The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-04-13
R.evenue Reform.

the Revenue Reformers In "hippant" OF
"deiracting manner. Perhaps there has
been come ,oke on them In our "Currenl
Comment, We would not speak clip
paotlyv Of Revenue Refcrmers because We
are Revenue Reformers ourselves. Some
times we speak OF Revenue Reformers sc
called.v Is this the phrase to which the
PeopIe objects? II so, We beg leave to say
that we use 1t In no dlsparagng sense, but
merely rs indicating that we do not regard
the persons so spoken OF as genuine Reve-
l,ue Reiormers.
Let US quote some Of the Peoples flir'
pant and detractipg F" remarks:
We affirm without fear OF successful de-
NAL on tho part OF the Dispatch. or OF any
other journal, north or south. that holds
with II. that the great mass Of the Demo-
cratic Marty are IN favor Of revenue reform.
The New York World. which, OF late,
seems 10 formulate the creed Of the Dis
paieA, admits the truth Of this proposition
In so many words. Ii says 4" The Demo-
cratic pfinciple OF rcvenue-reiorm Is
known TO move the whole party. and can
be proclaimed from the bouse.tops."
Yes. we and the World seem to preach
the same doctrines. And. by the way. the
Nashville American adds TO The list num-
Der Of other papers. II says:
1--WE understand all the leading Demo-
cratic papers of the Countrywide New
York World. the New York SIN. the Gin
cinnati Enquirer, the Atlanta Constitution,
the New Orleans Times Democrat, as well
as others-to be thoroughly committed
against the free.trade views Of Mr.. Waiter
son and against the Morrison BILL"
We call attention TO the fac. that none OF
these papers are recognized by the People
as Revenue Reiormers. Why noty We
know Of no good reason. We can only
guess what the reason Is, and set ii down
that our Pulaski contemporary enters upon
it, list of Revenue Reiormers nobody who
does not endorse the MORRISON tariff bill.
We quote the People again:
"Now, IL this be true, and we contend
that Il is emphatically, we want to ask the
Dispatch what possible harm can accrue
from boldly and openly avowIng revenue
reform as the positive and answering
policy Of the Democratic partyf"
We agree that no possible harm +" can
result from "boIdly and openly avowiDg
revenue reform as the positive and I'M
swerving policy Of the Democratic party"
We are decidedly IN favor OF that policy.
But what is "revenue REFORM! III the
MORRIseN bill Is TO be relied upon TO effect
this much-needed "reyenue REFORM" we
fear that It's advocates arc doomed to dis
nal disappointment. We favor a "re-
form" that will first abolish the revenue"
from tobacco, and afterwards frame bet
ter tariff than the one now in force. We
favor such a "reiorm" in the tariff as
will not by "hoTizontal reduction per-
petrate all the wrongs aud inequalities and
unjust determinations OF the existing tariff.
The collector OF the port Of New York is
said to have expressed the deliberate opiu-
ion that should the MORRISON tariff bill in
its present shape become a law, it could
not be administered without doubling the
force in the New York custom-house. Is
TINT the sort OF "revenue reform" OF
which we are TO speak respectfully
Under the present law sugars are now as
sessed 40-100, 4+100, 4S-10O, 75-100
cents, and so on, per pound. The MOBRI-
son bill requires that so per cent. Of
these fractional rates shall be assessed
upon every pound OF sugar entered
at all the ports. But that is not
all, nor the worst. Certain grades
of blankets are now taxed "a cents
n pound and IS per cent. al udlorem.
Under the MORRISON bill they must be as
sessed so per cent. Of the "a cents per
pound and so per cent. Of the So per
centum dd valorem. Complex or COM
pound duties, says the Graphic, were bad
enough, being condemned by all customs
experts, but here we have confusion con-
founded by the introduction of third ele-
ment, involving a percentage of both
specific duty and an I'D vdl0rem. And yet
this is not ali. Another provision OF the
MORRISON bill is that the duty upon no
article shall be reduced 20 per cent. If such
a reduction would fix the duty upon 1t at
less than the duty under the tariff OF 1861.
Every such article Is TO be taxed under the
tariff Of 1861, which was long ago repeal
ed
II the People will only recall the facts
that there was no such thing as the Nor
RIsoN bin even six months ago, and that
Virginia, New Jersey, and Ohio were last
year carried by Democrats who had never
heard OF that bill, nor Of what is now called
"revenue REFORM" IL may have candor
enough To confess that the papers it GEN.
sures are the best friends OF real revenue
reform, and that they counsel the only
policy which can save the Democratic party
from inevitable defeat next November. In
briei, the People ought to recollect that the
papers Of which it speaks deny that the
sort OF revenue reform it proposes is the
best sort.
We cannot possibly have any "conees-
sions " to make. We shall try TO prevent
the nomination Of any aspirant who docs
not stand upon the Virginia tariff plat
form; but after the National Convention
has acted, there will be no time for conten-
ton as to what 1t was proper TO put into
the platform. Hence there will then be no
concessions " for lis TO make. II will be
for those who regard the tariff as the all
important issue before the voters TO tell
what they win Go il PAYNE, or RANDALL,
or FLOWER, or VOORHEES,, or any other
such man, is nominated. We who protest
against making the tariff the issue and urge
that there are much more important ques-
tons before the public will be OF the same
opinion after the Chicago Convention shall
have finished It's work.
We could publish from leading men in