Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1893-12-28

himself a home market, ana snas pr0nised
home market is further from him to-day than
ever before, we have aimed to secure TOR him
such relaxation OF burdens - viii permit him
to enjoy more of the fruits Of his own hard and
faithful labor. To the farmerss OF the coun-
tyr We have given untaxed agricultural
implements and binding twine and untaxed
cotton ties. for additional reason In the latter
case that cotton is the largest export croU OF
the country sold abroad in competition with
the cheap labor of India and Of Egypt. bo-
lieving that 1t was sufdcient for the private
tax-gatherer to follow the farmer In the mar
kets of his own country and not to pursue MIN
into all the markets Of the world. AZ cotton
bagging can be used but once. we have thought
it but just to extend the drawback system to
such bagging made Of jute. but this when
used upon our exported cotton. privilege
which the exporter OF wheat can
already now enjoy coupled with the further
advantage that the same bags may be used Tor
successive expectation OF grain.
The average rate Of duties levied under the
existing law upon the dutiable goods imported
In 1892, was 1911 per cent Had the duties
proposed in the present bill been levied upon
that years importation OF dutiable goods. the
average rate. including those we have trans
ferred to the free list. would have been S0Sl
per cent, but so many of the rates OF the pres
ent law are really prohibitory. it is impossible
to say what its real rate Of taxation is, vet IL
is safe to anirm that 1t Is much
higher than any import tables will
disclose. 1t must be understood, however,
that the rates above mentioned can only be
called closely approximate and not mathemat-
ically accurate, but they illustrate the extent OF
the reductions proposed by the present bill.
and the relief which it will give to the tax
payer. and especially to the laborers of this
country Taking the importations of 1892. the
latest which were accessible to the committee
when its tables were prepared, the new rates
would operate o reduction OF hearty one-third OF
the duties collected under thetart but this great
reduction in taxes actually paid to the govern
ment is no measure Of the tightening of bur-
den to the tax payers of the country. That
reduction may be estimated at several times
more than the reduction Of taxes.
Such q reform Of tariff must quicken every
industry, must open larger field for the en-
ployment of labor, must secure more working
days at steadier wages, a larger return In the
comforts and goods of life for its labor:
while that great body Of our people much
larger, as Mr.. Edward Atkinson has clearly
proved, than all engaged in industries liable to
foreign competition, who produce our great
surplus crops and products, agricultural and
mechanical, for foreign markets. will derive
two-fold benefit first. in increasing the num-
Der Of articles for which they may proftably
exchange their products; and, secondly, In
diminishing the government fine imposed up
on them when they return with those crops to
their own country.
It may be said that we are not justified In
making such large reduction In revenue at .
time when government receipts and expendi-
lures can no longer be balanced, and when
some new sources of temporary revenue must
be sought for. We have been compelled to re-
tain some articles upon the dutiable list and
to leave some duties higher than we
desired because of the present necessi-
ties of the treasury, but we have not
felt that any temporary shrinkage Of
revenue should deter us from carrying out as
faithfully and as efectually as we could the
instructions given by the American people
when this congress was put into power. Our
own experience and that of other countries has
shown that decrease of tariff duties immedi.
ately opcl ates such enlargement OF COM
merce, OF production and consumption as rap
idly to make up any apparent loss Of revenue
threatened by those productions.