Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-06-27

Mr.. Thompson, of Kentucky, in his
speech on the bill now pending in the
House for the reduction of certain in
tcrnal revenue taxes, took the same
ground as did Mr.. Stephens, and which
We alluded to yesterday. He went to the
bottom of the whole question of taxa
ton when he said that the only road to
relief is through the removal of the
ouerous taxes that are imposed under the
existing tariff for the benefit of monopo-
lists; that internal revenue taxes are in
defensible in time of peace, and are
moreover unnecessary. and that the
whole system could and should be
abolished.
By the provisions Of the Kelley bill the
Republicans make a great show of con
ceding something to the people, but the
relief afforded is offered to a few who
need it least. As originally framed, this
bill was fairly statesmanlike measure,
but the Republican caucus so emsscu-
lated it as to make of it a mere make
shift Of the same character as the Tariff
Commission, and it is evident that the
people Will get no substantial relief from
their present burden of taxation until
they make up their minds to deal with
the question themselves. Even high
protection authorities cOncede that the
internal revenue could be abolished.
The internal revenue and customs duties
together bring into the Treasury money
enough 10 answer all the needs of the
government and leave the large annual
surplus of $50, 5000 in the Treasury
besides. With the internal taxes abol-
i>hed that surplus would vanish Then
The question would simply be, "shall we
nave a tariff for revenue or tariff for
projections"
The former would bring into the
Treasury far more than the latter and
would not only meet the governments
needs, but could be so framed as, in quiet
times. TO leave a material surplus. On
the other hand, a protective tariff, such
as we have at present. would supply the
wants of government perhaps, but it
would continue to rob the many to en-
rich its few benefciaries. Sir Robert
Peel was a far ADLER man than any
champion of protection on the floor of
Congress to-day, and his share of COM
mon sense was larger than falls to the
lot Of most public men. He defended
protection with all the ingenuity he
possessed. His subOrdinates used the
stock arguments that protection organs
and orators so deity employ here. 1t is
impossible to produce a plausible argu-
ment for protection which he has not
already produced. Yet Peel himself
subsequently confessed when he came
sQua0ely out in favor of freeing England
from the letters of monopoly that had
CALLED her for centuries, that high pro-
lection was far more of a curse than g
benefit
What was true of protection in Eng
land in 1874 is true of it in the United
States to-day. England prospered by
the abolition Of protective tariff, and
her exports have increased six fold in the
interval that has elapsed since that
change was made. The Morrill, tariff
was framed not for revenue, as many
suppose. but to spur up American indus
try 10 the point Of meeting the ex-
demands of the government
in the crisis Of a civil war.
MI. Morrill,, its author, confessed that
these extraordinary needs alone justified
l.. Yet, to day, he eats his words and
objects to any interference with his
work. Sixteen years have elapsed since
the need OF either internal revenue taxes
or this extraordinary tariff ceased, yet
the nonopOlists cry for more protection,
and the party in power comedies, in re-
Spouse to the demand for revenue reform,
a beggarly reduction of about $17
600 of internal revenue taxation, and
that to those who can well afford to bear
the burden, while the tariff duties that
weigh most heavily on the masses are
guarded.
The Kelley bill, therefore. as well as the
50 called Tariff Commission, are veritable
farces. War taxes are not needed in
times Of peace, and should be removed.
Taxes on imports levied solely with
view to procuring the largest return to
the Treasury are the only taxes that
should be laid upon this people.