Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1886-04-17

while other articles upon which is imposed
a duty from ten to twenty per cent are cut
down or transferred to the free list.
The minority, continuing their criticisms
of the proposed bill, say the recommended
tions of the Secretary of the Treasury for
the substitution Of specific or ad valorem
rates is wholly dlsregarded by the majority
and the system condemned by the secretary
as inviting frauds upon the revenue AND
Injurious to home producers and honest i'm
pOrters is supposed to continue wlthout et-
fort at a remedy. The free list is peculiarly
an assault upon the agricultural interests OF
the country. seeking out from the four thou
sand articles in the tariff their leading pioo-
ucts to be driven out by runOus competltlon
from abroad. The wool growers OF tne
country were led to believe from the Dill
trst before the committee that no ADVERSE
action would be taken touching their lnter-
ests, and so were not before the committee
in any official way, and those who were.
heard spoke for the restoration OF the duly
of 1867, without dreaming that the made
quate protection they now enjoy was 70 %
swept away from them. This flrst eHort,
therefore, in the direction Of free trade is
aimed at the organized farmers OF the coun-
try. They are to be the frst Vic-
tins of the British policy throngn
the agency Of the American Con-
gress Putting fish on the free list is an
unexpected blow at the fishing interest," OF
the country, coming at time when IL VIII
be most severely felt The bill proposed Dy
the majority proposes to enact the very OUT
rage, the fear of the possibility OF which so
aroused the Indignation of the whole New
England fishery interests without dlstlnctlon
of politics. In no case is the failure OF tho
majority to grasp and deal with the great
question of taxation of imports, either on
! the principle for taxation only, or for reve-
nue.. with incidental protection to our in
dustries, illustrated better than in placing
! salt on the free list. In doing this the ma
| iority assault several thousand wageworkers
without justification or reason, In general
criticism of the proposed bill the minority
saw they regard it as the first step toward
reversal of the revenue system founded Dy
the fathers and the substitution of the Brit
ish system of tariff for revenue only. Inc
large free list which il proposes, comprising
so many important productions OF
home make and growth warn them that the
evident ultimate purpose is to make dutiaole
only such articles as we cannot produce IN
the United States and release from customs
duties such foreign products whether OF the
field. the forest or the factory, as compete
with our domestic products. We see in this
the beginning of system of levving duties
upon foreign imports as perniciOus as II IS
unpatriOtc borrowed from our foreign
rivals. whose interest in destroying Amer
lean tariffs has never been concealed; sys'
TEN destructive of our productive industries
and the home market for agricultural PROD.
ucts and degrading American labor and
which, when it has been tried in the govern
ment, has eventuated in falling revenues,
tarnished credit and depleted treasury.