The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1888-04-06
The Tariff Bill.

The report of the Democratic majority of
the Ways and Means Committee of the House
accompanied the tariff bill, on Monday. The
bill has been modified in some particulars and
il is believed 1t will now have some chance of
passing The committee explain the principles
which guided them in revising the tariff
After recitng the fact that the surplus
for the last fiscal year was $55500,OOO, and
for the present year will be $S1 ,O0O, 900 more
than is needed for an honest, efficient admin
istration of the government, the committee
discuss the question upon what article shall
the reduction be made? The report adds:
THE committee have determined to re-
commend reduction of the revenues from
both customs and internal taxes. The an
nual product of our manufactures is estimat-
ed at $7,0O0,000,000, of which amount we
export only about $136, 100000, or less than
two per cent If we could obtain free of duty
such raw materials as we do not produce and
can only be procured in foreign countries
and mix with our home product in the vari.
OGs branches of manufacture, we could soon
increase our exports several hundred millions
With untaxed raw material we could keep
our mills running on full time, our operatives
in constant employment, and have an active
demand for our raw materials in our factories
Ii there should be no duty on our materials
entering into manufactures, many articles
now made abroad would be made at home"
The committee also say that they have
transferred many articles from the dutiable
to the free list, thereby reducing therevenue,
in this way alone, $22, sos. Nearly one
half of this amount came from the duty on
wool and lin-plates. "The largest reduction
we have made" say the committee, lis in the
wooden schedule, and this reduction was only
made possible by putting wool on the free
list. There is no greater need for duty on
wool than there is for duty on any other raw
material. A duty on wool makes it necessary
to impose ahigher duty on the goods made
from wool, and the consumer has to pay o
double tax. II we leave wool untaxed the
consumer has to pay n tax only on the manu-
featured goods.
The tariff on sugar is also reduced.
The reduction IN the duty on these articles,
wool, tin, and sugar, must be of advantage TO
majority of farmers, since it will give them
cheaper clothing and sugar, and those who
are engaged in canning, cheaper cans. The
bill does not cut as deeply into the tariff as it
might with propriety have done, but there
were many conflicting interests to be con-
sidered, and the committee have no doubt
acted wisely.
The Republican minority of the Ways and
Means Committee also made report, but
offered no bill. The fact is, they could agree
upon nothing. The ultra protectionists want
the tax taken off of whisky and tobacco entire
ly so that their favored industries may not be
disturbed, but the country is not willing for
this, and SO nothing could be done by the
minority except to make faces, as it were, at
the majority.
Hon. Knute Nelson, member of Congress
from one ofthe strongest Republican districts
in Minnesota, boldly advocates tariff reform
Mr.. Nelson in a recent able speech said that
the tariff taxes might properly be divided into
two heads-revenue taxes, like that on tea
and coffee, and protective taxes, like that on