San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1888-08-02

was next TO tho largest reduction
made in any schedule in the bill. 1t
had been constantly charged that the
bill was sectional, that it barely
touched sugar and that the commit
tee threw its its arms around the gu
gar industry to shield it, yet the re-
duction in sugar was ouly second to
that in the wooden schedule.
There ought to be q high duty on
sugar, because democrats believe that
taxation was q tribute required from
citizens for the upport Of the gov.
ernment, and because they believed
that in laying taxation it ought to be
laid 80 as to be as little burdensome
as possible. BY the tariff on sugar
the government got S5S, 600, 900 with
$4,000, 900 protection. In order to
get S58, 100000 into the public cof-
fers it cost $6.0O0,000 protection to
the sugar planters. But in order to
get $5S, 900, 900 into the steel and
wooden goods it cost the people over
$4OO, 100000. Why, then, should
the duty on sugar be repealed in Or
der that more burdensome tax at
higher rate ON woolen aad cotton
goods and iron and steele might be
retained! The duty on provisions
under existing law was $24.33. The
committee left it at $23.39. Yet it
was charged that this was free trade
measure. The existing duty on cot
ton was $3999 The bill fixed it at
$39.07. Where did the free trade
come in on thati The $12, 1000, 900
revenue from cotton had been reduc-
ed only S277,OO0 The duty on hemp,
ljute and fax was at present $28.1O.
It was left at 21.94. This reduction
of only $6 was brought about to a
great extent by the putting of q large
amount of jute and hemp and MANILA
on the free list. The present duty
on wool and the woolens ID S5S.8l
The committee bill left it at $38.69,
at reduction of over 500 on every
$500 of taxation. This reduction
seemed large, but it was caused by
placing the raw wool on the free list.
The reduction on dutiable woolen
goods amounted to $12,000,000, but
the wooden manufacturer was not in
iured. He was benefited. This bill
gave the manufacturer free wool and
20 per cent taxation, and still it is
said to be free trade measure.
BOOKS, PAPERS, ETC.
The duty on books, papers, ETC.,
was now $22.13. The bill left it at
$22.O6, less than 10 cts. reduction
The bill reduced the duty on steel
rails from SIT per ton to $11 per ton,
and although the duty was left at 54
per cent it was charged that the dem
ocrats were trying to ruin this infant
industry Fifty-four per cent was a
larger duty than had been placed on
steel rails from 1864 to 1870.
Mr.. Mills then addressed himself
to the consideration of the free list.
On that list had been placed articles
amounting to 20,000,000. The larg
est was wool, from which $1,000, 900
was received When the democrats
wished to put wool upou the free
list, they were charged with breaking
the middle link out of the chain. The
gentlemen who were charging the
democratic side of the House with
bringing in a free trade measure had
taken the duty off Of cotton and put
that article on the free list. Had
they stricken out the middle link of
the chain7 When it was proposed
to put wool on the free list, it was
charged that the democrats were
striking the combination which had
made the protective tariff, and that
they should not touch wool. The
first tariff ever framed in this govern
ment after the Constitution was
adopted embraced in its title decla-
ration of the principle OF encourage
ment to home industries, and it was
proposed to encourage home indus
tries by putting wool on the free list.
! GApplause. The next largest item
on the free list WAS tin-plate, from
which duty of S,700,000 was deriv-
ed. Not pound of this tin plate
was made in the United States. The
industry did not give q man employ
ment in this country, and the placing
of the article on the free trade list
could not take dollar from any man
ufacturing establishment. Tin-plate
could be found in the home of every
poor man, and tho committee pro-
posed to remove the duty, and put
S5,000,000 back into the pockets of
the poor people of the country. If
that was free trade, make the most
of it.
The next item was salt. Salt had
first been put on the free list by
Thomas Jefferson. God had made
salt for man and beast. and it ought
not to be taxed; but because a few
people were interested in the salt
monopoly the committee was brand
ed before the people of the United
States as free traders-because they
wanted to give back this bounty on
an article which God had prepared
for them.
The duty on cotton ties, which
were placed on the free list, amount
ed to SI2L0O0. 1t was charged that
The bill was sectional because it plac
ed cotton ties on the free list. Did
gentlemen from the Northwest ever
think that when they abolished this
s121. 900 they enabled the poor peO-