The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-09-23
FRIDAY EVENING. SEPTEMBER %. 1892.
!. FoR nEvENUE ONLY.

"FOR REVENUE ONLY"
The Democratic party is pledged to
reduce our tariff on imports to a reve-
nue. basis.
Many taxes are now so high as to
prohibit importation and yield no reve-
nne.
II these prohibited articles were put
on the free list they would yield no
revenue, but the consumer would save
money.
Again, if instead of putting these
articles on the free list we reduced the
duty, imports would be encouraged
and revenue would be derived.
Still further, take the wooden sched-
ule !: The Mckinley tariff discourages
importations, and pays bonus for
adulteration- A lower tax would slim
ulate consumption. and would increase
the importations and consequently aug
ment the revenue.
The meaning Of the phrase tariff for
revenue only is that the tariff will be
SO imposed as to yield q revenue, and
the Democrats hold that it is best to
raise q large PORTION of the needed
revenue by this method Of taxation.
For years this, too, has been the con-
tention Of the Chicago Tribune. This
free trade doctrine the Tribune has
preached early and late here little
and there little in season and out
Of season. In 1888 the Tribune ridi-
culed the Mckinley platform. in 1890
it denounced the Mckinley tariff. If
the arguments Of the Tribune have
had any effect, then Illinois is to-day
doubtful State. On the contrary, If
the character of the Tribune for in
sincerity and variableness has destroy
ed the effect Of its sound teachings
Harrison may carry Illinois by his us
ual majority. The attitude Of the Trib-
une just now is a painful one; its
writhiugs and conto4tions every day
fill its old friends and associates with
keen sympathy. To illustrate its
wretched condition read its answer to
deladed correspondent who asks the
meaning Of the phrase tariff for reve-
niue only"
6 a tariff for revenue only y simply
means that duties shall only be levied
and collected on such imported articles
as are not produced in this country.
The tariff must only be exacted from
non-competitiye goods If duties are
levied on competitive goods, they cause
an Incidental protection of American
articles Of the same kind, which the
Democratic party pronounces a viola
ton, of the Constitution and a robbery
of the consumer"
The Democratic platform nowhere
denounces g incidental protection = it
denounces tariff levied for protec
ton with incidental revenue.
A tax on sugar would incidentally
protect the sugar planter, and the
Tribune has insisted that, logically,
the Democratic party is pledged to the
reimposition of the sugar tax.
Woolens are the clothings of the
poor; silks are the Injuries Of the rich.
The Mckinley law taxes woolens at
so or 100 per cent, it taxes silk at 80
per cent, and permits the silk manu-
facturer to import his raw material
free.
A revenue tariff would change all
this. It would give the maker Of
woolens free wool, and reduce the tax
on woolens to % per cent.
That would increase the revenue on
wooden goods. The same law would
probably leave the tax on silks at what
it is, as 1t yields large revenue.
To put coal and iron on the free list
and reduce the metal schedule to 3
revenue basis, would be a great boor
to consumers the reduction woule
yield handsome revenue to the Coy
eminent, yet incidentally it woul,
protect " the American producer.
The Tribune's assumption that til
taxes would be imposed only on non
competitive articles is absurd and i'm