The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-10-09

been very great, but the value Of these, when meas
ured by the value Of clothing, farm utensils, and
other necessities of the farmers life is much greater
now lnan In any years preceding 1860
AN IRREPREsslBLE CONTEST.
nie majority say the controversy between the OPP
ponehts ana friends of the bill under discussion is
not one over names and phrases; 1t is contest be-
tween those who support and those who oppose the
ict is as irrepressibe that which was wagcd be-
tween the respective friends offreedom and slavery
The duties between those who believe that protec.
i've duties may be levied in pursuance of a wise
public policy and those who believe that all protec
i've duties are indefensible and in this discussion
the advocates of the house bill necessarily take
tenn 80
The majority regard the sections of house bill in
tended 10 modify the existing laws relating to tax
on distilled spirits as certain TO open wide the way
70 fraud in the collection of taxes distilled spir-
Its. 1t is estimated it says that with all the exist
ing safeguards, there are annually produced about
s. 0OOO0to 100000 gallons that do not pay tax and
II IS notable that in some of the southern markets
tax. -
The majority concludes with statement that they
nave considered numerous suggestions for the re-
peal OF all internal revenue taxes and the abolition
OF the entire internal revenue system, but they
deem the adoption of this course at present, both
lnpractlcabeand unwise not only because the repeal
OF thesel taxes would create large annual deficit,
nut Tor the further reason that taxes levied dis
be retained and legislation to protect American
garry products from fraudulent limitations should
De enforced.
The minority report says:
The republican majority of the committee not
pelng willing to accept the house bill basis of
revision of the existing laws and to correct
existing evils decided to strike cut all after the en-
actlng clause and report an entirely new bill.
IN the preparation of this substitute no member
OF the minority of the committee was consulted or
informed as to its provisions until it was reported
10 the full committee on the 18th of September
The chairman of the committee in May last ap-
pointed subcommittee to hear such persons as
wished to be heard upon the revenue question and
hluch ilne has been consumed and thousands of
pages have been printed of statements, arguments
and appeals OF manufacturers and others who de-
nland that the present high rate of tariff taxation
shall be maintained and in most instanc
increased prompted not by any revenue
necessities, but alone for the purpose of increasing
their own profits at the expense of $4,000 600 tax
payers It's safe tosay that all interests benefited bv
the high and protective tariff have been fully heard
ana have had much influence in shaping this SUBJ
stitute while the great body of the people, tax pay
ers and victims of this policy, have not appeared
and have not been heard.
The short time that the substitute has been in the
hands OF the minority of the committee and many
changes made in the existing classification as
changes from ad valorem to specific duties and
many compound duties imposed renderit difficult
Tor the minority to approximate, with satisfactory
certainty the extent to which tariff taxation is in
creased or diminished upon various articles in
Guided i'll various schedules or what effect these
changes will probably have upon the amount of
revenue to result from such changes
An essential difference between the house bill and
senate substitute is apparent and radical at the out
set IN matter OF revenue. one framed in the
interest Of the public treasury the other in the in
teres of private pockets. One is framed in the in
terest OF the whole people, the other in the interest
OF three hundred manufacturers. One is designed
to reduce both government revenue and taxation
taxation especially which bears heaviest on the
necessities of life; the other, is intended
to raise public revenue, indeed, but to
maintain private revenues by increasing and
retaining taxation on all the necessaries of life
The advocates of the substitute freely proposed to
reduce duties abolish them on those things which
Yield only government revenue, but refuse to re-
dnce or abolish duties on those things which pro-
u e private revenue. This purpose is ayowed and
is defended on the ground that it is all for labor
When it is remembered that the average tariff duty
on all manufactured goods is AZ per cent. it will be
seen that their love for the workingman is
based on the other 26 per cent, which
they pocket. Having robbed him of more
Workingman they can well afford to love him, and
that love will continue undated until he insists on
having all the law gives HIM.
