The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-01-24
"Reyenue Only.

The Virginia Democracy is hopelessly
at sea on the tariff issue. The Lynch
burg Convention attempted to double on
the question, and adopted a resolution
that might be construed to catch the free
trade OF protection sentiment. The fact is
there is no such thing as incidental and very
little accidental protection. 1t is either du-
ties levied for protection and revenue, or for
revenue only. If for protection only, all rev.
enue would be the Incident and protection
the object. If for revenue only there would
be no protection at all. For it is entire
ly possible to collect enough revenue for
the purposes of government by excise du-
ties, and duties on foreign importations
which would not in the least protect any
home industry. The Cincinnati CONNER
cial- Gazette, of a recent date, gives us
some of the figures rs to revenue that
would not touch protection. and shows that
the revenue reformers can proceed with
their policy of collecting enough duties as
revenue oaly to answer the demands of the
public treasury. Itgives the excuses, for
revenue only. at $l33, 1873, 64l.30 from do
nestle spirits, fermented liquors and to-
bacco. These excuses do not affect the
manufacturer. They are really paid by the
consumer, for the tax follows the article
to the consumer. So they are actually for
revenue only. Another source of revenue
is the product of the sugar cane, which
last year yielded SOC, 100000. AS the pro-
duction of sugar in this country does not
reach to more than one-tenth of the con
sumption. therefore nine-tenths of the
duty on sugars is for revenue only. Tea
and coffee are now free of duty. but if rev.
enue only is to be the policy of the govern
ment a tax of $2I,000,000 could he col
lected from their importation. This, with
the tax from domestic spirits, fermented
liquors, tobacco, and sugars, would aggre :
gate S20i, 100000. The duty Oh foreign
spirits, wines and tobacco, which are re-
quired to equalize the home excuses yielded
in the fiscal year 1882 a revenue of $l3, 022.-
956.74-from spirits. wines, &C.. $7.3S7,-
7SJ.07 from tobacco, &c., S., 1886. Ill. o.
This added to the other would give $751;
100000 of revenue, into which protection
enters to the smallest degree. By adding
proper revenue, says the Gazette, from
spices. opium. perfumery and the like, and
from foreign fruits, which in 1882 yielded
S3,3SS, 02S.24, and ON laces, fine silks,
velvets, fine fur garments, fine shawls,
precious stones, Japanese and Chimes or
namental ware and other articles of luxury,
which are not in competition with our pro-
ducts, or. if so at all. in small degree,
tariff which would be merely for revenue
only. could make up the revenue to $780,
900, or more if wanted. With the
pruning knife and obstructive and starving
out policy of Messrs. Holman and Ran
dali. the expenses of government might be
brought down to these figures. and the
beauties of a tariff policy for revenue
only exemplilied. 'Such tariff for reve-
nue. would release the whole schedule Of
duties which raise prices of home articles
without yielding revenue, or which tax
the consumers of home articles in a great
or degree than they yield revenues. 1t
would release the long list of duties on the
articles ofgeneral consumption of the mass
of the people, which are laid to prevent i'm
ports, in order to raise home prices and
also on the articles, which are the mate
rails of productive industry, such as wool,
iron, steel, machinery, salt and so on
That is what is meant by tariff for revenue
only"
That would be the practical operation of
the Democratic theory of revenue only,
or the result of a revenue tariff. This
would admit free Of duty foreign wool,
iron ores, pig metal. steel, machinery,
&c., and sponge out American furnaces,
factories. and wool-growing. 1t would
throw the 100000 people engaged in
manufacturing purs uits, and consumers
of the products of the farms. into the
channel of producers, and add that many
more to the s, 1000, 600 farmers with areduced
home market for their products. There
cannot he any compromise between the
two policies of revenue for revenues
sake and protection for protection S sake.
The protective policy enables this country
to develop its material resources, expose
its minerals, convert them into fabrics,
and in doing SO, giv.s employment tohome
labor and IL market for home products. If
our iron, steel, machinery and wooden
factories had to compete with similar Euro
pean industries, under the respective sys-
TENS of labor, every American industry
would be closed. We would then become
the market for foreign workshops. Our
farming operations would be doubled, and
the results of that industry be transferred
to Europe to purchase that which we could
not manufacture in competition with the
European pauper labor. We would be
drained of the results of our own opera
lions, impoverishing ourselves to enrich |
Europe, instead of building up prosperous |
diversified industries, and adding wealth |
to our country by the interchange of home
products and reciprocal Interstate trade. |
Itrequires no elaboration to show which !
is the American policy and which is the
party Americans ought to support. They |
have Democracy and Revenue only on the /
one side, giving encouragement and i'm
petus to foreign enterprises and manufac-
lures, and Republicanism and Protection.
On the other, building up home enterprises,
giving employment to home labor, DIVERSE
flying industries, enriching the land. and
making our country independent. prosper
Gus and powerful. To es .abliSh on a pros
porous basis American manufactures of
Nil kinds, should not be an incident of any
governmental policy, but the object. For
that object encompassed, the benefits and
profits would be ramiied through every
of trade-the farmer, the me-
,hanic, the artizan, the merchant, the pro-
ie5sional man, each class sharing in the
and the aggregated wealth of
very community he thus enhanced by the
endeavors of all classes. 1t is
his great American policy that the Repub-
lean party champions and it is to the sup
,ort of it that all are invited to join, as
Igainst the desolating effects of Demo-
ratio Revenue only, or Free Trade policy,
With certain destruction to American en-
erprise. |;