New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-03

THE PRE- siDExTs S1A1fSMANsHIR

THE PRE- SiDENI'S S1A1fSAANSHIP.
Either the Presidents theory is right or it
is wrong. He explicitly aifirns that internal
taxes should be retained, and duties On lux
uries. He says:
1t must DO conceded that none Of the things sub
jected internal taxation are strictly speak
Ing aries thcre appears to be no Just complaint
OF this taxation by the Of these ARTICLES and
there be nothing well able to bear the bur
den without hardship to any portion Of tho people
Tho taxation of Injuries presents features Of hard
ship, but the ncccss of life used and consumed by
all tho people, the duty upon which adds to tho cost Of
living in every home, shoaid bc greatly ehcapcrcd
One thing is here to be noted; by arguing
at length in favor of removing duties on manu-
featured products, on the ground that the
larger part of the quantity consumed is made
in this country and is enhanced in price, while
saying nothing about the duty on sugar, OF
which much the larger part is imported, the
President certainly implies that the duties on
sugar should be retained, a course for which
there arc to him obvious political reasons
Internal revenue taxes, duties on luxurics
and on sugar should be retained; duties on
manufactured products should be removed, be-
cause they tax the people by enhancing the
cost of home products-that is the Presidents
theory. If it is right, it ought to be honestly
and unnnchn9ly applied. If it is wrong,
then his recommendations arc either ignorant
or are fraudulent and false, and should be dis
regarded. Somewhere revenue OF over
500, 600, 900 must be taken off. IL the Prcsi-
dent is right, how is II to be done?
The duties on sugar and molasscs yielded
during the last fiscal year S5SO0i, SOS 50.
The duties on liquors, tobacco, fancy articles,
jcwelry, watches and clocks opium prepared
for smoking, laces and embroiderics, ribbons
and other manufactures of silk. yielded last
year S39,522,323 90. These duties on luxurcs
tho President holds should be retained De
Quoting these and the sugar duties from S2l2,-
O32, 423 go tho entire revenue derived from
the tariff last year, there remains only Sl14,-
5O5.751 70 obtained from the duties on all
raw materials and manufactured goods-On all
other dutiable articles, in short. From these
the Presidents theory, If it is not ignorant or
fraudulent, would require over S1OO,OOO,O 600
to be taken off in order to retain all internal
taxes duties on sugar and on luxures.
Either this theory is right or it is wrong,
which? Either substantially all the duties on
materials and manufactured articles ought to
be repealed, and absolute free trade permitted
in all articles except the few aboye-namcd. or
the President has grossly erred. There is not
single member Of Congress who has Mt any
tine been willing to vote for the abolition OF
all duties on manufactured products. The
President himself demonstrates his own ignO-
rance when he says in his message that re-
duction "of the advantages which we award
our home production" may be necessary. but
"the entire withdrawal of such advantages
should not DO contemplated" Plainly he docs
not know what he has proposed. His recon-
mendation was rather ignorant than deceptive
in intent. But it's ignorance and absurdity
do not make it more worthy of being followed
by tho people. ,l