Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-02-07
The Taxation Question.

For some weeks congress has done littlt
hut work away on tariff and revenue bills
Aud the whole discussion has been illus
iratve of the interest invariably excitet
when the pocket nerve of any set of people
is reached. There are theorists il
the country who are so in love will
free trade that they would like no revenue
ut all raised by tariff and there are few
protectionists who are so fascinated will
home industry that they would have i
protected" in making things that ar,
much better bought abroad and that thin
county is not fitted in any way to produce
But in general businesses are pretty wei
established here that can be done tt
advantage and the tariff revision is feared
rs disturbing element. On the one hanc
it is said that we do not need to pay of
our debt as rapidly as government is doing
and SO there is no need of raising so much
money by either tariff or internal revenue
GA the other hand folks engaged in any
business which has been graded to the
present state of affairs see trouble abo,f
for hem in any revision that makes much
reduction.
The result is that congress is engaged
inn sort of responsive reading or speaking
One man says reduce the tariff on lumber
Ginger of Michigan says no, that will
rain my Michigan constituents; reply tc
Conger is that his Michigan constituent,
have had sort of monopoly of the lum bel
trade as against Canadian com petition and
it is nigh time folks were given chanc,
t. get lumber at decent price. The
result is the tariff on lumber is likely to be
reduced. That has some effect here in
Vermont Burlington dealers will b,
leased because they can sell Canad.
lumber cheaper and probably hav,
increased sales while Vermont lumbe,
pro lucers and owners of timber land wi,
find themselves pinched. The 70 ks who
by lumber will be pleased while the
greater part of those engaged in lum bep
industries in the state will suffer either b,
stoppage of the business or by the lessen
ing of wages.
The days of the old time issues between
free trade and protection are returning il
good measure though with changed
conditions as to many branches of industry
The free traders will howl about the
foollshness of making anything at home
when it can be got cheaper abroad; and
now and then manufacturer who has
pretty much monopoly of some particu.
lar branch of trade will kick up grea,
dust about running our home institution,
by flooding the country with the produc.
lions of pauper labor. But the aim of our
national legislature should be to get such
an amount of revenue as it is best he
country should raise; and that in RAISING
it those industries to which the country is
best adapted should receive such protection
as will give them good living chance
and not such as will make monopolies ont
of them.
And just here it is slightly questionable
how much sound sense there is in III,
howl about the terrible thing it is to rails.
SO much revenue that we pay off our deb
at the rate of from a hundred to hundrec
and fifty millions year. This ou,crv i.
OFT the same piece as the one that nationa
debt is blessing. 1t is not so certain tina,
if We had fewer government bonds in
which capitalists could invest, there would
not be some Of the millions now merel,
drawing interest from the governmen
that would be put into manufacturing
or agricultural enterprises,
that would benefit the country to a crea,
degree.
1t is pretty certain that some sort Of
tariff reduction is necessary and is coming
and as long as that is the case the sooner
it is done with the better, even if it doe
pinch in some places, for the uncertainty
as to what may be done is ofabout as much
hurt to any business whose margin i
doubtful as certain damage to which tn,
business can be adjusted or, if necessary.
closed out and its owner enter upon some
other of the lines along which Yankees
get through this world If the free traders
and ful-blossomed revenue reformers can
have things their own Wav nohodv nood
worry, for the consumer, under the bless.
Ings OF absolute free trade, will get things
tor just about the little end of nothing
and all that the whole world will have t,
no to get along swimmingly will be to
urn consumers in body. The PRODUCING
nonopolies in that way will be got rid of
and the whole world, turned consumer
will not only have its corn given it, bu
will have it shelled, The problem as t,
who will do the Smelling will be solved b,