The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1888-03-14
DOOMED TO DEFEAT.
The Democratic Tariff Bill Stands
Not a Ghost of Show
of Passing.
Many of ths Misleading Provisions of
the Measure Pointed
Out.

Washington special to Chicago Inter ocean,
The point to which the opponents of the
tariff bill are now devoting their attention
is to ascertain whether or not the proposed
changes in the customs schedule will actu-
ally result In a reduction OF the surplus.
Ii they do not, Of course the object for
which the bill pretends to be introduced
will not have been accomplished. A close
analysis of the bill shows that the reduc-
tion In the rates on sugar are strikingly de-
ceptive. Computing the sugar as graded
last year ON the basis OF the new rates, the
result would be an apparent decrease in the
duty from sugar of Sll 500, 900; but an ac-
count must also be taken of the increased
percentage of consumption over the pre-
ceding year, of which the bill takes no no.
tce. The increase in consumption was IL
per cent, so that, deducting this TO COR
respond with the increase in 1887, the
actual reduction from sugar on the basis
OF last years importation and last years
increased consumption would be only
So, 900, 900 instead of ST., 5000
There is similar misleading provision
as to the duty on molasses. In this item
no change is made in the rate upon grades
below So degrees, but on the rate above,
which is taxed at 3 cents, they have fixed
a duty OF q cents. An exact computation
OF the total difference which would be eff
fected in the revenue by this proposed
change would be $43.lS-practlcally no
change. If there was to have been any de-
crease IN the revenue even on the basis of
the importations of last year, the changes
in the duties should be upon the grades of
molasses below 56. The bill is made up
in very deceptive manner, and evidently
was intended to deceive. Take, for in
stance, the chemical schedule which, in the
existing law, was intended for seeds and
vegetables which are edible. In the new
bill the words mot edible" are stricken out.
The result is that under the construction
Of this law which the trade would be GER
tain TO give, all oats, rye, barley, wheat,
and every cereal product can come in from
Canada free.
The words mot specially provided for"
are also omitted, as we'll as the words mot
edible" SO that there can be no doubt that
this provision of the schedule admits Ca
madam cereals free Of duty, and is another
vital blow to the farmers ali along the bor-
der, especially to the cereal producing
States of the Northwest. The farmers Of
Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois, for in
stance, are thus not only to have the duty
stricken of the growing industry of flax.
but OF oats, 20, barley, wheat, corn, and
wool. The bill goes further than this, and
makes everything that is raised on farm
that is edible, duty free, from hens egg
to beef creature. The provision under
whicfrbeef' is to be imported free of duty
is hid in the vague phrase "meats, game,
and poultry" which occurs in one of the
clauses OF the free list.
The members of the Senate Finance
Committee who have gone over the bill
and carefully compared it with the exist
ing schedules say that that will let in beef
free. But the Democrats of the Ways and
Means Committee don't pretend that they
know whether the reductions in the GUS
toms rate will result in decrease of rev.
enue.
Mr.. Mills admits that the method of
computation which the committee has
adopted can not disclose absolutely the
effects upon the revenue OF the new tariff
legislation. The comparative tables, there
fore, which the committee expect to fur
nish to the House next week will not con-
tain any information. They proceed on
the assumption that the same amount of
merchandise will be imported next year
under reduced rate OF duty which was
imported this year at higher rate. This,
of course, is an erroneous assumption, for
it is one of the fundamental laws in the
operation of the tariff system that the re-
duction of the duty increases tho importa-
ton. The free traders, therefore, can't,
from the ANALYSIS to which the bill has
been subjected, claim that the changes in
the tariff will actually result in any reduc-
ton.
One Democrat who has carefully gone
through the bill and made an estimate on
the basis that the revenues would rema IN
stationary, claims that under Mr.. Mills
programme the total net reduction effected
by the reduced tariff rates would be only
So, 100000. Mr.. Mills himself admits
that the change of the law as to special tax
on large packages will add. possibly, Sl0.-
600, 900 to the revenue, so that it would be
necessary to reduce his own estimate of
the production by that sum.
Policy of the Leaders.
Washington special