Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-11-16
MEMPHIS APPEAL
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1e, 1859
THE COMING TARIFF REroRm.

IRE CSMA00 IAAAEE hEE Ohn-
That one meaning of the result Of the late
election is that 4 complete reform il TO be
made lin the tariff is acknowledged by be III
the winners and the losers. While that re-
form must have in view the general welfare
of the people, its details will be Of sFecisl
importance to all who are engaged in CO H.
merce and it will be 10 the advantage of
merchants and manufacturers that they
should, in their various specialties, make
themselves we'll acquainted with VIII at is
desirable in their special domain-not 10
create monopolies, bat TO increase the COM
merce Of the country, and especially 10 favor
the opening or extension OF our trade in for
eign markets, 80 az to insure outlets for our
surplus productions, whether natural or
artificial. By having settled and intellig. nj
views upon the various details our CONNER
oial people will be prepared, when Congress
gets TO work upon the subject, TO favor by
their promptings what is in the right direc-
ton and to oppose what would be injurious. IL
must be well understood at the start that
whether protection be a good thing or a bad
one, the artificial, hot-bed life that system
las AuEAuEcu CdnnOt a. OuCc Dc dDdDQOnS0.
Changes that have 10 go far must not be
made all at once. Reform must wisely adapt
its modes 10 existing circumstances, SO tn st
no shock be given TO commercial prosperity.
The New York Bulletin has some facts and
figures respecting the tariff in its gene raj
aspects with which business men would do
we'll 10 make themselves familiar. Some
81, al
abolition Of the internal revenue as an
abominalion, but certain it is the people of
this country will not hear with patience that
whisky and tobacco shall go untaxed, while
taxes are laid upon necessaries OF life such
as sugar, rice and salt, or upon such neces-
saries of trade as vsrious raw materials
important TO our manufacturing pros.
perity. A sweeping away of the whole
internal revenue, therefore, is not the
kind of reform wanted. The condition of
our finances must also be considered, for
there must be sufficient revenue collected
TO pay of our debt and 10 meet current
expenses and standing obligations. We
cannot return TO the standard of taxation as
it existed before the war. In 1860 we paid
100000 year for pensions, that amount
has been changed to $lOO,Oo0,OOO a year.
In 1860 The payments for interest on the
public debt were So, IA, 900 year, this year
the amount is sos, 1000. For the five
years ending with 1860 the average redemp-
tions OF public obligations amounted to
100000 year, at the present time to
S45,000000. These figures show that ante bel.
lum figures will not suffice to-day. Such a
tariff as we had in 1860 would yield upon
the present volume of imports lees than
100000 OF revenue. For each individual
of the population $l67 would pay The
S59,000,00O of ordinary expenses; for the
current year those expenses, $4,000, 900
require $247 year from each person ON the
average. The interest on the sinking fund
liquidations must continue with little varia-
ton for some years. For the present
a reduction of ordinary expenses
war, navy, Indians, ard misceilaneous-
is all that can be looked for. Suppose those
expenses reduced 10 what they were before
the war, our total annual expenses would be
reduced to about $31O,OO0,OO0. The income
from The customs alone last year, at the
present oppressive rate OF the tariff, were
$19S,000,O0O, so that even without 8 reform
in The tariff the customs alone would not
meet current expenses. Whether we like it
or not, large portion OF our revenue must
come from internal sources, and the people
in general are satisfied, putting whisky, To-
bacco, and necessary raw material against
essential articles of food, that it should do
80. In any consideration of what the com.
ing reform in ration shall be, it is neces-
sary 10 take into consideration the facts these
figures suggest, and they will be very useful
if they dispel all ideas of an entire extin-
punishment of the internal revenue. The
more clearly business men see what is
wanted, the more certainly the coming reform
will be wise and effectual one.