The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-12-09
TIIE DEMOtEAFiG PRES

| sales abroad of our own manufactured and
oy whipping out foreign competitors in our
own markets, that we shall see our income
from imported manufactures dwindIe 30
fast as not only to compel the retention of
these most fit items of reyenue-whiskY.
tobacco, and beer-but, perhaps, to drive us
back to getting ten millions of revenue from
two cents pound tax on coffee, and half Al
much from tea
On the question of reduction of the war
tarln taxes the Secretary renews his recon-
mendatlon Of last year in favor of removing
the tariff from raw materials.
Direct taxes, he says, must be apportioned
among the several States according to their
population Indirect taxes must be uniform
throughout the United States. These include
"al duties, imposts, and e1eises," which
are, though advanced by the home producer
or the importing merchant, alike actually
paid by the final consumer. Free
trade accurately describes the internal
commerce of our States. 1t applies to the
commerce, one with another, of other
great and sovereign States. 1t does
not apply to our trade with foreign nations
No man now living will ever see free
trade" adopted by these United States in
their commerce with foreign nations; for
taxes on imports, from the foundation of
this government have ever been one chief
source of federal revenue, and such they Will
continue to be.
Protection Is also misnomer 1t i'm
plies superiority elsewhere. The superiority
over any great industry of ours does not eI-
lst upon the globe. 1t implies infants here
and adults elsewhere. Such is not our rem
utation. 1t implies that amid competition
universal, where the ittest survive, we shall
perish. But it is everywhere else believed
that whenever shall release ourselves
from bad laws and enter that competition
unmanacled, rivals will be distanced and
our prImacy established in the markets and
commerce of the world.
Now, one proud fact attests the substance
OF our prosperity, and is the guaranty az
we'll as proof of our power to hold against
all competition the markets of the United
states Tor everything we choose to dig
fabrleate or grow, and to command and con-
troll for our surplus products, against all
rivals, any foreign market.
Were trade as free with and within all the
ununlted states OF Europe as it is among
the United States of America the great sur
plus products of our industry incladiup the
manufactured, would have the pick of for
eign markets, for the reason that our labor,
being the most highly paid and insuring
lowest percentage of labor-cost would
everywhere surpass rivalry.
Our suicidal taxes raw materials"
next claim attention. The Secretary saws
prolonging without necessity our war-tariff
taxes on raw materials we have been under
sold and excluded from foreign markets by
nations not taxing raw materials. Despite
their low-priced inferior labor, and the high
percentage of labor-cost therefore included
IN their product, our taxed raw materials
eAhU thCh lIcc raw nave protected
the so-called "pauper labor" of Europe
against American competition. There are
several objections, the Secretary says to the
scheme to cut down the federal revenue and
make up for it by increasing the tariff on
imports.
1t is protection" indeed, and, be saws,
like free trade, would prevent revenue on
imports. But we need just now to get $780,
VOO,OuO from taxation on imports. What is
worse, it would continue the exclusion of
the surplus products of American industry
from foreign markets, and prevent the
natural diversifying of our industries It
therefore would postpone prevent the
larger and unin termittent employment Of
wage-earners in productive indus
Try. 1t would cut down the receipts of the
treasury and continue the multiplied indi-
rect aud incidental taxation levied upon our
whole population through prices enhanced
by the higher tariff tax, yet nowhere able to
be spent by any employer of labor in
'alslng the wages of labor; for it would sub
ect the employers themselves to another
course OF high profits, inviting an excess OF
lew cOmers, entailing over reproduction for the
lone market, reckless competition, with no
established outlet in working off the surplus
product; agreements to restrict production
n order TO keep up prices; then the dis
harge of labor by employers who go to the
vail; intermittent and diminished EMPLOY
nent of labor by those who combine to pre-
'ent OyerprOduction and, last Of all. des-
'erate competition for employment by the
rage carriers themselves, hopeless strikes
nd profitable lockouts.
Another proposal is t1 reduce taxation by
uttlng down the tax on whisky, tobacco,
nd beers. and removing the duty on sugar.
Nobody pays a tax on tobacco except the
consumers of tobacco. They are willing to
'ay for the luxury, and they ask no relief.
Any probable reduction of the tax on whisky
Tould be more likely to increase the revenue
han to diminish it. The price of sugar
as fallen to an exceedingly cheap ,
ate. Our own sugar crop is so very
mall part of the total amount of sugar we
onsume, that sugar ranks next to articles
Wholly produced abroad, like tea and coffee,
n suitability for taxation, on the ground
hat its consumption is universal, that the
AK is easily and cheaply collected, that the
D creased price paid by the consumers is an
nconsidered trife, and that what is taken
rom the taxpayers goes into the Taxpayers
reasury, not into few private bank ac-
cunts.
Under the heading "3Iore in come for
-age-earners by dropping worst taxes"
ne Secretary advocates the placing of wool
n the free list. He says: The duty on
aw wool procured for the Treasury last year
My IS, 126, los. The cost of wooden cloth
ig for our 100000 people was thereby
nd otherwise enhanced many times more
ian ninety cents head, the only cost Of
ur S51, us, ,94S revenue from sugar
his petty tax of S., 1885, los on raw wool
ssists in nearly doubling the actual cost Of
leir clothing to the American peo pie, with
0 real and no incidental bene fit to anybody
xcept the foreign manufactur er.
respectfully reco mmend to Congress that
icy confer upon the wage-earners of the
nited States the boo of untaxed clothing,
nd in order thereto the immediate passage
an act simply and solely placing raw
ool upon the free list.
But this reduction of unnecessary and ip-
Irious taxation is not enough, and will
1erate slowly in diminishing revenue. Last
earl import tax on raw wool is little more
ian the mere growth last year of our taxes
ON whisky, tobacco, and beer. To make
ool free of tax may finally work larger6
So of revenue by enabling our woolen
anufacturers to undersell at a profit the
reign importers who brought in last year
%, ,536, 500 worth of manufactures of wool,
ON which we got a tax of 81, ,27S,52S.
RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITUREs.
Fiscal year 1856.
The ordinary revenues of the government
ON all sources for the fiscal year ended
Inc 80, 1886, were:-
lS.... .--- 80. --7l
ON internal llp,SVDY35 4S
ON sales of public lands.............. 5,ft3Q9g9 "a
tnvn rafin NAL han