Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1886-07-02
Mr.. RandalI's Tariff Bill.

dali has seemed to feel under the necessity
of introducing some tariff measure HIM
self. Accordingly he introduced on Mon
day in the House bill entitled an act Ito
reduce and equalize duty on imports, to
reduce internal revenue taxes and to mod
lily the laws in relation to the collection
of the revenues
Notwithstanding its fair sounding title
to 'reduce and equalize duties on imports
synopsis of Mr.. Randalrs bill 10y compe-
tent critics who have examined it, shows
that its chief purpose, in so far as it con-
Germs duties on imports, appears to be to
''equalize" those duties by increasing, not
reducing, the import duties on certain ar
ticlss, which are largely consumed by
Pennsylvania manufacturers. The chief
reduction which Mr.. Rsndall's bill pro-
poses to effect in the revenues, is in the
Ternal taxes on tobacco and liquors. 1t
proposes to sweep away entirely the inter
nal taxes on tobacco and TO permit the
man ufacture and sale of fruit b. andes and
wines without duty.
This idea of cutting off the excessive
revenues and preventing an accommodating
surplus by sweeping away entirely the
internal revenue taxes on Injuries. and
thus doing away with the apparent necss-
sity of reducing the customs duties, has
been for long time known to be Mr..
Randall's pet scheme in the matter OF
revenue reform. This doctrine was known
in the last campaign sometimes as the
PENNSYLVANIA" and again as the "Ohio
idea, but was known always to have been
originated and vigorously supported 10y
Mr.. Randall. 1t is not surprising, there
fore, that, after combining with the Repub
licans to defeat the regular Democratic
tariff bill, which was honestly and intel
ligently addressed to a reform of the pre-
sent mischievous tariff, MIR. Randall
should bring forward his own well known
hobby as a measure for Congress to act
upon.
1t is only because of the erroneous i'm
preston that Mr. Randall and those alleged
Democrats who have combined with him
for the defeat of all honest measures Of
practical tariff reform, have endeavored to
create in the minds of the people that his
recent action becomes worthy of notice.
1t has been urgently contended by Mr.. j.
af he oo1to1
Democratic representatives who have
combined with Mr.. Randall and the Re-
publicans in matters of tariff legislation,
first, that the abolition of the tax on man
ufactured tobacco and liquors would De-
rate to protect the producers of tobacco
in Maryland and other Southern States, as
we'll as the distillers of liquors second,
that the Democratic party was committed
to this policy by its pledge to repeal all
war taxes. Some of the local press of our
State seem also to have fallen to some ex-
tent into their line OF reasoning.
Upon examination, however, it must ap-
pear that these conclusions are erroneous
and that it is merely the clever soph-
istry Of the proteclionists. In the first
place the tobacco grown in Maryland, as
is well known, is almost exclusively man
ufactured in foreign countries whittier it
is exported, consequently our product
does not come under the operation of the
inernal tax upon domestic manufactures,
While, therefore, the producers OF tobacco.
grown slmest EXCLUSIVELY for domestic
manufacture, might be in some measure
affected by the internal tax on tobacco, it
is very obvious that Maryland producers
are not TO any appreciable extent. In the
second place the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Of the
internal tax which still exists, is no, any
more essentially war tax than are the
excessive customs duties imposed dur
ing the war tor war revenues, which have
not yet been reduced Therefore it would
be most irrational policy which would
propose to sweep away the last vestigs
of war taxes upos luxuries like whiskey
and tobacco while leaving heavy burden
in the shape of war taxation upon the
accessories of life which the whole mass
of the people must consume. The absurd
ity of this pretended misinterpretation of
the Democratic platform becomes appar
ent when it is remembered that the Ran
dali idea was distinctly pronosed at the
Democratic national convention and dis
tinctly repudiatsd by that body. The
sophistry of Mr.. Randall and his satellite,
Mr.. Findlay, will not operate to deceive
the intelligent Democracy of Maryland
and Democratic public opinion will place
these gentlemen where they belong.