Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-12-01

can PRODUCTIONS. ana to Increase tue c1ui:ptItioa
bon e ~ "a, Is my o'st s o. ,e World We
iini the Americans very serious couopetIfors m
We SHOULD have IN this country 10 throw aside many
| OF the bonds which noS letter cur industry"
CONDITION OF OUR FoKgIGS TRADE
| The present condition or our foreign trade is not
rs fully understood by the public as IL ought 10 be-
or there would be greater uDeaslness IN regard 20
what may be the result LOOK, fo- instance at ouS.
/ trade relations with Brazil We sold 10 Brazil lasr
year various articles 20 the amount Of sSGt5 MI
We bought OF her various kinds OF her own ,rof,,r
liens 70 the amount OF $50, a65 sS9 leaving
balance liqlIdated2 Not by goG. but by ;l,, safe
Of our farm products foc which there Is ler-e de-
-nand IA Europe. IL is our col. on. our wheat our
| petroleum, our beef and pork, which can tie pro-
duced more cheapiy in the United States than inv
w Sa, e,Sc w:nea create The sterling exchange
mat enables US TO carry On thus Cac-sidc,l traIe
with Brazil Now. IL by the failure Of our croos or
very favorable seasons the other side OF the At
our exports OF these articles should lnateraii. De-
cline, what then would be the condition or our Bra
lillian trade? Instead OF depending upon the ex-
portS 10 EUROPE Tor the means to the balance
In favor or Brazil, ought not effort be made 10
equaihe that trade by our Manufactured goods.
ought we not to endeavor to verify the prediction
OF Golden by becoming a competitor With Great
Britain IN the Brazilian markets. ought NOT THIS
! lecturers?
Reference is made TO cur trade with Brazil be-.
cause II Is much larger than that With other Sou:
| the same one-sited and unsatisfactory cnaracter.
Ought 1t so TO continue? The South American
states are our neighbors With the exception of
Brazil, their institutions are moulded upon ours
They would be glad to establish close trade rela-
lions with US, which could not fail to be OF mutual
with them that supplies for our ships-o.-war in in
south american ports must be paid for In sterling
exchange. Drafts On Japan could be as easily ne,
| OF the United States
When the real condition OF our foreign trade and
| the character OF the competition in which we must
| nd n
be found that our Inability to make that trade al;
free as our best interests require lies in the neces-
although they may be levied for revenue only'
must be IN large degree protective.
1t Is upon such taxes. therefore that our govern.
ment must mainly rely for It's large current cxpen-
dltureS and the reduction OF the national debt
Large revenues Will be derived from the taxes upon
whisky and tobacco II the tax on The latter article
should DE retained, but our chief revenue must be
derived from import duties. TO show how these
duties may be inposad and distributed az to neither
lmperil our manufactures nor obJtruct our foreign
trade While the Treasury is kept In an easy condi-
ton, will be the task OF the commission That the
task VIII be very difficult one is certain; that it
also p'''0N 'sA' W " 0'f 'A'n
In competition with Great Britain in the South
American markets. Great Britain Will have the ad-
vantage 0y being already IN possession OF the trade
but this advantage Will doubtless be couaterDal'
| anced by the abundance and comparative cheap
ness Of our agricultural productions That we are
10 be a competitor with Great Britain in foreign
| markets, especially In the markets OF the South
necan states IS as certain as anything in the
| future can De- The steps which may be needful to
make this competition Successful it viii be Tor con-
greSs I, determine after the commission has per-
Iorlnca It's duty. To me it seems certain that 1t
| cannot properly be done before. A nation with
| n1ty-sl& million OF people, doubling every twenty
nve years, a people distinguished FOR enterprise
vast extent and rich Beyond Comparison in dayel-
! Oped and ufldeVeioped resources. ought not much
longer TO be prevented from having full share in
| the honor ana the gain Of international trade
| In the commencement OF its work the commits
SION should, think, regard the following points as
First. That the public revenues are not to be in
excess OF what may be required for the support OF
the government. and the gradual reduction OF the
Second. That our manufactures which under the
| fostering care OF the government have attained
such gigantic proportions and whose prosperity is
essential to the welfare Of all other interests are
not to be put In jeopardy by radical and sweeping
changes In the tariff; and that all reductions Of
import duties should be made with a view 10 their
ultimate advantage by opening to them markets
from which they are now In a large degree ex-
Something has been done. and more might bp
cone. TO increase our foreign trade by reciprocal
treaties, but the advantage to be derived such
treaties would be restricted and partial and there
are very serious objections to treaties which affect
the public revenues On the ground that they are an
encroachment upon the rights OF the House OF Rep
resentat1ves. in which, under the Constitution all
| revenue bills must originate.
