The Portland daily press., 1886-09-18

| properly 10 pTOFlue IltunS lot carrying OIL
the government.
When taxes of any kind are imposed di-
rectly upon real and personal estate, within
the limits of country, this is termed direct
taxation, as in the cases of individual States,
counties or municipalities. When a tax is
imposed upon goods or merchandise of any
kind, brought into a country from beyond
its limits, this form of taxation is called a
tariff. Thus we have the words, revenue
and tariff defined; and also the distinction
drawn between tax and tariff, according as
they are generally understood in the United
States, and the latter is far less onerous, as
a rule than the former.
But the next question that occurs, viz:
How much revenue is adequate to fulfil the
purpose stated in the above defnitisn? is
not so easily answered. We get a glimpse
| of the Democratic idea of an adequate reyen-
ue from the statement, of the truth of which
we are assuerd on good authority, that the
committee of appropriations. at the last ses-
sion of Congress, brought in bill appropri-
ating S45, 600 more than for the preceding
year. That swindling measure, the Bland
silver coinage BILL and the lniquitous river
and harbor bill would just about exhaust
this excess leaving but small remainderi
while the Navy Department which wants
81, 600, 600 is forced to put up with paltry
So, 900, 900; and Randall, that Coryphasus Of
the economical Democracy, refuses the for
tifcation interests more than$6, 100000, sum
which Mr.. Reed humorously tells us is not
enough to fortify Chicago against the An
archists.
No fbar inly hot fha for ic will bQ
found no more thanIto the adequate demands
of the hungry and thirsty yet in the face
of this we have the committee of ways and
means proposing to put on the free list agri-
cultural and forest productions, ia firm step
towards free trade,") which viii seriously
affect the interests, not only of Maine, but
of the whole line of Northern border States;
and seriously trench upon the tariff revenue,
and section of the Democracy clamoring
for the entire relief from taxation of whis-
ky and tobacco, MOTTO say the wholesale alb
olition of the internal revenue department
How about our tariff for revenue then?
We have vainly sought for definition of
free trade, as the idea exists in the minds of
its advocates. Webster does not define it,
nor are we especially enlightened by the Cy-
clopedia, except in one passage in the article
on Political Economy, which reads thus;
'sThe Emperor Alexander having taken his
lessons in political economy from Mr..
Storch," says recent writer, determined
to carry out in the administration of the en-
pire, the lessons he had learned in the closet,
but the result proved most disastrous. Brit
ish gold foared in in q constant stream, and
Russian gold fotued out; and the government
was paralyZed, tcItite the manufacturers luere
ruined. Count Nesselrode is
sued circular preliminary to a change of
system, in which it was declared that Russia
found herself forced to resort to system OF
independent commerce; that the products of
the empire found no markets abroad; that
the manufactures of the country were ex-
ceedingy depressed; that the coin of the
country was rapidly flowing out to distant
nations; that the most solid mercantile es-
adjustments had become seriously endan-
gered; and that agriculture and commerce
as lceU as manufacturing industry tcere not
Only pdrdLyzed, but had been brought to the
brink of ruin. 1t was in 1924 that Russia
again imposed heavier duties in opposition to
the theories of Mr. Storch."
1t is just the condition of affairs italicised
above which the English manufacturers, in
conjunction with the Golden Club,
are laboring to bring about in this country;
and, unfortunately, there are enough misbe-
gotten fools in Congress and elsewhere on
this side, to help them With their pirate
ships they have destroyed our foreign carry
ing trade on the sea; and now they want to
destroy our manufactures on the land, and
have boasted that they can and win do it,
word to the wise is sufficient.
From being longer bedeviled with the sill
yer lining, and from being pitted with the
free trade pox, may the Lord send speedy
deliverance III. L. CUMMINGS.