The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-01-25

TO the Editor Of the Dispatch:
Az IL seems that the tariff question IN
Virginia will not "down," and as you
failed TO state all the facts 10 the following
paragraph lin your issue OF the 23d IN
stant), we ask the privilege OF stating some
things omitted by you. You said:
The Constitution Of the United states forbids
can he sent free Of tax TO Canada 70 be
manufactured there free of tax ltw9uIo not voss
S Syef G 20 s esS' tbs toSacco, thus
back 70 Virginia, 10 be here sold at price wnlcn
would close all Virginia factories sncc al ,nese
nav eight cents per pound, or eight collars nun
| drcd on all the tobacco they manufacture; Inc
| United states Government puts tafIn on MY
cents per pound upon all manniactoIeu aVoa W.
imported into this country, and thus prevents Vlr,
glnia manufacturers from being undcrscld and
driven out Of existence in their own State.
Now. while It is so that leaf tobacco can
he Skinned TO Canada without paying any
export tax, IL Il different with tobacco
manufactured in Virginia and exported out
81 the United States. The truth Is, that
our manufacturers who export their goods
| TO Australia, New Zealand. and some other
countries. are saddled with sharp taxes
and put to great annoyance under the pre-
sent internal-reyenue laws, notwithstand-
ing the fact that the Constitution OF the
United States expressly says that Congress
shall not levy any tax on exports. III IL
would, as you intimate, be unconstitutional
TO put any sort Of tax (call it what you
will on leaf tobacco exported, why is
it not equally Illegal to saddle such tax
on manufactured tobacco? ltwould make
no sort of difference whether IL was done
by an internal or external tariff law. just
let any man buy tobacco manufactured in
Virginia for shipment to Australia and see
if he can ship it Uia New York without
being put to a sight OF trouble and saddled
with sharp taxes land then his eyes will
soon be opened that il leaf tobacco can be
shipped out of the country without any
tax. the manufactured article cannoN. This
much rs to the workings OF the internal
revenue laws. Now for the facts under our
present protective tariff bearing on The same
manufacturers.
Mark you. their products are shipped to
open markets, where, OF course, they meet
the products Of Canada and all other coun-
tries; but the trouble is that our manufac-
turers are handicapped with very heavy
charges on articles used in manufacturing,
and on which the Government, allows them
no sort of drawback. Under the present
protective tariff they have heavy duty to
paw or sugar. licoricc, aud other articles
imported and used in manufacturing. while
under the internal-reyenue laws they are
taxed still worse on rum and perhaps other
liquors used by them. II Congress would
allow our manufacturers in Virginia
drawback on the taxes described equal TO
the amount they pay), such manufac-
turers, who export their goods, could beat
Canada and the balance of the world
in any open market on the face OF
the earth. 1t must strike any man
Of sense that people who now actually put
up tobacco to be exported to free markets
are not much protected by duty Of fifty
cents per pound to keep out OF the United
States the products Of all other countries.
III Canada can beat our manufacturers who
put up tobacco to be sold in the United
States, then it must be owing to the fact
that our manufacturers are saddled with
such heavy taxes on things imported aud
used in manufacturing, and which taxes
the Canadian manufacturer does not have
to pay. OF course our remarks apply to
such sorts OF tobacco as are grown and
in the United States.
The tobacco manufacturers OF the United
States who put up Virginia, North Caro-
lima. Kentucky, or Missouri tobacco, can
beat the world ii the Government would
give them a fair chance. Knock off the in
terna-revenue taxes and the taxes such
have to pay on articles i'm
ported, and which are used in manuiactu-
ring. and after doing that it would be 4
farce to pass a tariff to protect such manu-
facturers.
Just some five manufacturers in the
city OF Petersburg are taxed fully 100000
per year 1y the United States Government
for the privilege "of putting up tobacco
TO be exported" We certainly cannot see
where the Government protects such peO-
pie, as in very truth they contribute $780,
900 per year to support such Government.
when blanket or an iron manufacturer
OF the North has by the working OF our
present tariff been protected, we think,
double that amount by the Government,
and still he did not pay one cent towards
the support Of such Government.
NOCAM.