The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-08-20
TARIFF
A Conclusive Answer to an Inquiry Put by
q Democratic Newspaper.

q DemOcratic newspaper.
New York Press.
Here Is a problem which no supporter of Harrison
has been able to answer, and the campaign is now six
weeks old: If a AZ per cent. tariff is protection, how
can a 40 per cent. tariff be called free tfsdei-The
World.
The Press has answered this, can answerit, and
will challenge the World to print the answer.
First. In this fraudulent cry no account is
taken Of the fact that the Mills bill proposes to
put the products Of 100 unfortunate American
Industries upon the free list.
Second, the interesting and able free trader who
writes those articles for the World knows very
we'll why the average ad valorem rate of duty Is
AZ per cent. now in spite of the honest reductions
made on all articles Of necessity, In 1883. by the
Republican party. The reason OF this comes
largely from the intense greed of the sugar
producers. In 1882 they informed the tariff
commission that they wanted about IS per cent
duty. and that the specific duties which were
then proposed would make al average ad va
lorem rate of about 10 per cent
What has happenedf The specific duty which
was to have yielded 40 per cent has, in fact,
yielded nearly so per cent, and last year the
exact amount was 1915 per cent. The total
value Of dutiable imports last year was. In round
figures, $3.50, 600. 600. and of that nearly SO. 000.-
900, or o~ne.sixth OF the total, was sugar. If We
add to this the imports of liquors aud wines of
all sorts and tobacco leverage ad valorem rate
of liquors l54 per cent. and tobacco "a per cent
we have nearly 500. 600. 600 of imported goods
on which the average ad valorem duty is rs, 154
and 81 per cent respectively,
The swindline, classifying reports which ac-
com pany the Mills bill endeavor to gull the un-
wary into the belief that the average sd valorem
rate has increased since 1883 on the necessities
of life. Let US SEQ. Has 1t increased on raw
wool since 1887 No; IL has decreased. On the
manufactures of woolf No; it has decreased.
On iron and steel and manufactures of No; q
decided decrease there. On silk and the manu-
features of No; a decrease of nearly 20 per
cent. there. On paper and its MATERIAL! No; .
decrease there. As q matter Of fact the aver
ege dnties have decreased on every important
article except q trihing increase in the cotton
schedule. In glass and glassware, and on salt
(due to the decrease of the unit of cost since
1888.
How do We account for the increased The in
crease is due to the advance in the rate on sugar
Ia Democratic industry from 81 IS in 1882 to
7S. Is per cent in 1887; to the advance in the
rate on liquors from l42. 70 in 1882 to 154. OF per
cent. 1887. and on tobacco from 49, Oh in 1882 to
49, 80 in 1887.
Here we have products which, with rico at
nearly 100 per cent, amount TO nearly 800, oOO.-
600 out of our $3.50, 600. 900 total duiiabie impor-
~tatiops. Any one familiar with percentages
will realize low these four articles. aggregatinR
500. 00O, 900, or nearly q quarter of our total i'm
ports, with an average rate of duty ranging
from 78 to l54 per cent, advance the average ad
valorem rate of all dutiable imports. The Mills
bill only slightly reduces the sugar duties, adj
vances the duty on rice, and leaves liquors aud
tobacco untouched. TEis gives them the high
fraudulent rate Of taxation which we hear so
much about.
With intent TO deceive the people, the trainers
of the Mills bill make up a free list which need
lessly slaughters one hundred American indus
tries, and then indiscriminately put the knife
into industries in which the rates of duty have
already been reduced BY the law of 1883, and
cut them down from 20, 80 and, in some cases.
40 per cent. Having COMPLETED that secret and
outrageous work they seek TO cover up the
tracks by an average ad valorem rate, ia which
sugar. at nearly 20 per cent. (the rate at which
the Mills bill leaves sugar., rice at 10G per cent.
and liquor and tobacco at 154 and SIS per cent,
segregating nearly one quarter of the imports,
make up the rate to 40 per cent.
The Press, therefore,. boldly asserts that. out
side of the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES fraud. the
duties have decreased since 1883. and it further
more claims, and is prepared to substantiate its
assertion. that the high average rates on these
four articles are being used to deceive the peo-
pie into the belief that the proposed reduction
is only 10 per cent, whereas. including the free
list. il is more than double that. Taken in con-
nectiou with the most harmful free list which
has ever passed Congress, the industries and
labor of the country may we'll be alarmed at
the passage of the Mills bin.