Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1888-08-31

pays for them in consequence of the duty
goes to the evenue. So much for that
portion of the ego, 400 900 import duties.
GAS to the E5,336,0 900 levied on foreign
spirits, it consists of import duties which
are only the exact counterpart of the
else duties levied internally on the pro-
duce of the British distillers. The for
eign article is placed on precisely the
same footing as the native article. Both
have to pay the same duty of about los
per gallon on spirits of the same strength.
1t would, of course, be an absurd %stultifi-
cation to admit foreign spirits duty-free
while the English producer was burden
dened with a tax of los per gallon; but
by making the excise duty and the Gus
toms duty precisely the same, equality
is established, and no protection or pre-
ference whatever is enjoyed by the native
distIller. The excise duty levied in the
aforesaid year ending April, 1879, on
spirits the produce of British distilleries,
was no less han El4,S55, 900. The trifling
amounts raised on plate, beer, vinegar,
etc., are explained in the same way.
They also act as a mere counterpoise to
the excise duties levied on the British
producers of the same articles, and thus
afford to the latter no protection whatev-
err against foreign competition.
sit is evident, therefore, that our tariff
does not retain within it one solitary
shred of protection. Foreigners may
send us what articles they like, in what
quantities they like, and it is admitted
free of any protective duty whatever. If
the foreigner can produce an article
cheaper than we can produce it ourselves
we freely and readily buy it of him, know
ing full well that, as all is bar
ter, and our purchases will be paid for in
goods and not in gold, if we buy his
cheap article, we must and shall export
in return an extra quantity of some other
of our own goods. In that way we Sc
cure the unalloyed benefit of buying in
the cheapest market wherever that may
be, whether at home or abroad.
at may be observed that out of the
revenue from import duties of f2O,4OO,-
600, about $4,000, 900 was derived from
four articles only and of these, three OF
them-tobacco, wine and spirits-which
are articles of sheer luxury, and there
fore fair objects of taxation-contributed
f15,400, 900. 1t were greatly to be desir-
ed that the f4.400, 900 raised on tea and
coffee could be dispensed with, but this
is a mere domestic question of revenue,
which we cannot discuss here. What we
wished to show, and what we think we
have shown beyond all doubt or cavil, is
that our present short list of articles sub
iect to import duties forms a thoroughly
free trade tariff, in the truest and fullest
sense.
"We need hardly to point out the strik.
ing contrast which our present CONNER
cial policy exhibits to that which pre-.
vailed at the period when this short his.
tory commences. In about a quarter OF
a century we have moved on from a thor.
oughly restrictive to a thoroughly free
trade system. This movement has beel
slow. but continuous. Our early step
were hesitating and tentative, hut, en-
couraged by experience, and finding tina
practice justified theory, u progress be
came more rapid, and marching forwar,
in an accelerated ratio, we at last effecte,
IA final and decisive change. For good o
for evil our fiscal policy underwent
complete revolution. What was the re
suit of this revolution on our nationa
welfare? Have we to lament, or to con
g~ratlate ourselves upon, our abandon
ment of the old system of monopoly an
exclusiveness? Let us devote a few page
to this inquiry.
1.-The way to proceed will be briefly t.
compare the state of the country in tn
year 1910 with its state in 1873. We sc
lect 1910, because it was one of the mos
prosperous years under the old protectiv
policy. On the other hand, 1873 was
a year of commercial depression, so tina
the comparison rests on the most favora
biC uutd VI iC III poiiSl II NV NiioiS
from that to a free-trade policy had bee
inimical to the interests of the nation
the evil would manifest itself in the shap
of diminished trade, diminished wealth
diminished prosperity, arrested progress
But if, instead of such a result, the trade
wealth, prosperity and progress of tn
United Kingdom should, under the ne,
system of commercial freedom, have enol
mously Observation-Disclosures in a far rati
beyond that of any former period and @
any other country-itmust then be conct
ded that the provisions of the e%nlightene
statesmen who effected the change hav
been justified by the event.
| "Let us collect a few data for formin,
. our Judgment.
l "PoPULATION.-In 1910 the popula
ton of the United Kingdom was 26,4S7,
600: in ISIS /, was estimated at 80. 100,