Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1883-02-09
The Tariff In Congress.

There seems now to be serious doabts
of the passage of any measure of tariff re-
form by the present Congress. Only twen-
ty working days now remain to the 47th
Congress, and, so slow is the progress up
on the tariff bills pending before the two
houses, that the prospect of the passage
OF either of them seems to be small.
At the beginning OF the present session
it became evident that the leading Repub-
lican congressman recognized the full
force of the lessons taught by last falls
elections, and that they had not failed to
interpret the great popular revolution a.
a condemnation of the Republican policy
of a high protective tariff, and the meth
DDS of that party in conducting the civi
service of the Government. The necessity
of reforms in both of these particulars was
openly acknowledged and advocated b!
leading Republican politicians and by the
party press; and it WAS confidently pre-
dicted that these reform measures would
be accomplished, in a practical and sub
stantial manner, before the adjournment
of the present Congress.
1t seemed almost incredible that the
''grand old party" should thus consent to
cast off its favorite son-,he "spois sys-
tem"-and its pet neutrality-suspicious.
to monop olies-But the Republican ship
had encountered stress of weather, and
her officers, in the desperation of ior'orn
hope, resolved to Tighten ship by throw
ing ovarboard even the most treasured
portions of her cargo. 1t was by virtue
of this resolve that the country beheld the
remarkable spectacle of Republican con-
gressmen in both houses voting almost
solidly in favor of the Pendleton civi-ser-
vice reform bill, which they had rejected
in derision and contempt at the previous
session. But this spasmodic effort at pub
lie virtue seems to have proved a sore
trial to the grand old party" and to have
taxed its spirit OF penitential reform 10
the utmost; so that when it was brough,
up to the second and most necessary branch
of the promised reforms, evidences of
blunted purpose were on all sides appar
ent 1t approached the tariff-reform meas
ure with hating step aud an awkward
mien, indicative of waning courage and
consciousness of the sorry figure it is
cutting in the role of retormer. 1t is evil
dent that the crew Of the good Old ship,
that has withstood SO long the pillows OF
popular disapproval, have mutinied and
revolted against he determination of some
of its officers to throw overheard their
peited darling-the protection" of mon
opolies; and that rather than cast away
this precious parcel they viii see the old
ship go down cargo, crew and al.
The Senate is further removed from pop
ular accountability, and does not feel so
sensibly and so promptly the pressure
brought to bear by the bloated monopo-
lies that have grown like barnac'e s on the
bottor, of the old Republican bull, and
that body has manifested a closer adher-
ence to the newly formed pc icy of tariff
reform, and has shown more liberality.
real or pretended, in its views upon this
question. The House has, however shown
how subservient it is to the viii of the
mighty manufacturing, companies, that
have grawn to gigantic dimzoeens under
Republican policy. and which. under the
disguise of 'infant industries" still need
ing paternal care and protection, are 10y
the potency of their great wealth, WELD
ing the legislative power of the Republic
for the further incre ,ss of their money
power.
The bill reported by the Ways and
Means COMMITTEES of the House, which is
now under consideration in that body.
proposes a reduction of custom duties
which, it is estimlted. will reach about
sc, 855.799 0S. per anuum. OF this pro-
posed reduction 30, O92 .904 90 is upon silk
and silken goods; being the larges, reduc-
ton proposed upon any single class of ar
ticles except ore. None, or scarcely any,
of the many articles upon which the du-
ties are prohibitory are touched by this
bill. The burdens of the people, result
ing from impost duties, might have been
reduced quadruple the amount proposed
by this bill, with an increase. rather than
elimination OF the Government revenues
from this source. But the sole plrpose of
the trainers of the bill was to diminish
the surplus revenues as much as practical
be with as small decrease of the s.pro-
lection" afforded to the New England
manufacturers as possible. Hence we find
that of the twenty millions of proposet
reduction of duties, over eleven millions
is upon sugar which is grown exclusively
in the South.
As slight as is this proposed reduction
in comparison with the excess of the re-
venues from impost duties, aud as partial
and sectional as are the determinations
with which it is proposed to be made,
there seems to be little prospect of The
passage Of even this bill. But whe her
this bill shall or shall not beeome law.
it must be conceded that the work of an
honest reform Of the tariff will be left to
the incoming Democratic Congress.
A decision was rendered by the Supreme
Court Of the United States on Monday, in
the case of Turner against the State Of
Maryland, which settles the long disputed