Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1885-09-18
sir. Randall OH tie Tariff.

\ coming number of the Southern Mag
azine, Dixie" it is announced, will con
tain an article in which, in the interest of
his Pennsylvania constituents, The Hon.
Samuel j. Randall undertakes to present
to the impressionable Southerners, "Some
Points on the Tariff. The article, while
not very Gear or we l-reasoned is instruct
i've, as Indicating upon what tactics the
rrotectiOnist leader will rev to defeat the
lower scale Of tariff taxes which democra-
tic opinion demands Of the next Congress
In the outset Mr.. Randall quotes Hullam
to show that at is difficult to name lin
it beyond which taxes will not be borne
without impa' ience," provided they 'ap-
pear to he called for" 10y necessity, and al
faithfully applied Wha' the People nl =
ject to, lie thinks, is scoin, their hard
earned money wastetully spent on para
sites and peculutors. Economy in admin
is ration is, therefore, in the ex-Speakers
view, a capital means Of reconciing the
people to a fiscal system winch, though
injurious to our producers and consumers
and ruinous to our foreign commerce anC
shipping in erestS, has the merit of being
in accord with high tariff ideas. He ad
mits that in the present condition of our
finances reduction of taxation should a
once begin: The government has no JUS
4. 1 4
taxes in excess of the sum requisite FOR The
support Of its proper administration.
To remove the tariff from The raw material
of manufactures in the interest of manu-
facturers, lower the rate on the general lis
in the interest OF the poor consumer, an'
raise it on luxurits consumed by ths ricl
in the interest of the treasury Not al
al. He says: Il favor total abolition
of our internal revenue system,
and an equalization OF ou duties on i'm
ports" The tariff he thinks, needs revis
ion; some duties are high and some are
low. They need to be revised 10 secure
more Elective 'protection" OF the limited
class supposed to lie bent fitted 10y them
The proposal To abolish all internal reve
nue. tsxcs would Of course ntc,ssit4te tn,
retention of our present high tariff taxes,
and even in some eases nscessit.te putting
them higher But Mr.. Randall dlsavows
the doctrine Of 'pro'ection for protec ion's
sake" lie doubts the cnrs'itutioualiy
OF such Il doc rine. 1t would he main
tains. "msniicstly he in the nature Of class
legislation " Eo raise the who'e revenue
Of the government from the tariff implies
q high tariff, 50 tina; = doctrine So oiious
need not lee discussed. SO, toe" says
Mr. Randall, with tree trade; there is
hardly man in public life who advocate,
it pure and simple With al the inter
nal revenue taxes abolished as Mr.. Ran
dall proposes, absolute free trade woud d
compel ?, course 10 he bad 10 direct taxa
tion to supply needed revenue and nc.
body wants direct TAXATION. Sta lstics
are presen cd 20 show what tsrriLly isrg'
suns the Southern States have tn pay on
a basis Of direct taxation. though it is not
explained thai at present, through thr
high tariff, they pay, perhaps. even large
sums indirectly in the shape of high char
responding 'nhnnc,n ent Of tie cos OF
Manufactured y-tic..s G-ht from Penn
sy vauia AID orr,r Nar'h,rn Sac Nr
Randall Il cars himself coH',ut "ith
''iGcid,ntal p:"t, t,ctian"--afieI tht internal
rev, nuc tax is abolished, y. however.
the l.. tel tax is upon !aAuri,s, Nhs.e The
tariff rests lar-e'y on tie rec, ssaries of
lie, tie masses ~f the people VIII probably
not be equal : content Nor vii t.r.T re-
formets n-rse with him when lie contends
that the prosperity ~f the country is due
10 Incidental protection, or that his pros
peri'y has been as great during periods o.
high tariff IS during periods wien lightu
burdens rested on The people Mr.. Ran
da Il tourd. portion OF hls argument OF
the principle that the rate of interest in.
dicEtes the cost of living" deducing there
from the inference that we need tariff to
keep up wages in this country to The cost
OF living. Interest in foreign countries
is, he thinks, iower than here, therefore
the cost of living and wages are lower there
than here. Facs rather invalidate the
principle and the application made of it.
The rate Of interest is as low in New York
as in London, and in the Gulf States the
rate of interest is two or three times wha
it Is in the popu Gus Middle a.d Northern
Sta es : yet nobody will con'eud that the
cost of living and wages are proportion
atelv higher in the Cult States. Not less
unsound Is his principle that he cost OF
labor indicates the cost Of production.
High priced labor, with the help of ma
chlnery, turns out a cheaper product than
cheap labor does For this re son Eng
land, with cnstiier labor, underseils Ger
many and France in the markets Of the
word. With free raw material We might
underse j England, clear he way to al ex.
p&nsion of our trade, and take long
stride in the way Of settling happily the
much vexed labor problem. San.
The United S ates now ranks, according
to a writer in Harper's, third in he pro-
duction of malt liquors OF course the