Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-10-08
FREE TRADE.

ThEE lhhDLs
INEQUALITIES OF THE PRESENT TARIFF.
The whole stock in trade of the Republi-
can party in this canvass is the alsescharge
of "Free Trade" which they bring against
the Democratic party. They do business
upon small capital and that is counterfeit.
Though there is not speaker or a press OF
the Democratic party that advocates the
policy of free-trade, the Republicans charge
that the Democratic party is free-trade
party. They charge that Tucker is, on that
subject, one Of the most extreme men in
the party. Surprising this allegation to be
true, let us see how the party stands. Tuck
CT is the most extreme, say the Republicans,
and yet Tucker is SO far from advocating
absolute free trade that he is in favor Of
wholly abolishing the internal revenue sys-
tenn of taxation, and of relying solely upon
the tariff for the collection of all the reye-
nue. needed by the government, economical
ly administered; and, in exchange for the
present unequal and unjust tariff, would
willingly accept the tariff of 1912, which
our readers know is known as high pro
tective Wing tariff. That tariff which was
then considered as high protective tariff,
adopted by the Wing party, levied an aver
age duty Of 80 per cent, whereas the pre-
sent tariff levies all average duty of AZ per
cent. But the amount of the tax imposed
by the present tariff making it unneces-
sarily oppressive, is not the only, nor the
strongest, reason why it should be changed;
for it not only taxes the people too much,
but it makes the bu1dens unequal, for tie
duties are SO laid that the poor and those in
moderate circumstances pay greater per
cent. on what they consume than do the
rich The fine goods used by the wealthy
pay less per cent Of duty than the cheaper
and coarse goods used by the masses of the
people, and the result is, that the poor are
required to pay more than their just share
of the expenses of the government. This is
wrong that the Democratic party wish to
correct.
Why is it that those articles which are
used by the masses are taxed more than
those used by the rich? 1t is because the
rates of duty were levied during the war,
when it was an absolute necessity for the
Government to secure very large amount
Of revenue, and the duty was made high up
on such articles as the great mass of the
people use and are necessitated to use, be-
cause that ensured the revenue, whereas il
the duties upon luxuries were made very
high, thoce articles, not being necessary,
would not be bought, and no revenue from
them would be obtained-hence the duties
were made higher upon those articles that
are consumed by the masses than upon those
consumed by the rich. This is the reason
of the unjust inequalities of the present
tariff which the Democrats maintain should
be corrected. The reason upon which these
rates were founded no longer exists, and
hence there is no reason for continuing
tle present tariff with its grievous oppres-
sion and iniquitous inequality. No Demo-
GRAFT expects or desires the abolition of the
tariff system for the collection of the reve-
nues; on the contrary, they are in favor OF
collecting all the revenues needed by the
government by judicious tariff, with the
duties so levied as to equalize the burdens,
so that the poor man, the laborer in the
fields, the mechanic at his bench, will not
be made to pay more than his just and
equitable proportion towards the support of
the government. If this be free-trade, then
the Democratic party is a free-trade party.
The Republicans claim that they are the
"poor mans friend,' but as the Norfolk
Landmark pertinently says, "the fact is just
the reverse. They pass laws for the ag
grandizement of corporations and million
aires; they make the rich richer and the
poor poorer; with an annual surplus of over
500, 900 in the Treasury, they still hold
on to the war taxes; and by all means in
their power they make the bread of the
workingman and laborer bitter in his mouth
by their cruel expressions. With this record
before the country no wonder that the cry
goes up from the masses-''Turn the ras-
Gals out !"