Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-09-29
THE RUM, TOBACCO AND SUGAR
BILL.

THE RUM. TOBACCO AND An
BILL.
The Republican tariff bill viii not be
reported till next week. The greatest
secrecy has been preserved by the Sena-
tlrial tariff thinkers regarding their meas
ure. The New York Herald, however,
managed to get the important features OF
me bill before the public.
Mr.. BLAINE's advice has prevailed as to
the abolition of the tax on tobacco. inns
will reduce the revenue about thirty mill
ions
The tax on sugar has been cut down fifty
Ger cent, which will decrease the revenue
by twenty-five millions more.
Ten millions additional are to be saved
from the tax on alcohol and five millions
from various articles placed on the tree
list.
The bill proposes to abolish as tar as
practicable our ad vAlOrem duties aud
raise the necessary federal income from
specific duties.
This is so radical a change and one
which will produce such embarrassing II
not disastrous results, especially in its
bearing on the purchases of the laboring
classes, that the bill compares very unfav'
orably with the MILLS bill, if the object
of legislation is the benefit of the masses.
The wage Garner and the man with q
small income will find in it very little to
comfort or cheer him. It compels him to
pay heavily for the necessaries Of life, but
puts few Injuries within easy reach.
Alcohol and tobacco may be had at the
minimum rate; as for the articles Of daily
consumption few changes are made, and
he must pay the old prices.
Commenting on the measure at length
sditorially the Herald says:
The bill has been framed in haste, is ex-
lrernemly crude and in many respects IN
satisfactory to the Republicans themsel-
multifarious interests of capitalists they
found it impossible to do justice to the in
tsrests OF the people at large. And since
they were compelled to choose between
two horns of dilemma, they preferred
the rights of the few and let those Of the
many 90 by the board.
IL will be known AZ the Rum, Tobacco
and Sugar bill--these being its chief char
aetsristies. As a campaign document 1t
will prove 10 be worthless.
The Republican party was inclined some
months since to follow Mr.. Blaine's sd-
vice and 90 before the country on the sim-
pie issue Of hostility to any reduction oil
she tariff After pledging itself repeated
" to tariff reform without any attempt to
keep its promise, the people became sus'
picious and invited 1t to withdraw. The
Democrats came into power, took the bull
by the horns and presented the Mills bill
as a measure of relief. From that moment
tina Republicans have been hystsrical.
They began to deny the existence Of q
surplus revenue, or following the lead Of
Senator Frye, who said, II wish / were
autocrat and had control of the United
States for about ten years. They would
not complain of any surplus" affirmed the
Justice of continuing high taxes and spend.
ing the peoples money on Congressional
schemes of jobbery.
All that has been suddenly changed.
The Republicans seen that they have
Numbered. The people have more sense
than they credited them with. The coun-
try accepted Mr.. Clevelsnd's warning Of
last December, and now demand an nm
mediate revision Of the tariff. The party
that has. nothing to say about the surplus
must 90 to the wall. Straightwsy the Re.
publicans right about face and bring IN
tariff bill.
But the Mills bill covered the ground so
completely that only standing room was
lett, Il removed the tax on some OF the
necessaries of life as friendly act toward
the wage earners, and nothing but Injuries
remsined for the Republicans to handle.
As matters stand now, therefore. you
have the Mills bill with cheap blankets
aud woollen undergsrments, and the Sem