The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1888-01-11
SOUND TARIFF poCTRrNE,

In his speech in the Senate Chamber in t
Washington, Wednesday, Senator Sher-
man struck the keynote of the tariff
question for the Republican party. If, as
Senator Sherman says, the Presidents on
ly desire is to get rid of a burdensone
surplus 10 the Treasury, why does he not
use it, as Republican administrations be-
fore him have used it, in wiping out the
National burdens; clearing the people of
the debt that the country will have to
shoulder? Senator Sherman was at the
head of the Treasury Department when
the financial standing of the nation was at
its turning point, when the Government
resumed specie payments after the season
of financial disturbance that followed the
war, and no one is better able to speak
authoritatively. In his speech, Senator
Sherman points out that the only Repub-
lican Congress in ten years largely re-
duced the internal taxes and the customs
duties; yet it is notorious fact that that
reduction failed of the object sought,
reduction of the surplus revenue. The low
er tariff rates encouraged increased impor-
tation and consequently increased the
revenues of the Government from GUS
toms duties.
Besides the prepayment of the national
debt, which could be accomplished by pur-
chases of bonds or by the adoption of
comprehensive debt.reconstruction plan,
many of which have been suggested, Sen
ator Sherman speaks Of sundry ways in
which the surplus revenues might be
used profitably Among the first is the
suitable care of the Union soldier who
may BIO in need. a more patriotic or just
disposition could not be made Of part of
the Government idle millions. Another
suggestion, one which in time would re-
turn to the people hundred. fold in the
trade that it would encourage, is provi
sion for postal communication with the
South American States. Such provision
would also encourage closer political re-
latIons between North and South America,
that could not but benefit all concerned
and greatly advance the cause of ciyiliza-
ton. Yet President Cleveland vetoed APP
preparations having for their object this
very thing.
Senator Sherman divides the importa-
lions of the United States, in other words,
the purchases made by Americans from
their foreign neighbors, into four classes.
| The articles of the irst-elass constitu-
| ting one-third of the total value of all ar
| tices imported, are admitted free of duty.
In these articles there is, therefore, abso-
lutte free trade. They are mainly articles
which, by reason of climatic or other hos
| tile influences, cannot be produced in the
| United States. To the extent involved in
such importations, Mr.. Sherman, as well
as all Republicans, is good free-trader.
| The second. class: Something over one
sixth in value of the total importations in
to the United States, is made up of ar
tcles of luxury and ornament, such as
silks, handsome dress and house orna
ments, fine wines and cigars. These pay
| duty OF about fifty per cent, one-thlrd
of all the duties collected; they should
pay as much as they will BEAR as the tax
comes mainly from those who are able to
pay. Another class (the third), constitu-
ting little less in value than one. sixth
of the whole value Of imported articles, is
made up of food products and animals. -
They pay duty of more than sixty per
cent, more than tbree-fourths of which,
however, comes from the duty on sugar.
Senator Sherman makes the wise sngges-
ton that the duty on sugar might be re-
duced or wiped out, and bounty paid to
all American producers to continue the
| encouragement to American growers, and
the beet and sorghum cane producers The
sugar tax is undoubtedly unnecessarily
high 1t is the chief inconsistency Of our
present tariff laws, and by its removal a
burden would be taken from the lot of
every man, as we'll as from fifty to sixty
million dollars annually from Treasury
surplus
The fourth class-and by far the most
important--into which Senator Sherman
divides the Nations importations, is the
one Mr.. Cleveland directly attacks in his
recent message. 1t constitutes one-third
in value of the total importations, aud
duties averaging less than thirty nine per
cent. are collected from the articles in-
eluded in this class. The articles are
those coming into direct competition with
American manufactures. The American
industries producing these articles have
been built up by the encouragement OF
the tariff laws, and Mr.. Cleveland repre-
| senting the Democratic party, wishes to
pull them down, for the sake Of an idea.
There is nothing else involved ia his plan.
| lie passed over the Internal Revenue
taxes because he said they were not bur
densome; yet these taxes arc wholly
levied on domestic products and are pure.
| ly war t9xes, about which there is SO
much Democratic jargon going the rounds.
The tariff laws of the United States may
| DO summarized as follows: Duties on ar
ticles of luxury averaging fifty per cent,
| duties on articles of food aud on animals
| exclusive of sugar. averaging forty four
| per cent (many OF these articles partake
largely of the character of luxuries), du-
| ties on articles of manufacture, competing
with American producers, averaging thir-
ty-nine per cent and tho free list. Is this
unreasonable PROFESSIONALLY, there are
incongruities in the tariff laws which
should be corrected but the dominating
wing of the Democratic party, headed
by Mr.. Cleveland and Mr. Carlisle, will
not permit the correction, unless their
whims are allow to prevail The MAORI
ty in Congress supposed to represent the
wishes of the majority of the people of
the United States will not listen to such
dictation or, at least, refused to do SO at
the last session of Congress, and it is be-
coming quite evident that what was true
of the last Congress is equally true of the
present.