The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-01-25
TARIFF TALK
BY AN INDIANA DEMOCRAT,
Hr. Wood elves Soms Views Oh this Important
Qttstion-fIs Il IL Favor Of Doing Justice to
tho Capits:!sf, tho Llbassr and tAs
Caniuner--Bui rArlr, nsst Yail.
From Our Special Correspondent.

From Our Special Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, D. G., January oi.-To
night found Congressman Thomas J
Wood. o! Indiana, In hotol corridor, and
had a talk with him Oh the tariff Issues
Mr.. Wood Ia taking q prominent part in
tariff matters in the House, having in.
roduced several bills on the subject, and
being we'll posted on the issues into which
1t leads. may DO said to represent pretty
well the principles OF the party. W.
"What was your idea in Introducing q
bill TO change the duty on bleachcd and
cololed cotton go0ds? inquired"
My idea WAS to remedy the wrong i'm.
posed BY the las: &C: Of Co0greas, revising
tho tsrins upon conaumers and importers
oi cotton goods You will aee, by eismiu.
Ing the act, tina. a specific duty OF three
and one.half centa per square yard OF
bleached cotton under 100 threads to the
eaaars inch, and duty Of four aud oue.
halt cents 10 tho square yard under 100
threads Of unbleacheI or colored cotton
goods, is.chsrg=d to the importer. There
arc more than dczsu classes OF these
goods paying these specific dutiee; but to
illustrate the enormi;y Of this tariff take
one c!ass OF cotton goodt; one lality of
cotton goods thirty.six inches In width,
which lost per yard to maufuactute la
Glasgow one and one-hali cent; the Gus.
TOM house valuation at New York
is three and fourteenth cents Der
yard; tho tariff is four and cne.hsli
cents per yard. This makes duty
equal to an ad valolem duty Of l4S psr.
cent. Out Of twelve kinds Of cotton goods
imported the tariff Is more than lie per.
cent on seven, and only one claes In the
dczen kinds Ia as low rs II percent ad
valorem. This enormous tariff is placed
on a class Of goods constantly needed, and
chiefly used by tho poorer classes OF cur
people. The manufacturers in Glasgow
buy our cotton, manufacture il and send it
back to US for daily consumption, and we
must pay. this duty. Every person in the
la1d uses cotton goods, and who does this
tariff benetil2 None but the Nav Eaglaud
manufacturers. The duty IL 80 high that
the government revenue Is leassned from
this source,
THE WAR rARIfs on COTTON GOODS.
"Du'ing tho war tho duty on thess low
grades OF cotton goods Was 81 percent nd
valorcm. Tho las! revi.ion Of the tariff
more than trebled this duty. When the
duty was IS percent one hall OF this grade
of cotton goods was imported. Now only
one li'th is imported under this high spe-
" n inn, . f.
the hons maaula ;turcr, and the consumer
must pay it. Wig SHOULD thia class OF
goods pay an average duty Of Ill percent
When the labor va,ue Ct these goods in
Scotland is only Is percent, uni in the
United States only o5 percent? My bill is
to restore the old al valoram duty OF 35
percent. That will protect the claim CT
labor % percent aud lesva net gain to
tho manufacturer amounting to 10 per
cent, which is really too much profit TO
gain by tariff, to which may be added
also the ordinary business p;cii,s. And
this 10 only an item Of the Hlariug incon-
gruilies CT the present tariff"
II asked il there would be com plete
revision OF The tariff this winter" @a
"No," replied Nj. Wood, "but there will
bC q 4 sASh n lCN LUG AOHcI 14Uu66 VI
Congress was ctlithj chosen by the people
upor lEis issue, aud the House must pres-
ent bill O! q general character, or the peo-
pie will become disgrs.cd with the change
they made in the majority. There must
be a gradual chaugs-no! rash one, for
the reason that the outrageous war tariff
invited capital to make large Investments
on the faith Of the law, and any rash ac-
ton would do great damage to invested
capital. The great mi sstics must bs grad.
ually and safely corrected. Capital has
rightr, labor has rights, and the consumer
ias rights also. and the tariff should be ad-
justed as t. ipjure mono materially"
"Bu. how will you make this adjust
meMt?" l asked.
"That is difficult question, having in
view lstice to all parties. but | suppose
the qutstiona Of the amount Of invested
capital in certain kinds OF business, the
general CT the special consumption Of the
goods produced; the necessity OF general
use OF certain kinds oi goods, and the dif.
ferent classes OF consumers, and their finan-
ciat ability to stand a temporary injus.
tice-all these questions mus. be consider
ed" he replied.