Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-03-05
Reduction of the Tariff.

only one subject, the reduction of the
tariff. In accordance with his no.
tions and desires Speaker Carlisle,
after very long delay, selected a
J committee whose views accorded with
/ those of the president, as nearly as
! possible, who should formulate a bill
| for the reduction of the revenue. The
democratic members of this commit
tee were selected mainly from the
south, Chairman Mills hailing from
far away Texas; the republican side
of the committee was selected, not
that the minority should have voice
OF influence in the deliberations of the
committee, bnt because parliamentary
usage made it necessary to put the
minority party on committees. The
universal custom in all Legislative
bodies is to conduct all business in
full committee in which all members
have equal rights, and in which all
are expected to meet at stated times,
or at the call of the chairman. Very
soon after the committee was select
ed it became known that the demo-
cratic side of the machine was hold
ing meetings by itself and struggling
over a revenue reduction measure.
For about two months this junta has
held secret meetings, and the strug
gle and travail over the proposed
bill has been said to be terrible. So
conflicting have been the views of the
democratic members over details that
the bill has only been formed at all
by concessions and sorrows, expert
enced only when it becomes necessary
for congressman to go back on the
interests of his constituents. At
length, after the long struggle is end
ed, the rump end of the committee
brings its offspring into daylight, and
permits the full committee to look
the creature over and consider its
character.
The bill formed relates only to tar
if, internal revenue matters being
ignored. The bill proposes to admit
free of duty, among other things of
most Importance, wool, lumber, salt,
marble and granite, tin and some
other commodities. Slight reduc-
ton in tariff is made on sugar and
many other articles. The bill would
be a very heavy blow to the manu-
featuring industries of New England,
and would be especially severe on
Vermont. With all Canada to COM
pete in the lumber markets of New
England. the duty reduced 81 on a
| thousand feet, the lumber business
would be ruined. The marble and
granite business, now important,
would be destroyed by admitting the
granite of Scotland and elsewhere
free, while we should be brought into
competition with the marbles of lta-
| lv,where labor is so cheap as to make
it impossible to quarry here and sell
in the worlds free market. The eff
feet of free wool would destroy all
profit on raising wool, which is at
best poorly remunerative at present
| prices with a tariff of ten cents on
unwashed and 20 cents a pound on
washed woods. Other changes pro-
posed would work adversely to the
agricultural interests of this state,
while the manufacturers of New Eng
land would suffer most severely.
Without doubt some, possibly many,
of the minor reductions and altera-
tions are demanded. 1t does seem,
however, that something might have
been devised which would have pro-
tected all the industries of the coun-
try, instead of doing harm to so many
of them. The measure, of course,
is only the work of a small committee
acting in harmony with the views OF
the president on the subject. Some
of the democratic members of both
houses of congress are liable to In
terpose strong objections to the bill
while the republicans are all strong
for projections" believing that the
revenue of the country can be re-
duced by taking the taxes off of to-
bacco, sugar and other articles Of
consumption, while the tariff prope
can be altered to diminish the reve
nues without destroying or sadly in
juring any great industry of the coun
try.
1t is a great and vexed question t.
handle, but there ought to be wisdom
and non-partisanship enough in con
gress to wisely cut down incomes t.
about the necessities of the govern
ment. 1t is almost an unheard o
thing in the worlds history to fine
the revenues of country so large a
to be burdensome, if not threatening
There is, however, in our case, III
) cause for deep alarm or weeping OIL
t account of the revenues eXceedin,
the expenses by about hundred
millions, while the country has deb
of thirteen hundred millions
How Protection Protects.
: The scale of protective duties SHOULD
: ho 60 adantad aS to cacnrn tho rimh