National Republican., 1886-12-09

chintry, &C., are valued at less than thirty
million dollars, out Of total valuation Of
all the farms in the United States Of $l0,-
GOO, 000-that is, less than one three
hundred and flftieth part Of the whole.
In the fourteen parishes, which produce
nearly nine-tenths Of all the sugar Of the
United States, there were in 1880, 1867
persons, so that In all the country there are
less than 100000 persons engaged in any
way In the production Of sugar, and as by
the census but little over one.third Of the
entire population is engaged in any voca-
tion, about $4,000 may be set down as the
number Of farmers and farm laborers en-
gagged in the production of sugar, and this
labor OF an underpaid servie class.
On the other hand, almost all OF the
1870, COO persons shown by the census to be
actively engaged in agricultural pursuits
are pecuniarily interested in the production
Of wool.
In short, the duty on raw wool protects at
least six million Of the agrlculturists Of the
country; the duty on sugar protects eighty
thousand Of them.
Sugar is one Of the nocessaries and com
forts Of life. Every "farmer," every "work-
ingman,n Of whom the President speaks,
uses sugar upon his table. The duty on It
amounts this year to an ad valorem tax OF
6s per cent, and the collection Of this duty
protects six thousand five hundred planters
using servile labor, but they, with every
other man, woman, and child In the coun.
try, paid last year on an average nearly
one dollar into the United States treasury
for sugar.
Wool is, like sugar, one Of the necessaries
Of life for nearly all the people Of this
country. Nearly every "farmer" aud
"workingman" requires woolen garment:
for himself and his family. The duty on
the small quantity of wool imported
amounts TO an ad valorem tax OF 81 per
cent, and this duty protects at least nine
hundred and nineiy.nine om Of ercry Mou-
sand Of the four million "fdymcrs" Of The
country because that number raise more or
less wool. They, with all the other people
Of the country, paid an average Of about
nine cents into the treasury on wool.
Now see wherein Secretary Manning
differs from President Cleveland. The lat.
ter speaks of the proprlety Of reducing
taxation on the necessaries Of life, and
Justly states that the government does no,
by direct enactment enhance the product:
of their labor to any "great extent;" that
is, that there is tariff duty on but few
articles raised by the farmer And Secre
tary Manning proposes to remove the duty
on one OF these articles, wool, which ben
eflts almost all the 100000 farmers, ant
keep 1t on another, sugar, which benefits
but $500 of them-but three out Of every
2,OCO. Which will Congress follow, the ad
vice Of the President or that of Secretary
ManningP
An act Of Congress approved May 10
$500, reads "that 1t shall be the duty Of th
Secretary of the Treasury to digest, prepare
and lay before Congress at the commence
ment Of every session report on the sub
ject of finance, containing estimates of tn
public revenue, from time to time, for tn
purpose of giving information to Congress
in adopting modes Of raising the m oney t,
meet the public expenditures"
Perhaps Secretary Manning considers tina
this act makes him independent of an
superior to the President in regard to linan
cial matters.