Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1883-07-20
Tariff and Revenue.

if schedule reducing the custom duty on
many articles of domestic consumption
went into effect, the revenue to the gov
ernment from the custom houses, instead
of being diminished, is increased. While
the revised tariff has not been in opera
tion long enough to form any conclusive
judgment upon the point, it seems proba-
BILE that the increase of revenue will be
permanent. Although the reductions made
in the tariff act of the last Congress are
few and inconsiderable, yet it seems al
ready to have had the effect of stimulat-
ing importations and increasing the Fed
eral revenue.
Should this prove to be permanent
result, the theory of the Democrats, which
they have advanced in the Congressional
debates, that a reduction of the existing
prehibitory duties, would augment. the
revenue to the government by encourag-
ing and increasing importations. would
be fully verified. 1t is manifest fact that
customs duties can be made prohibitory
so as to cut off all revenue whatever from
that source, and that the more nearly the
rate of duty approximates to that point
the smaller will be the customs revenue.
1t is also a we'll known fact that the aim
of the Republican party has been to fix
the tariff rates as near that point as they
thought the people would submit to.
The theory upon which that party has
based its tariff legislation has been that
of protection to domestic manufacturers,
by excluding or seriously repressing tor
eign competition. This theory, which in
the early days of the Wings was plausible
though unconstitutional, in the altered
circumstances of the conatry in the pre-
sent generation. is as oppressive as it j:
unwarranted. The Republican party
since its first accession to power, has beer
the tool and servant of the monied power
and the result is shown 10y the huge mon
opolies that have grown up during it
administration.
| The customs duties were fixed at 8
figure sufficiently high, as was supposed
to secure all sufficient "protectiou" TO do
mestic manufacturers; but 50 greedy did
these become for large profits, that they
put the prices of manufactured articles sc
high as to let in foreign competition upon
many articles over the barrier Of the tariff
which had been erected by the Republi
can Congress. Consequently, as the war
debt began to be reduced to some extent
it was found that there were large accum
ulations of revenue in the treasury, over
and above the requirements of the gov
eminent. This was detected by the peo
people in the hume 'ous embezz'enents
the prodigal appropriations for pretended
improvement of rivers and harbors anC
other devices for d;ssipating the superhu
Gus accumulations. A popular clamol
grew up tor a reduction of taxation anc
diminution of the revenue Unable t.
avoid. and fearing to disregard this popu
lar clamor. the Republicans in the las
Congress made some slight revision of th
rate Of custom duties. The reduction Of
fected by this revision, were estimated tt
source adou' ss0, 900, 900 per annum o
this estimated reduction, over one ha'
was m,de upon sugar, an agriculture
product grown exclusively in the pul
States. In spite of this reduction, thu
by unfair discrimination made, it seem
that the excessive revenue will not b,
materially reduced. but probably increased
In this state Of affairs the Republican
State convention OF Pennsylvanis has
come to the rescue by the adoption of 4
resolution approving and demanding the
continuance of the present high rate o
tariff, and the distribution of the surplus
revenue resulting therefrom among the
several States on the basis of their respsc
tive population. This is probably the
ground upon which the Rspub' lean party
will stand in the next presi lentlal cam
paign; but this will be apt to prove to b'
dangerous ground The Philadelphia
Record referring to this policy. pointed J
compares it to 1.-The financial Transaction
Of Mr.. Robin Hood, who, after relieving a
traveller of his purse, would sometime
lend him enough to buy his dinner
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