The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1886-10-28
Rep al the War Taxes on Tobacco.
philadelphia Bulletin.1

in'ti:SaarfF sneecn at Pittsburg, Mr.. Blaine
cwelt ut anch length upon the surplus reve-
hue af the Government and the necessity of
reducing it BY reducing the receipts of the
treasury. AS no Congress that can be elected
VIII have the courage to do this by doubling all
duties which are required for Protection. and
thus virtually placing an embargo upon the
Importation of all commodities which we C n
produce ourselves, some other way must be
found. Mr.. Blaine said:
"a crisis in the tariff system of the. United
States is rapidly approaching. For long
series of years, ever since the close of the war
we have had a vast debt to be paid. However
large the national revenue, its surplus could
always be profitab1y applied to the liquidation
of our national obligations. We have dis
charged that debt so rapidly that there remain
now but little more than 200,000,c00 of it that
can be paid within this century; and all of
that falls due within four years from this date !;
its maturity thus rapidly approaching may be
said to be even now Impending SO that the
matter is one that must be taken into consid-
Grafton at once because the remaining $780,
Ooo,o0O or $500 10000 go over to the twentieth
century. When Secretary Sherman, the most
accomplished and able Secretary of the Treas
ury since Alexander Hamilton, performed the
marvellous feat OF funding a large proportion
per cents, his success was acknowledged On
both sides of the Atlantic as unparalleled in
financial administration. But under the wise
administration of the Federal Government by
the Republican party the credit of the nation
has increased so rapidly that the United States
bonds which were at par but seven years ago
now command nearly 1870, and the holders will
not relinquish them to the treasury at less than
that rate. 1t may, therefore, be assumed as
certainty that their payment is postponed UNI
til the next century, and they fall outside of the
present exigeneies. as they fall outside of the
present power of the Legislature of this nation
When, therefore, you shall have diminished
the total volume of the obligations of the coun-
try to the amount Of the 5000, 100000 now almost
DUE what are you going to do with the surplus
which flows annually into your treasury
What disposition are you going to make of the
large amount which each year you have been
accustomed tc apply to the payment of the ma
tional debt?
'.The Free Trader replies: Get rid of your
surplus by striking down this Protective tariff,
lower the duty on many articles, put a large
number of other articles on the free list, and
reduce your revenues in that way
The Protectionst answers: Let MS
duce our revenues that with wise dscrimi-
nation the American laborer in his daily earn
ings may be protected by the national law, and
keep that in view as q primal object
This is the question that impends for your
decision, and after patient consideration of the
probable consequences to result from that de-
cision venture the assertion that there has
not been since the national election of 1860 a
financial crisis so urgent and pressing as the
one which will be upon the American people
within the next two years. The main ques-
ton, therefore, is whether you will exclude
from the tariff the protective idea whether
you will reduce the rates upon articles from
the duties on which you gain no Protec-
tion and thus SO wisely discriminate that, with
new tariff adopted to S100,000,00O less revenue,
you will still gain the Protection needed. say
to you, gentlemen, that at only two periods in
our history-namely, the beginning of the Fed
eral Government and the outbreak of the civil
war-has the financial ability of American
statesmen been confronted by problem of the
magnitude of the one to which 1 have invited
your attention."
MI. Blaine is, of course, not the only public
man who has pointed out with such clearness
and precision the danger TO our Protective pol
icy which this unsolved problem presents. If
the revenue OF the Government mast be
duced because the surplus over and above its
ordinary expenditures can not be devoted to
the pay ment of the public debt. and therefore
ought not to be collected, the question arises
and must be answered, shall the reduction be
in Protective duties or in the internal taxes on
whisky and tobacco? Mr.. Blaine would pro-
tect the industries of the country whatever
else may happen, and so say all Protectionsts.
: He and they will doubtless agree that the
internal taxes On tobacco could with propriety
be entirely repealed. They were very largely
reduced in the tariff act of 1888 But total re-
peal of these taxes is not enough: they amount
now to about s30.OO0,0eO per annum. Yet why
not begin the work in hand by repeating them
next winter? Only those who wish reduction
In Protective duties, that foreign manufac-
turers may be benefited, will object to the re-
peal of the tobacco taxes. Until a serious at
temptis made to repeal these internal war
taxes we can not admit that it would be wise to
propose revision of the tariff with the view of
lowering any duties ga revision of the tart If is
always attended with danger to industries
which require protection, but no American in
sdustry can suffer from the repeal of the to-
bacco taxes. On the contrary, the small manu-
facturers of tobacco and cigars would be greatly
benefited, and of course consumers would be.
We are pleased to notice that Mr.. Randall
has recently expressed sentiments similar to
those of Mr.. Blaine. In an interview at Wash
ington last week he was asked whether he did
not think that Congress would have to take
some steps next winter to reduce taxes and he
replied: "Yes; L have been in favor for some
time of reducing taxes But 1 want to reduce
them from Protection standpoint and not
from the standpoint CT Free Trade" These
are patriotic and wise words. 1t is we'll known
that MI. Randall believes in repeating all the
nternal war taxes that the Treasury can spare.
With harmonious accord between the Protec-
tionists of both the great political parties of
the country there ought not to be auv iii 5icuItv
in reducing the surplus without injury to the
industries of any section-North or South, East
or West.
Rev. Mr.. Bitter, of the Augusta Church,