The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-02-15
Words of Wisdom.

A few days ago, IN discussion OF INC tarlll
question, Senator Brown made the following
very excellent remarks
III is easy to say that but for the tariff prices
world be 50 Der cent lower but how are you
ooin.r 10 ret rid OF it? Abolish the tariff or
cut IL mercilessly down, and u di rect Internal
tax will take ills place inevitably 1t will take
force TO collect such d tax as That. certain
amount must be had to support the govern
ment. This amount was S4U3 ,OU0,0OO last
wear. Il is estimated at $415, UO000O this year.
/ will vote 10 cut it down, II practicable,
tavor economy and would not raise u surplus
dollar by taxation. But we must support the
government aud raise the necessary lunds.
The sum required must be raised either by
tax on imports or an internal tax. IL Is sur
prisng to me how some Senators ciing 10 any
form OF internal taxation. In spite OF the
Senator from Kentucky and his constantly re-
itel ated speech on Bessemer steel, we have 70
raise $3.50 O00, 900 annually by the tarl1.
prefer that system, with some Oh us GYMS,
rather than that other system With It's Talos,
robberies. murder and other aDomlnatlons.
The Senator from Kentucky says murder Is
committed under the customs, but challenge
him to produce single cast. AS rallroao
president, / have insisted on heavy reduction
IN Resseper Steel. While distinctly repu-
diate the doctrine thai high Tariff necessarily
makes low goods, sllll II Is susceptible OF,
=
mathematical demonstration that high pro-
lection does stimulate active competition 80
that the rates are enormously lowered IN
course of time, Some years ago, tor example,
rave $3.50 ton TOR steel rails Recently,
purchased TWO thousand tons OF the same ar
ticle. in Pennsylvania, for $500 per ton
The Tariff was The same in both cases. The
high protection prodigiously developed bes-
semer steel manufacture i'll the United States,
and competition at home reduced 1t in price.
So the tariff has built up gigantic home in
dustries and compuutiU4l has brought down
nrices to a low standard. Whereby the Re-
bubble and the people are both gamers, 1t is
therefore an utter failucy TO declare that high
tariff on steel is running the country. line
facts are all the other way. Ii our mills had
not been encouraged, Europe would charge US
| 800 ton or whatever she pleased. A vast
home industry, permanently located has saved
us from thai exaction. Railways ought to
nav a part of the Tariff. Ii corporations do
not the people will suffer in articles OF neces-
sity Look at the rice trade. Taking ad-
| vantage OF the war, the Chinese ana otner
| ORIGINALS advanced Lhe price OF this article
| from about "a 10 S14 per one hundred pounds.
| The tariff after the war resuscltateo tne Gull
| ture ia the Southern States, lowered The price
| to $3.50 and gave employment 10 one hundred
and sixty thousand persons. lake away pro-
| LeCLlOH anu YOU CAtli pdtO 1hesO AAAeN'AJ PA"J
| ing into the hands OF the stranger and dam
aging your own people. Adherlng TO the Tar
| if. YOU stimulate home industry and lower the
| price TO all the citizens OF this country. Al
| 40 Der cent. dd g0J0ren1, the amount raised on
dutiable imports Ill 1882 was only $2O2,OOO,O00
This will not do. There may be terrible
outcry about cheap trace chains, hats, ETC.; out
the people have to pay the expenses OF their
government. By lowering the tarlH you de-
stroy home industry and get no adequate re-
turn to make up the $3.50, OOO,OO0 necessary.
Better abolish the whole internal revenue and
raise the needed 100000, 900 by custom duties.
| heartily sympathize with all persons VINO IN
sist that the people shall not be unJustly BUR
dened but ii is cruel demagogulsm that tries
TO make them believe that they can escape pay
ment in some way. l know u Georgia farmer,
worth $40 900, comfortably surrounded, but
dressing and living plainly. He has every
thing he consumes. He pays but little tax to
the government, under the tariff. l also know
a gambler in Atlanta not worth $5OO, who Is
arrayed in purple and fine linen, who pays
more than the farmer Internal taxation would
take the burden from the gambler and put 1t on
the farmer You cannot, my triends,get away
from facts | will vote to exempt everything
raised abroad that we do not raise at home.
am willing that coffee, Tea and such articles
should be ON the tree list. l would tax sugar
because we produce il and because the sugar
laborer is protected thereby. Many articles O
: luxury raised abroad should be taxed but
prefer to protect American labor rather thar
!, foreign"