Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-01-24
a Sectional Tariff.

The NEWS has steadily advocated d
system of Federal taxation that "ouI,
supply the needs Of government Dut llo'
impose burdens upon the people LOT .he
benefit of special interests In o1hel
words. in common Win Ine
expOunders of Democracy, TINS Jourhdi
advocates tariff for revenue
that such tariff will yet be obtained the
tbouobtfll cannot doubt. The West and
south. from an economic standpoint, are
not in need of protection for their indus
tries. and the time will come when they
will have a fair field, and will ENJOY the
full fruits Of their labor. IL
was the public expectation that
at the present session OF Congress long
step would be taken in the direction Oh
tariff reform. That expectation, II now
appears. is not to be realized. The pro
tectionists have gained their ends ana
the tariff, if anything, is TO be made more
inequitable than it is at present,
In fact. it is to be made sectional tarln.
Southern interests that have shared in the
advantages that protection has afforded
are 10 be shOrn or deprived OF what Is
given at present, and interests llat
have been benefited by moderate duties
are 10 be taxed afresh. If there are South
ern interests in need of protection, they
are sugar and rice. Whole sections OF
Southern territory are good for little else
than the cultivation Of these staples. let,
the tariff bills pending in Congress
propose &c compel the Southern sugar
growers to bear the loss that the reduc-
ton proposed would involve. As to rice,
a reduction is proposed in the duty from
III to 20 per cent. ad Vaiorem. These
reductions are 10 be made for the benefit
of the consumers, and particularly
10 placate those at the North. But South
ern consumers Of cotton ties, for instance,
are to be taxed out of all reason for the
benefit Of a few mOnOp9lists who are to be
given boost. so 10 speak, Besides, aHi-
nine, an absolute necessity at the South,
is to be taken off the free list and
taxed 10 per cent. for the benefit of GER
tain firms, who we're philanthrOpic enough
to 20 into the business of preparing the
drug.
Now, we protest against this rascally
mode of dealing with the tariff. Rs
form the tariff everywhere, and
put all consumers and all pro-
ducers on the planes afforded them by
their natural advantages, and nobody
can complain, for that would be
brOad-gauge craftsmanship. But to pre-
tend TO reform our system Of taxa
ton by stripping one section of the arti-
fetal advantages afforded by legislation
and then levying fresh contributions upon
its people for the benefit of those OF
another section, is simply villainOUs. If
the tariff is to be reformed,
let it be actually and honestly reformed.
Let the protected interests Of every sec
ton surrender to the consumers the
greater part or all Of the profit they now
enjoy, but if the tariff is to remain a tariff
for protection then Southern capital is
justly entitled to its share of whatever
benefits such a system affords.
The tariff bills now pending should be
resisted with every resource until they
are put in such a shape as Will guar
antee fair treatment to- all interests. In
their present shape they are aimed at
the further enrichment Of the men who
so stOutly supported the ''grand old party"
in return for the large fayOrs received at
its hands. Give us actual reform, or leave
the job for better hands.