The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1886-03-11
The Tariff and its COntradic.
tfOns.

The present tariff specifies 1870 du-
table articles and make 500 rates.
On several OF these, less than dollar
of duty Gas sulphate Of copper so cents)
was collected in 1S81-S2. On twenty
Of them, the total duty in 1882,
was but $40.94 for all. 1t costs to col
lect such duties, in extra salaries and
expenses, many time the return. The
customs-officers employed are with
drawn from productive work, which
makes the country rich, and paid out
OF hepockets of the people, in increas-
ed taxes which make the country
poor.
Since 1889, there have been more
than 40 changes in the tariff. Each
of these has deranged industry.
From 1889, when the tariff averaged
81 per cent, seventeen different acts
steadily raised duties, up to 1861, when
a decrease was provided for, only to
be deferred in 1918 to 1926, when the
"great tariff" raised the everage to 81
por cent In 1888, the compromise"
reduced duties, but in 1S42 they were
increased again, as nostrum against
the imitation that produced the crisis
Of 1887. In 1S45 and in 1857, legisla-
ton, found reduction: but in 1860 the
war tariff began, of which, despite re-
ductions in 1870 and 1872, replaced by
the "little tariff bill" of 1S74-75, with
an average OF 43 per cent, the country
remained the victim for over twenty
years. The reformed" tariff bill of 'S3
is a sham, raising some duties (iron ore
5096), maintaining by confused classi-
fication others it pretended to reduce.
Its average reduction is under 2 per
cent. These forty changes have pro-
duced uncertainty, speculation, waste,
loss.
The tariff does not tax "luxuries, "
so much as it taxes necessaries. In
1882, the actual duty paid lad valo-
rsn, and specifc) was on blankets, 70
to 95 per cent Aannels, 71-96; others
woolen goods, 70-91 calicoes and 9TH
er cottons, 55-63; spool thread, 1880
window glass, 1884; steel rails, SO
iron. 1880; salt, 1866.
The government does not receive
the benefit OF these duties. The duty
on blankets (10 to 35 cents per pound
and 35 per cent. ad vaIorena) is prac.
tically prohibitive. Thus, in 1882
but $8,8S7 of blankets were imported
on which the duty was $6,S64,a aver
age OF " per cent. Yet the country
uses $20,000,000 of blankets each year
The tax imposed simply provides ar
enormous margin, out Of which the
dozen manufacturers may take their
profit. On woolen goods in general il
is calculated that the government gets
but one dollar for every five squeezed
out of the people for the monopo
lists.
1t is said that without the tariff We
could not raise revenue, or pay inter
est on the debt. Yet in 1881 the pro
tectionists met in Conventions to op
pose further payment, Of the debt, anC
cried out for the abolition of the whisk
ey tax, lest no excuse sh ould remain
for high tariff. But protective
tariff does not produce revenue 1t
intended to keep foreign goods out
if they are kept out, they pay no reve
nue.. A "tariff for revenue only" j
the contrary of protective" tariff
is intended to provide funds for tn
government without taxing the pee
pie for the benefit of monopolist.
fair duty on dozen articles, easy an
cheap to collect, would give more reV
enue than the present tariff Sti
fewer would give all the revenue W
need.