Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-09-27
SENATE TARIFF TINKERING.

The republicans of the senate have made up their minds, it seems, to disregard the Chicago platform and General Harrison's letter of acceptance. The former declared for the entire repeal of internal taxes rather than the surrender of any part of our protective system ; the latter, in opposing tariff reduction, said ''the important step is not so much the length of the step as the direction of it." Any recommendation of reduction, therefore, which included protected articles must necessarily be construed as direct repudiation of both platform and letter. No wonder Chairman Quay advised delay and lodging.
 The main features of the bill construct ed by the sub committee of the finance committee, in so far as they have been unoficially made public, are direct assault on the tariff system and so, in the words of General Harrison. a "step in the direction of free trade" The estimated reduction of revenues is $1O,000,0 ,000, of which s30,000,000 is on tariff protected articles. Rice and sugar are each cut 50 per cent, steel rails are reduced 1.32 per ton, fine wools are raised 1 per cent per pound, and wools and worsteds capitalized. Lumber is not touched, while alcohol used in the arts (which presumably in cludes the art of drinking) and tobacco are made free. The tax on fruit brandy is abolished which will allow every fruit grower to be his own distiller, On the free list are placed several dyes, sheep dip and petroleum, faxseed and linseed oil, jute manila and sisal grass. Copper is reduced one cent per pound, and the duty on tin plates, not pound of which is produced in this country, remains. The tax on bagging soap and salt is re tained, borax is taxed a little higher, and pottery and glass are also increased. The duties are made specific instead of ad valorem, which is a direct discrimination against the poor, since costly materials and cheap are thereby taxed equally. The Mills bill, so far as possible, made the duties ad valorem, in order that the cheaper. goods used by the poor might be taxed less than the luXuriant articles of the rich.
 Here then Is the incubation of a republi- can committee, committee which had be- fore it the national platform of the party and the letter of acceptance in which General Harrison*placed himself squarley on that platform. General Harrison de- nounced the Mills bill, which reduced the revenues on dutiable imports $50, 591 ,636, as step towards free trade. If he is honest he must characterize this senate bill, which proposes to take off $30,000 ,000 on tariff f-protected goods, as a similar though perhaps smaller step. If one is free trade or step towards free trade, so is the other General Harrison, or the republican organs, cannot dodge the fact.
 But the chief interest democrats and voters have in the matter is the practical concession of the republican senators that the tariff needs revision, and that this re- vision proposes to make some "surrender of the protective system" With this con- cession before them the voters will com pare the proposition of the two parties. In the Mills bill they find the duties taken off wool and lumber and other articles that are necessary to every mans daily life; they find the duties lessened on sugar and prov isions and metals. In this senate bill wool is taxed higher, lumber is taxed, tin plate is taxed, but tobacco and rum are made free. It is easy to predict which bill the, voters will prefer.
 The tariff needs revision The demo- crats propose to revise it by cheapening the necessaries of life, making raw materials