The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1888-08-09
A Free Trade Party.

We print in another column a protest
against our daily declaration that the tar
if policy of the Democratic party is free
trade policy. Our friend speaks with ev-
ident candor and sincerity and he deserves
and shall have the reasons for deeming
the Democratic party for free trade.
The practical policy OF the Democratic
party is at present summed up IN two ia
miliar papers-ope statement OF prln-
other the Mills bill, a measure carefully
adjusted and pruned to catch votes on the
eve of a doubtful contest. Of these, the
Presidents's message is the most impOr-
tant. 1t is the personal opinion OF the DEM
ocratic candidate. 1t covers the whole field.
1t has already been accepted by the Dem
ocratic party as its creed. The Mills bill
does not 20 as far, but it goes in the same
direction. Both look to free trade. and by
free trade we do not mean, neither does
our correspondent, the abolition OF custom
houses, but the reduction of the duties
which protect American industry until
thew disappear, and the adoption of the
English policy under which Government
expenses are met by and internal revenue
tax on spirits and tobacco and custom
duties so arranged as not to protect home
industries.
This policy the message would bring
about. President Cleveland found himself
face to face with the condition not the
ory' that in raising $685., 110,2S4 by tax
alton in 1887. the Federal Government
raised $113, OOO, 900 more than it needed. He
refused to reduce the internal revenue
taxation amounting to $ll8, 1913 ,391. This
left S217 ,2S6. 1893 raised by customs. "The
taxation of luxuries, he said, presents no
! hardship and he refused to reduce the
tariff raised on them. or S4l, TIC. 462. This
| left two great divisions of revenue, the
revenue from sugar, S5S ,016,6S6. and from
the sariff duties protecting our industries,
not luxuries, Sill, 499, 745. The whole
reduction must fall here it his advice is
| followed. He has left no other point for
| reduction. He might have urged cheap
sugar. He did not. His party refuses to
reduce this. even to the level OF the rest OF
the tariff. This leaves the whole blow
| for the protective duties. President Cleve-
| land IS message, if followed. would reduce
by $l13, 900 900. the $l75,5l ,431 now raised
| TO protect sugar and manufactures.
If this is not free trade, what would bep
The Mills blllis an attempt to jugge the
issue. but it remains free trade in principle.
Our friend says the reduction is from Al
per cent, to 40 per cent. He is deceived
by averages. A uniform reduction. were
one made, beginning with raw materials
and scaling up through all grades. scaling
less as labor increased, would be open tt
his defense The Mills bill does not dc
this. Take iron and steel, whose fall would
Law now the industries in Schuylkill county
from which our correspondent gets hi
, trade. The Mills bill leaves the duty OF
J iron ore, makes no reduction worth speak
Q ing of on pig, cuts heavily on, steel rail
!, and wire rods and structural iron AM
makes tinplate and hoop iron over No. q
wire gauge free. From the day thi
becomes law no man can make tinplat
and this grade of hoop iron while he has t.
nav the pricessf protected labor and pre-
tected raw material from which to max
them.
This is not all German looking glass
treated in the same way. Crockery pre-
lection is cut, while the duty is left 0
the clay. In chemicals the top is cut, an
the raw material left with duty. III
entire bill is full of these changes. Th
one raw materials which the experience
of a half century shows is only produce
in the United States under duty, so tina
wool means foreign wool.
3, If this is not free trade, what would bt