West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1888-06-01
THE TARIFF IN THE POOR MANS
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livered in the tariff debate now in
progress is that of Hon. j. L. Mae
donald, Of Minnesota, who reviews
the entire tariff controversy, with
the object Of showing that Il high
tariff inficts great injuries upon all
classes Of citizens, except 105,027
capitalists, and most of all upon the
farmer. The surplus in the nation
al treasury, estimated to amount on
the seth of June next to $3.50, OO0,-
600, proves the necessity of some
measure of reducing taxes. Shall
the reduction be made in the inter
nal revenue from whisky, beer and
tobacco, aggregating $l1S,OOO,0O
or from tariff taxes, aggregating
$2l7,OOO,000? The tariff revenue
was derived from an average tax Of
At per cent. on about 1000 articles,
including $5S,0OO,0O0 from sugar,
500, 100000 from iron and steel, So
100000 from wool, $29, 700,0 900 from
manufacturers of wool, $l5,500.000
from silk, $4,000, 900 from glass and
glassware, $2,400,000 from earthen
ware, Sc, 100000 from hemp and fax
goods, $1,OO0,000 from lumber,
100000 from salt and 100000
from cotton goods. The balance of
the $217,O00,0O0 was collected on
imported luxuries. Mr.. Macdonald
puts the taxes on articles bought by
the farmer under appropriate heads.
Taxes on the kitchen: The stove
and poker, Is per cent. hollowware,
pots and kettles, So per cent; cop
per and brass utensils, As per cent;
crockery, cheapest kind, So per cent;
cheap glassware, As per cent; table
cutlery and spoons, 40 per cent;
salt, &c per cent; sugar, 80 per
cent; vinegar, 36 per cent; rice l23
per cent. Taxes on the parlor and
living rooms: Carpet, 6S per cent;
furniture, 35 per cent; wallpaper,
25 per cent; curtains, As per cent;
mirrors, 60 per cent; ornaments, 80
per cent. Taxes on the wardrobe:
Mems clothing of wool, AZ per cent;
wooden undershirts and socks, IS
per cent; cotton undershirts and
socks, As per cent; WOODEN hats, 70
per cent; gloves, GO per cent;
wooden dresses. 10 per cent; alpaca,
63 per cent; scissors, As Ter cent;
pins, As per cent; penknives, 30
per cent; needles, per cent; ink,
20 per cent. paper, rs per cent; ra-
zor, As per cent. Tax on sundries:
Castor oil, 102 per cent; CASTLE
soap, so per cent; common window
glass, so per cent; paint for the
farm house, 81 per cent; horseshoe
nails, 81 per cent; trace chains, 90
per cent; handsaw, 40 per cent:
flies, 40 per cent; spool thread, 60
per cent; bagging for grain, 40 per
cent; burr-stone, 20 per cent;
combs and brushes, 80 per cent; al
paca umbrella, so per cent; any
iron or steel the farmer needs, 4
per cent; tin-plate for canning meat
and fruits, "a per cent; tin cups,
swimmers and all tinware, AZ per
cent; barbed-wire fencing, IS per
cent. These rates not only raise the
prices ofimported articles to the ex-i
tent indicated, but also raise the
prices of all articles manufactured
in this country to a like extent.
The total tax thus exacted from the
people by the tariff is four or FIVE.
times the revenue of $217, 600, 900
that reaches the national treasury,
or about $lOO,0OO,0O0 a year. To
whom does the $S00,000,000 go?
1t goes to 1,400 sugar planters,
1900 rice planters, $4,000 wool
growers, and 52,127 manufacturers,
making an aggregate Of lO5,O27 cap