But the minority thinks safe to say that the chief
reductions in tariff taxation, as provided by the
substitute are cenned to the articles of sugar and
rice withJute and few other unimportant articles
put upon the free list while there is increase of
duties imposed upon mutitoIm manufactures of
people, and especially the poor and most needy
classes, are compelled 10 use.
The substitute relieves non-necessary tobacco in
all its lors except cigars, cheroots and cigarettes
from internal taxation and gives free alcohols to
the arts. Taking the tax off of tobacco Will reduce
the revenues about $24 1850 and it is estimated
that the tax taken from alcohol for the arts will
make further reduction of about 81 600 000 but in
view of the mpossbility of preventing frauds upon
the revenue that should be derived from distilled
spirits for purposes other than the arts the loss of
revenue may safely be estimated at many
times 81 00OO coo. Practically the substitute offers to
the people free whisky and Tree tobacco having all
the expensive machinery for the collection of reye
nue. and the enforcement of the law in full force
while it exercises taxation upon the actual and in
dispensable necessares of life, and this too when
there large surplus in the treasury, and under
existing laws that surplus is being increased at the
rate of of over $10,C00,000 per month. thus with
drawing and Withholding from the channels of
trade, commerce and business of the country money
absolutely necessary to their successful operations
The minority illustrates by copious references to
the metal schedules. In no single instance, they
say, is the policy upon which the substitute was
way iron. The cost TO produce rails at the leading
mill i'll the United States in 1887 was less than $27
per ton of which less than 81 % per ton paid in
wages. The present rate of duty on steel rails is
Sl7, and by the substitute it is reduced to $1568
per ton. The question arises whether this will re-
duce the wages Of operatives sl.S5 or whether the
SLAB bounty above the whole cost paid for labor
will satisfy the manufacturers Labor cost in a ton
ofsteel rails being S425 on pretense that this Is so
much higher than the former wages, burden of
SI5.6S is thus laid upon every ton of steel rails i'm
prices here i'll order to equalze the difference in
domestic and foreign wages.
This burden is laid upon the transportation of the
country its foreign trade measured by the amount
of duties collected but where it is transferred to
our internal commerce, the burden is measured by
every pound of rails which it had to pass and
ultimately falls with crushing weight upon the agri
culturist, whose bulky products must seek foreign
market over these taX-laden roads, and in foreign
ships and when these foreign markets are reached
these products must compete with the pauper pro-
duets of the cheapest labor to be found anywhere
under the sun. The house bill made great stride
for the farmers relefwhen it reduced this tax TO
Sill per ton
INCREASING THE FARMERS BURDEN.
The rods of which the farmers wire fence is
made not apparently changed in rate, but by
various changes in classification actual and impor
tant additional burdens are imposed. The reduc-
ton dutiable value from So to cents per pound
weight accomplishes this An additional size num-
Der 6, added without an apparent change of rates.
does adroity increase the rate paid on wire rods of
this size from 45 per cent to about 81 per cent and is
an increased tax On this one size of wire rods of
nearly $500 90, upon the basis of the importations
OF 1897 and there is added a proyiso which rods
smaller than No. 6 are classified as wire and thus
affect a third distinct increase Of tax in this one Sec
ton. and this is called part of the system
rightly so-called.
LICK AT THE BAGGIN6 TRUST.
Cotton ties also receive their careful considera-
ton. 1t is not enough that the most formidable
and nsolent trust which ever laid its hand upon the
throat of honest labor threatening every class from
tn epoor colored cotton picker whose few pounds of
the crop he could not get to market for lack OF
means TO wrap it, to the merchant and capitalist
who advanced the necessaries of life to sustain him
through the season. To these come the proposed
revision, not wi tn q helping hand, but with other
burdens and cotton ties, which their own friends
had reduced to IS per cent in the tariff of 1888 lone
of the bright of iniquity) They omit by name
but include in the new classification so that instead