Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-12-14
Tariff Reform.

interest at the moment thaI ceh'eio
around the reforming OF the tarin
schedule. The war rates now ruiihg
in customs are bringing into the ma
tronal treasury about $l00,ooo,ooo
more than the expenditures foot up
This has been used to pay of the
bonded debt of the nation. Such a
course will not be possible longer.
There are only $64, ,O00, ,OO0 three per
cents. outstanding, and there Is
money enongh in the treasury to re-
deem these in a week. The sinking
fund will plentifully avail in 1871 TO
call in the $3.50, 900, 900 of four and a
half per cents. which mature at that
date. The same process will provide
for the redemption OF $73S, ,00o, 900 OF
four per cents. in 1907. There are now
outstanding $346, ,OOO, 600 of legal ten
der notes. These do not draw inter-
est, but it would be just as well Tor
the government to call them in. The
less the government has to do with
business the better. The bankers
and financiers of the nation can take
better care of such matters. All the
government should do is to pass a
proper banking law applicable to the
entire country.
Then recurs the question how to
cut down the revenue to peace foot
ing. In the first place there will be
an opportunity to spend good deal
of the income of the government IN
internal improvements. The grow
ing West calls for postoffices in many
embryo cities. The same territory
calls for an increase of judicial dis
tricts with their proper adluncts.
There are the coast defenses, and the
new navy, which will call for large
outlay of money. On the other side
Of the account is the pension bureau,
which this year has taken $40, 100000
to pay the old soldiers. This demand
is probably now at flood tide, and
will take less with each passing year.
1t is twenty years since the war
closed. Few came out of the army
under 80, most OF the men were near
er 40, and many were so. They are
all getting more or less of the silver
threads among the gold and black OF
youth.
There is one proposition made
which looks to reducing the revenue
by remitting all import tax on sugar.
The amount so cut off is about
10000, 900. The sole recommends
tion for this measure is its simplicity.
1t looks like blockhead's policy, who
is incapable of the continued thought
necessary to evolve an all round re-
vision of the taxes. Most certainly
the whole burden of the reduction
should not come off the Southern
sugar planter, making him stand the
competition of the world.
A sec ond simple method looks to
the abolition IN toto of the Internal
Revenue tax. This now brings the
government about SIG, 900 of in
come. That sweeping measure would
accomplish the cutting down of the
excessive revenue, and at the same
time leave the various protected in
dustries intact. But, the objection to
such course is that such measure
would be in direct contravention of
the methods adopted by the wisdom
of the civilized world. In all nations
the aim is to make the necessities of
life as cheap as possible, and to make
luxuries pay the greater part of the
revenues demanded by the govern
ment. The rich derive more benefit
from law than the poor do. They are
better able to support the govern
ment. Besides if a man does not
wish to pay the tax on his Havana
cigar, or his extra dry champaign, he
need not buy it. The poor man must
have his bread, and his wife should
have her tea. The farmer must have
his spade and plow, and his family
need the cotton and woolen fabrics
that make their garments. 1t would
therefore hardly do to take our inter
nal revenue off. There is no doubt
room in this list for good deal of
careful revision. To take the tax off
grape brandy would be an excellent
step in the line Of reform.
This is struggling industry
now in its infancy. With proper
fostering care it may grow to |
! great national enterprise. The |
tax now on brandy is excessive, and |
he amount OF revenue derived from
t is small. The remission OF the tax
would put a really pure and whole
,ome article within the reach OF all
he people, which for medicinal and
culinary purposes would be great
boon to all.
Then again there are no doubt
many branches of manufactures
where a revision of the protective
ariff would be for the "greatest good
o the greatest number" That should
,e the object of all good government.
t is well to protect the artisan where
uch protection can be effectively ap-
lied. The trouble is to protect
80 as to get the benefit
, the loborer. All such benefit
asses through the hands Of the en-
lover, the millionaire. He is rather