AS TO the persons who should constitute the CON-
mission there win be various opinions It might
| be composed OF persons who have no connection
with the government, or Of Senators and Members
OF the House. but strongly incline to the opinion
| House only, because, in the Investigation Of the
subject OF our foreign trade questions affecting the
public revenues win necessarily be involved; and
that members should be selected from those who
have been reelected to the Forty-ninth Congress,
in order that its work may be explained and de-
be advisable, also. that the Secretary OF the Treas
ury should eIoftci0 be member of the commission.
In order that the views OF the Treasury depart
| n q mn fScfn 1uat
| cord.
IN the preceding remarks the tariff has been ouiy
indirectly referred to. From this It must not be in
/ ferred that / am not In favor of reform OF the
tar, but rather that the subjects OF the tartn and
foreign trade are so Intimately connected that they
must, in my opinion, be considered together. Have
we not reached the stage when policy should be
| adopted which will embrace and harmonic the
great interests OF the country?
| II such a commission as has been suggested had
been appointed and its work could be performed at
an early date should not be disposed to say any,
thing bearing directly upon the tariff out as relief
from the present burden OF taxation Is urgently and
| that something in this direction should be done
without DELAY Owing to the shortness OF the time
allowed to me for the consideration OF the subject,
am not prepared to name the articles upon which
duties should be removed Or reduced. should re-
gret this Congress were not already In possession
OF the facts which should govern its action This
much, however, 1t may be proper for noe 10 recon-
| mend:
FIST. VnaC the existing duties upon raw ma.
ter1a1s which are to be used in manufacture should
be removed. THIS can be done in the interest Of
our foreign trade.
| Second. That the duties upon tho articles used
or consumed by those who are the least able to
bear the burden OF taxation should be reduced
TINS also Can DC ELECTED without prejudice TO our
export trade"
! TIE INTERNAL RKvENuI.
Tho Secretary sees no good reason sof the con-
tinuance-of any Of tho internal revenue taxes wit
the exception Of the tax upon whisky. Tobacco is
the only agricultural product taxed. An article
which Is 80 generally used, and which adds so much
to the comfort OF the large numbers OF our popula
| ton who earn their living by manual Labor can
| not properly be considered luxury, and as the
collection OF the tax Is expensive and troublesome
to the government and Is especially obnoxious and
tobacco should the Secretary thinks, be removed
The tax upon whisky could not be repealed with
out disregard OF public sentiment, nor without
creating necessity Tor higher duties upon import
ed goods; but. while this Is true, the tax upon the
| alcohol used In manufacturing might be removed
with decided benefit to home Industry ana foreign
| trade.
II is suggested that provision be made for the use
Tree Of tax, as in Great Britain. OF domestic methy-
lated spirits, or spirits mixed with wood naphtnA
thus rendered unit for use as beverage, but not
| injured for manufacturing purposes Such meas
ure 1t ts thought, would tend to encourage manu-.
features, both for home use and for expectation
The total value OF the imports and exports Of
g. 800 as against 81, ososls during the
Of e,0lA The exports Of specie from
| the United States during the last ilscal
| year amounted to SCI, 1855 The excess OF eI-
ports Of specie over the imports thereof amounted
foreign merchandise amounted To S740513,6O and
the total imports OF merchandise aggregated