The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-02-23
OPENING FOR CRAFTSMANSHIP.


Whom tho frcc Traders Knocs on tho
Wool Tariff, Whore and How will They
Nfnlto up for tho Los, Revenue?
Neg FORK Trt11ns .-
Hero Is simple question for tariff re-
formers. They propose TO take OF all
tho duties on wool and all tho compen.
aasory duties on woollon goods, and In
siat that tho home manufacture would
DO better of and bcttor able to sustain
itself against foreign competition than
1t Is now. 1t must DO assumed that
some OF them honestly believe this.
Very vol, gentlemen; what are you 60
Ing to do for tho necessary revenuo2
dranllated sugar mt AGENTS por pound,
against $40 cents eighteen months aSo,
means something for the working peo-
plo. Perhaps no article could be
named which is moro universally con.
aumcd by tho entiro American people;
certainly not wheat bread, for In largo
sections corn is almost exclusively
used inatead. The people consume
moro than 90 pounds OF sugar for every
lnhabitant. They havo gained by Il
single change OF duty from 81 10 81 81
for every person; from S. to 81 81 for
every family. Do the tariff roformers
propose to put this burden back? Thoy
are vol aware that they have not tho
courage to suggest such a thing. What
arc they to do, then, for the needed
revenue?
Tho treasury has no larger rcvcnuo
now than 1t requires. In fact, most OF
the reformcrs insist that 1t has too
iittlo, that its balances arc improperly
depleted, and that bankruptcy Is ahead
unless this Congress carefully reduces
expenditures. The official reports show
but a narrow and scanty balance for
the future, even II the sinking fund DO
disregarded and il no appropriation
should be made in excess OF the eati-
mates, which do not include many
things for which Congress is suro to
spend money.
Tho duties on wool during tho last
fiscal year amounted to $685., 1853, and
with the duties on waste and rags,
which 1t is also proposed to make free,
to 81, 76S.795. The duties on tho remain
Ing woollen goods amounted to S34 ESQ.,
928, and as the value OF these was but
III, 02S, $50, and tho duties proposed by
tariff retormers would not exceed 10 per
cont ad valorem, tho amount collected
would be not more than $l7,200,00O. It
Is asserted by the reformers TINT tho
manufacturer would DO able to sustain
himself as well as he does now; that is,
the imports Of goods would DO no great
or. Hence no increase in the revenue
from wool and woolens beyond the
above named $l1 100000 should BIO ex-
pected, which would be $24,2GO,77l
less than the revenue from the same
articles last year. -
Some other tax must DO imposed il
this amount OF duty Ia to DO taken off,
1t will not do to put back the duties on
sugar and molasses. What other tax,
yielding S24,20O,000, an amount which
tho treasury must havo, are tho tariff
rcformers prepared to impose?
OF course they do not know. nor does
anybody else. But 1t is fact which dis
closes the ominently discnditable spirit
IN which they approach great rcsponsi-
billtlea, that they have no thought what
ever OF tho need OF raising tho revenue
now yielded by the revenues on wool and
woolens which they frantically clamor
to take of. In their absurd notion TINT
the first duty OF man is to attack tariff
they mako haste to cut off a
revenue which is necessary for
tho support of the government,
with not tho iaintest idea what
they can do to got an equal revenue
with less injury to the people. II they
ever become sane enough to think
about the matter dispassionately they
will find that duties which do actually
add nothing to the cost OF WOODEN goods,
and yet return $24, 200, 900 yearly to the
treasury, form highly desirable source
OF revenue, irrespective OF their value
as dcfenac for great American in
dustry on which moro than million
people depend for support