Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-12-18
SATURDAY. DECEMBER is, 1886
The Tarif-Internal Taxes.


This Is the day for Mr.. MORRISON to oner
bisNmotion 10 proceed 10 the consideration
of his tariff bill Of last winter, or perhaps
In the consideration OF revenue bilis.
Whether the motion will be voted down or
moi. nobody knows. There are several
reasons given why different result from
that OF last session may follow this motion
Of Mr., MORRIsON's. one Is that The fre'l'
dent has used the influ zee OF his biSh
Office In favor OF taking up the bill, ana aS
good many of TIE congressman have hcen
defeated Of rejection they ale IN ihu'n
better frame Of mind TO be thus influenced
than they were when the vote was i'>'
taken upon the same measure.
It's understood that the RANDALL Demo-
crats and perhaps some others have agreed
that they will not vote for considering the
MORRISON bll unless Mr.. MORRISON WIZ
consent TO an amendment aboli,hing the
fax on tobacco and fruIt-brandieS and re-
duc,ng or aboishlng The duty upon import
cd sugar. We sympdbize with the KAN
DALI men rather than with the MORRISON
men, but we certainly would not like 10 see
them resort TO any factious opposition TO
the consideration OF a tariff bill, seeing
that the existing tariff is monstroslty'
We understand, however, that they are uh-
willing 10 vote to take mp the MORRISON
bill. in the expectation Of afterwards oier'
ing an am, ndment 10 abolish or reduce the
duty upon sugar. because. even II TINS
amendment were to he adopted, motion 10
abolish the tax on fruit-brahdies and to-
bacco would he ruled out a not being IN
order, and thus the friends OF removing
the tax Oh tobacco might lose the active CO.
operation OF the friends OF removing the
duty on sugar. In word, the RANDALL
men prefer to reduce the surplus by abol-
ishing certain internal taxes rather than
bya revision Of tbs tariff.
1t will be a hard case, indeed, If the i'm
mense surplus already in the Federal
Treasury j. to be added 10 instead OF d.
minished, because Mr.. RANDALL holds his
friends together against reduction OF
tba. surplus by tariff reduction, and Mr..
MORRISON holds his friends together against
a reduction of that surplus by doing away
with the taxes upon tobacco and fruit
brandIcs. 1t i just a. bad a. IL the llouS"
Of Repre-, entatiNes should occupy one OF
those positions and the Senate should oc-
cupy the other.
But the MORRISON men claim to 5t the De-
mocrats who represent the Democratic party,
and they throw out hints that they con-
slider the RANDALL Democrats no better
than "assistant Republican, II these
Democrats wee TO 20 over 70 the Republic
can Marty. a some of the Mofris0nians
represent them to do, the Democratic party
would carry but few states in 1883. We do
not consider il possible that The Democratic
nominee for President OF the United states
could carry Virginia il he were in favor,
a. MIR. MORRlsON i, Of continuing the in
tcrpal taxes. opposed TO the BLAIR bin, and
hostile to the doctrine OF protecting sumac,
iron-Ores, tobacco, &c.
And this l,ads Us 20 remark that II Mr.
MORRISON would abolish the internal tax
upon lNIattN, III llA-ut lu'h h4Np - I''i
the law which ltyi6s prohibitory duty OF
fifty cents per pound upon manufactured
tobacco. seeing that ihis prohibiiery duty
Is laid only for the protection of the to-
bacco.groweis and tOhacc0-manufacturcrS
of Virginia and other States, and might,
therefore, in that event, be done away with,
as they would need no protection
il il were not for The internal
tax upon tobacco. Is there Demo-
crat in Congress from a tobacco-manu-
featuring and tobacco.growing STATE
who would be willing TO leave tobacco uu-
protected 50 long as the internal tax upon
il i. continued, upon the ground that "pro-
lection does not protect" or upon the
ground that the consumer pays the tax;
All these questions will come up in 1883
If Mr.. MORRISON, or any man who agrees
with him in opinion, shall be the Demo
cratic nominee for President.
We await the action of the House Of
Representatives to-day In the hope that a
compromise in the interest Of Virginia
Democrats aud Virginia tobacco. &C.. may
De agreed upon.