Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-02-16

in l,vinc duties should Discriminate
In favor ~ the home producer TO On ex-
tent sufficient 10 cover tue difference
In cost OF prodm.ilon, but they now demand
thai ine tax shall be 50 high o. 10 prohibit
the ,pnorta,ion OF foreign goods In order
that the home market sh1Il be kept Tor home
producers, where they may combine and sell
to the home consumer st price a. high 81
the traffic will bear, aud this they are
pleased tn cali protection 10 American in-
dustry. The industry they sre protecting IS
the industry Of robbing the taS-pay-
ers, limiting production, locking out,
discharging, and starving labor. The
rOlicv Of the party represented by tbe
Finance Committee IL the policy OF rcstric.
tioa not only agains; tho importation OF
products OF restriction, but against the dis-
tribniiou OF wealth among the masses oy
permitting them TO buy whtTe they can BUY
chearest and sell where they can sell highest.
II is restriction against the employment oil
characterization sgainst the demand ior
employment and better wages. IL Is con-
tended by them that n we exclude loreian
imDorts our own manufacturers and 'heir
workmen will supply them aud that WIZ give
employment TO our people,
The report then sdduees hguTes ana sta-
tistics OF the operation OF the tariH Jaw Ia
past wears TO meet the Senate's contention,
and declares that those years which showed
decreasing importstions were among tue
darkest In our industrial history. t i con-
tended that the reduced duties mean larger
expectations, and that the increased inpor :
fatious mean increased prosperity, that 20
nsr cent. Of she goods Consumed in the
United states are produced at lower cost
H-sa
answer 20 The scarecrow that free importation
world result in running our industries and
labor Il Is said that the reduction In rates
will increase the importation OF ar
ticles now imported constituting less
than ) per cent. OF consumption, but
If would not bring 10 This country any OF The
articles now produced AZ home, because they
csn be and are produced aud sold here
cheaper than they can he produced abroad
and imported and sold here IN competition
with our own. Manufacturers favor hugh
duties because they enable them to combine
upon prices far in excess OF ordinary profits.
The lowering OF duties will not increase the
Importation OF any OF the articles which we
manufacture at nome. But it will lower the
price Of these articles 10 The consumer. II
will increase the importation of certain Kinds
OF raw materials OF partially manufactured
materials. and OF such manufactured articles
as cannot be produced here.
The Committee say: - We therefore can
not consent 90 the barriers which have
been 10 unhesltaiingiy erected by the sub
ylitute OF the Senate. The policy defined
and declared by the Finance Committee Is
destructive OF all American industries eX'
cept th t OF building up privileged classes
who are to be enriched ard kept 50 by she
1 - ,af 1
Gibts importation, prohibits cXporiatiOn,
probibus ompoT ment. locks out aud dls-
| tresses labor. and promotes destitu,lon and
suffering throughout the land. The senate
| bill has changed the ad va0rem rates
wherever i, could he done and substituted
| speci6c rates In their stead. This change
| " ~ not reduce aud simplify the laws. bu'
! increase and mystiy them. II Is for thal
purpose that the specific tax IL used
and it il because the ad valorem tax wil
not answer that purpose that 1t y
condemned by those who favor high rate
OF taxation. As Justification Tor many
| changes fi0m al yalorem 20 specific rates 0i
| the Finance Committee, II is charged tina
enormous frauds have been 1crpelfale'
under the at yalorcm system. Frauds Sr'
not the product Of ans particular sysoem
| and no system IS exempt from them. Frau'
IS in all sysiems aud In al rates, high an'
low, and the number and magnitude OF tn
| frauds are measured 10y the amount Of bur
den imposed upon the taxpayer and the Ia
Guilty for ~ evasion
The remainder OF the report is devoted L
an analysis OF the Senate Bill a. an indica
ton OF the points Of difference between
aud the House dill, made up apparently from
figures furnished by Treasury experts.