Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-12-27
a Won sinnIe T,rnl,Iern


The uncertainty as to the length to
which Congress shall go in the work of
reducing taxation, and the doubt as to
whether the present Congress will actu-
ally do anything in the premises, excite
distrust and uneasiness in business cir
eles, and in numerous instances work
70 the detriment of operatives.
The alarm felt by the tobacco trade was
made clear TO Congress, and the Senate
has agreed TO a resolution, pledging a re-
bate if reduction is made. The liquor
interests also have friends who are work
ing in their behalf, and the bill providing
for an extension of the bonded period will
tend TO placate them. But the industries
Of the country directly affected by tariff
legislation have no assurance that will
relieve them from the uncertainty that the
tariff agitation creates.
To the average intelligent citizen it APP
/ pears strange that Congress cannot mas
ter the details of the revenue problem in its
entirety, instead Oftinkering at it here and
there, and crawling snail-paced to re-
suits. 4 year ago tariff reform was pooh
/ pOOhed. Now il is an absorbing question
I with the statesmen who so airily dismissed
/ il. The question of reducing internal
| taxation was up at the last session
| Of Congress, but the Republican idea was
/ TO simply throw a tub to the whale by
/ consenting to a beggarly reduction, Of
/ profit only, to special interests and of no
benefit to the mass of consumers. That
| the internal revenue can be abolished and
the import duties all around be largely re-
. wi 70 &lr
ury, cannot be fairly disputed. The prob
lem set our statesmen is a simple one.
Reduce the taxes 80 per cent. on to-
baccO, spirits and all other articles sub
ject to internal taxation. or abolish such
| taxation. Reduce the duties on imports
20 per cent. on an average, and, if
the Treasury receipts continue to leave a
surplus, reduce these reduced duties.
The people are moderate in their demands.
They do not call for sweeping legislation.
They wish to see a beginning made in the
work of reform, and are willing that
the special interests that profit
by our present system of taxation shall
be treated fairly under the change they
call for. What they want is actiOn-wise,
conservative actiOn-and not the hating,
shutting and hesitating policy that Con-
gress is pursuing. Let half the burden
Of taxation be taken off at this session, as
it safely can be, and the people will see to
it that the remainder is lifted in the near
future.
The interests affected by the policy of re-
form are entitled to notice of the amount
of reduction proposed. 1t is far easier and
wiser to propose to do half the work now
in plain, practical way than to pore over
congratulations of this and that statesman
: or the report of the Tariff Commission.
The people want the whole burden lifted,
but they are willing to carry half of it lit
tie while longer in the interest OF
( fairness and prudence. Not every states
/ | man can frame practicable scale of inn
e port duties, but any member of Congress
b. can offer a resolution that the duties be
r reduced to a given amount. Let the in
I, ternal taxes be cut down one-half or wiped
n out altogether, and reduce import duties
on an average 20 per cent, with notice OF
further reductions, until our tariff is as it
should be-fOr revenue.