The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-03-27
Facts for a Contemporary.

The Atlanta Constitution pretends to be
something of a tariff expert IL ought to
know little about the tariff because it has
been on both sides of the tariff que 5tion.
From what appears in its columns, however,
it r. very doubtful whether it knows any
thing about it. If it only knew as much as
it thinks it does it would be called before
the Ways and Means Committee to give
that body the benefit of its knowledge.
The Constitution, in noticing an editorial
paragraph in the MORNING News, in which
it is stated that the people of Georgia are
strcngly opposed to the repeal of the inter
nal revenue taxes so long as the repeal
stands in the way of a reduction in taxa
ton on the necessaries of life says:
This is boSh of very tiresome variety
! There is not a man in Georgia able to think
or reason for himself but knows that the
repeal of the internal revenue taxes will
hasten, rather than prevent, reduction OF
taxation on the necessarieS of life. There
are great many people who are deceived
by such stuff as that which we have Qnoted
but those who write the stuff are not de-
ceived.
They know perfectly well that reduction
OF the tariff will not reduce the surplus
On the contrary, they know that reduc
ton OF the duties on the necesSarleS OF life
will increase the surplus by increasing i'm
portations. It the internal revenue system
is left unrepealed and the tariff reduced, the
surplus will be enormously increS sed
There is a fine display of knowledge Of
the tariff in the above quotation, isn't there:
What an array of facts and what compact
logic there is in the single sentence: "This
is bosh of a very tiresome variety" and
that is the sort of argument by which the
Constitution undertakes to convince the
people of Georgia that what it said against
high protective tariff little while ago
was all WI )ng, and what 1t now says is all
right. 1t is the kind of argument that it is
using to convince its readers that the great
Democratic party, of which it claims to be
member, will rreparably injure the in
terests of the people if it succeeds in its
efforts to reduce taxation on the necessaries
of life
But how about the broad and unsupported
assertion of the Constitution that there is
not a man in Georgia able to think and rea-
son for himself but knows that the repeal of
the internal revenue taxes will hasten,
rather than prevent, reduction of taxa
quite equal to the "bosh' argument, but it
approaches it, Who can picture the feel
ings of the Democratic members of the
Ways and Means Committee, when they
learn, through the MORNING NEWS, that
the Constitution says that every
thinking and reasoning man in
Georgia knows that the tariff bill, which
they have prepared with so much care for
the reduction of the surplus revenue and
for cheapening the necessaries of life, will,
If passed, increase the revenue In justice
to itself and to the whole country, the Con-
StitutiOn should at once, before the Mills
bin is considered in the House, make it
plain that the way to reduce taxation on
the necessaries of life is not to reduce the
taxes on them, but TO repeal the internal
revenue laws.
The Constitution says that reduction of
the tariff taxes will not be followed by de-
crease in revenue, and challenges the MORN
ING NEWS to show that it will. The es-
teemed contemporary asks too much. 1t
ought to study the tariff for itself, in order
to be in position to give its readers cor
rect information The gentlemen who
framed the Mills bill say that it will re-
duce the revenue from the tariff about $50
900, 200, aud there is no reason to doubt
their statement. 1t would be a very easy
matter to go through the bill and point out
the reductions that will result in decrease
in the revenue.
Take for instance, the item of tin plate
In 1886 the revenue derived from the duty
on that article was IS, 749,9 S4 o. If the
duty were reduced one-half or hree-fourths
would not the revenue from tin plate be re-
duced to that extent? Tin articles are nee
essary in every household, and there is no
tin produced in this country. The demand
for it is wholly supplied from abroad, and
a reduction of the tariff on it would not,
therefore, be followed by an increased i'm
portation of it. This is only one of many
articles that might be mentioned but it is
sufficient to answer the Constitutions in
quily.
The trouble with the Constitution is that
it accepts assertions without inquiring into
people do not read and think for themselves
Win it be kind enough to say why it wants
a duty of ST. a ton maintained on steel
rails when American manufacturers are
Offering them tor $3l a ton, and they can
not be laid down in this country, duty I'M
paid, for less than SIS.