed jury" had patriotism enough to
take a business like view Of the questions
before it, and its conclusions will be cor
daily Endorsed by the great body of trib-
ute PAYERS. The commission is not alone in
its zeal for reform. The foremost Radical
leaders. including the President and his
chief advisers, are equally clear in de-
claring for a reduction of the profits paid
special interests at the expense Of the
consumers. The recommendations of the
commission, coming from such a body, are
sweeping enough to alarm the barOns, who
have enjoyed so long a tenure of favor,
and, if adopted, will largely satisfy the
friends of tariff reform.
The average rate of duties under the
Morrill, tariff is about A. per cent. 1t is
calculated by those familiar with the sub
iect that an average duty of - per cent.
conduces most to the raising of revenue.
Were such a scale of duties adopted
the tariff would be strictly tariff for rev.
enue. and the wants of the government
could be met under its operation. That
such tariff must be established is as GER
tain as that water will flow down hill.
have Overruled their strongest plea. If, as
the prOtectionists urge, our ''infant" in
dustries have all they can do to crawl
with the tremendous support they receive
from a tariff the duties under which aver
aye A. per cent, they must be terribly en-
barrassed when 20 per cent. Of that sup
port is withdrawn from them, on an aver
ace. and 80 per cent. from many of them.
If the barOns and their organs have
told the truth when they foretold
the wreck of our industries when
brought into competition with the
..pauper labor of Europe" we
confess to considerable solicitude for our
struggling Infants now that it is
proposed to put them on a more slender
allowance Of pap. We can hardly bring
ourselves TO believe, however. that
the stout champions of our ''in-
fants" will consent to see them
languish. Yet. when the President
and other oracles of the .'grand old party
and the tribunal elected by the barons de-
clare against them, we cannot but harbor
the suspicion that the beneticiaries of
protection will shortly be compelled to
reconcile themselves to a regime of
equality and justice.
However sections OF the Republican
party and Of the Democracy itself may
hold out for protection, public thought is
tending towards a revenue instead of
protective system. The signs of public
conversion are sufficiently significant TO
warn the attorneys of the barOns TO save
what they can for them, and TO temporize
with the public by making large cOnces-
sions. That is the law and substance of
the ''grand old party's" policy. Its leaders
know that this question of revenue reform
has been ventilated and must ultimately
be settled, and to lull agitation they are
prepared to 90 to great lengths. Few of
the barOns will 60 heartily with their at
torneys. but the latter are the wiser, and
see but the one course open.
The citizen or journal that but short
time ago would have predicted that
body with the personnel of the Tariff
Commission would prefer the advice it