The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1890-05-21
How TariG BIZ. are Made.

va n mas iCCClf0a tAOtii 10 ~0t.s.--t
tee on political reform about as fool
ish report as we happen to have
seen anywhere. "The amount OF
money necessary to be raised at this
time to support the general govern-
ment," the report says, ''is about
s400, 100000. That an annual levy
of S400, ,000, 900 should be burden
upon the people of the United States
which they would like to be rid of
is not surprising" We observe here
that the tariff is acknowledged to be
tax on the consumers, but the
committee on political reform COM
plains that the word 'stax" is can
opprobrious term" and it objects to
its use. 1t makes such a lot of diff
ference whether spade is called a
spade or a fiat, sharp edged iron
|tool-with wooden handle, used iii
excavating the soil.
The report proceeds: "If the free
traders would develop their ideas as
to how they would raise the $780,
900, 900 and tell the people what
their scheme of taxation is, it would
add life and interest to the dreary
discussion they have been carrying
on. How much of the money do
they expect to take directly from
the farmers, and what is their meth
od of doing it? What proportion of
the fixed incomes of the people are
to be taken to mako up this vast
sum? What proportions of the in
comes from the professions, what
stamp duties, and in general, where
is this money to come from?' We
do not know what the free traders
have to say on these points. The
free traders are so few in number
that we regard their opinions as
immaterial. Henry George is a free
trader, and we believe that he thinks
all public revenues ought to be rails
ed by land tax. The little single
tax party, however, is not the Dem
ocratic party, and while interesting,
it is not at present important.
"There is no escape from the prop
osition," the report says, "that the
General Government must be sup
ported by tariff duties or by internal
taxation in some form. There is no
consistency in denouncing all tariff
duties as wrong, unjust and immor-
al without at the same time advoca-
ting internal taxation asa substi-
tute." 1t adds that if the people
adhere to import duties as the chief
source of revenue, the question is
merely, "Shall it be revenue tariff
or u protective tariff" This is GER
tainly the only question the Demo
cratic party has taken any hand in
raising or discussing, and it seems
to us absurd that the committee on
political reform of this celebrated
Republican junto should spend so
much time refuting proposition
that no considerable number of per-
sons is advocating.
The report says that "The money
is not raised to aid manufacturing
interests and the free traders have
"tried to make people believe" what
is not true on the subject. "Not a
dollar" it declares, sis raised for
the benefit of the manufacturers.
The purpose of "a protection tariff is
to raise just the amount required
for the support of the Government
AS this sum must be raised by in
ternal taxation, unless raised by i'm
port duties, the protective policy is
to so raise it by import duties as to
promote our own industries. These
are promoted by letting in free such
things as we do not or cannot pro.
duce. and by placing this tax to
support the Government upon such
foreign articles as we do or can pro-
duce."
A moments reflection will show
how absurd this is. We prod uce
hides, but we put no duty on them,
and the Mckinley committee aban-
doned its idea of putting tax on
hides, because the manufacturers
objected. Before the committee re-
ported its bill it asked scores of
manufacturers how much duty they
wanted, and then fixed up the bill
to meet these demands, SO far as it
was possible. The whole Republi-
can method of evolving tariff bill
is to find out how much manufac-
turer wants and then give it to him,
unless some manufacturer who can
control more votes, or who gives
more money to the Republican cam
paign committee, wants the thing