Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-01-05

Of the free traders from the wise counsels
which influence those OF our people who
are in favor of tariff revision and reve-
nue reform. The HERALD has been at
pain, from time to time, to mt rk this
very significant line of political demarca-
tion. There have been such multiplied
instances of the prostitution OF the tariff
to private gain, in shapes that were in
no whit beneficial to the revenues OF the
United States, that we are surprised
when we hear any intelligent man talk
ing about free trade and tariff reform
being synonymous. The Democratic
doctrine has always been, with such rare
exceptions that they only prove the rule,
that, in providing for the needs of the
government, tariff for revenue should
be laid upon imports, with incidental
protection. Intelligent men of all par
ties are ut last agreed that the scandals
Of individual ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, at the
expense Of the revenue, while nomi'
nally pretending TO increase 1t, which
have been SO frequent Of late years,
ought to cease--in fact, they never
should have had IN existence. The
licentous indulgence accorded TO the
wealthy classes during period of near
ly quarter of century will for
ever remain blot upon the
escutcheon Of the Republican par.
ty. There was about this programme
even more than the shamelessness which
characterized the gigantic subsidies and
the wholesale surrenders of the public
lands, for which the Republican party
has been responsible. 1t was wanton
and premeditated villainy, in extenua-
ton Of which no earthly public purpose
could be alleged. 1t was the very riot
Of public and partizan prohigacy. That
we are not talking wildly a few instances
will show. In the days when the in.
come tax was in vogue very clear views
Of some of these governmental PARTIAL.
ties and enormities were disclosed Even
later any citizen who cared to demand
nccess to the records of the Collector OF
Internal Revenue could dig mp volnmi.
nous compromising facts. Take, first,
the history Of the American Hoop Iron
Company, corporation which was es.
tablished in Pittsburgh in 1870. In its
first year this company declared divi.
dend of one hundred and thirty per cent
Such an enormous return upon tho capi-
tai invested was made possible simply
because the cunning manufacturers had
succeeded in introducing into the tariff
duty on hoop iron which was practi.
cally prohibitory of the foreign staple.
In other words, the revenue Of
the United States was not in-
creased by so much as a dollar. al.
though the law was cunningly devised
under the pretence ofincreasing the money
in the United States Treasury. The
case of the Onandaga Salt Mandatory
was even more shameless example in
point. Here was set of influential
Republican politicians who had succeed.
ed in inserting into the tariff, on the in.
famous pretence of increasing our rov.
enue, a protective duty ON salt, which
prevented even so much as a pound Of
this indispensable staple from entering
any port of the United States from any
foreign country. AS a consequence, this
onandaga Salt Company was enabled to
declare dividends of ono hundred and
sixty per cent. a year. Nor did the in
fanny stop there, by any means. This
greedy corporation, finding that the peo.
pie OF the United States could not con
sumo all their salt, exported large quan-
titles OF it to Canadn, where they sold it
for exactly one.third of the price which
they were enabled, by prostitntea tar.
id, to exact from the people OF the
United States.
1t Is high time that this rotten and
iniquitous system, which panders to cap
ital. should be overhauled. The most
conservative men in the United States
believe that Just and temperate
scheme of tariff revision is an exigent
demand of the hour, especially when the
facts are borne in mind that thereby the
revenue will be increased rather than
diminished, and that the existing great
surplus OF $3.50. 900, 900 will be even
swollen as result, thus Fastening the
day when we can get rid of the burden
some and inquisiiorial Internal Revenue
system.
Let the Democratic House of Repre-
sentatives proceed fearlessly on its
splendid mission. The whole country is
with it on the tariff aud revenue reform
msne