Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-02-11
TARIFF TAXES.
THE INEQUALITIES OF THE PRESENT Gus.
TON DUTIES.
An Interesting Discussion Of the Whole Question:
How They Affect Wool and Sugar-Nsce-
sariss Taxed the Highest Wool
ems and Linens. q
LEWIS COUNTY, February 8,

LEWIS COUNTY, February 9.
10 he Editor of The Register.
SIR:-The Republican party, by its plat
form in 1884, pledged itself to correct the
inequalities of the tariff and to reduce the sur
plus"
The Democratic party, by its platform
in 1884, pledged itself to revise the tariff
in a spirit of fairness to all interests, ="
but in making reduction in taxes, +" it de-
claIed its purpose mot to injure any dc
nestle industry, but rather to promote
their healthy GROWTH that, necessary
reduction in taxes can and must be ef-
fected, without depriving American labor
of the ability to compete successfully with
foreign labor, and without imposing lower
rates of duty than will be ample to cover
any increased costs of production, which
may exist in consequence Of the higher
rate of wages prevailing in this country
and that Custom House taxes should be
ION fewer imported articles, bearing
lightest on articles of necessity"
To fulfill It's promises, the Democratic
party has been earnestly endeavorlng To
reduce the amount of taxes to the needs OF
the Government, by reasonable reductions,
and TO tighten the burdens CD consumers,
and unprotected people. The Republican
party, in Congress, has, by constant oppo-
sition, with rare exceptions, succeed In de-
feating all efforts 10 reduce the taxes Or
onu TNpnanra1 70 nrayanf on onarninn an
nual surplus.
There are not less than ten millions Of
our people who are exclusively engaged in
agriculture, who bear an unGue share Of
the present excessive taxes, without any
tariff bounty OF protection. This is Obsi-
Gus from the fact that the fruits of their
labor in the fields, cannot be protected, be
cause similar products are not and cannot
be introduced in competition to any mate
rial extent from foreign countries. or
these we produce more than WE can con
sumo.
But while this in the main is admitted,
it is assested, that wool and sugar, are the
exceptions, and they are protected. How
is this accomplished by the provisions Of
the tariff on wool? Take the farmer with
his thirty sheep. who purchases for him
self and family wooden goods. When the
Republicans have put a tariff on raw wool,
they have been careful to put a heavy
tariff on manufactured goods of wool and
mixtures Herewith, and by their pro-
cesses they give the thirty sheep farmer
from SO to $l2 and to take it back twice,
thrice or more, by excessive taxation on
foreign WOODEN goods, and thereby COM
pelling him to pay augmented prices to
the American manufacturer for the goods
of that class he buys.
Let us see how this excessive taxation
operates, both, by the excessive rates, com
bining, as the tariff does, specific and ad-
valOrem rates, on the same article, and by
the gross inequalities in the tariff sched-
uies.
We give below a table from the report of
the Commissioner of Labor for the year
1856, to show this. The factory prices
adopted in the table are in England. The
farmer with his thirty sheep OF more, can
see where this p~retence Of protection goes.
Don't make a pretence of protection to
him, and by deceptive rates andi nequal-
tiles, cheat and deceive him. Again, the
laboripg man, unprotected by Republican
tariffs, does not admit their fairness, by
taking the cheap article at $50 per cent
aud the fine broadcloth at 80 per cent. Of
its value.