Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-12-01
The Democratic Tariff Bill.

| peafeu III Jne ually papers OF ueSuay' AS
printed in full the proposed measure fills
from % to 30 columns of fine print.
Speaking in the most general terms the bill
puts wool, coal, lumber, salt and iron ore
on the free list, and reduces the tariff on
refined sugar from one-half cent to one
quarter of cent per pound, while pro-
vision is made for exterminating the boun-
ty, one-eighth at a time, for a period of
eight years. Beyond this its most charac-
teristic feature is the general substitution
of ad valorem for specific duties-a PROPOSE
ton which is contrary to the judgment of
prominent economists, some eminent Dem
ocrats among them, who have strongly
urged specific duties on the ground that
only by means of them could fraud be effect
ually checked. The farmers of the North
are heavily Disseminated against by the
abolition of the duties, not only on wool,
but on eggs and vegetables and the remov-
al or reduction of the duties on breadstuffs
and other farm products. On this point
the New York Tribune says;
"a salient feature of the bill is the
!
and flock owners, as well as against the
miners of coal, iron and lead, the lumber
men and the salt producers of the United
States. Not only have they been discrimi-
mated against in the transfer of so-called
raw materials to the free list, but in
heavy reductions of duties on other articles
which are equally raw materials The
duty on hay, for example, is reduced from
81 to 81 a ton, although the importations
in 1892 under the existing rate increased
| nearly three!Old over the preceding year.
"a like heavy reduction is made on near
ly every agricultural product, the du-
ties upon which are not wiped out alto
gether as is done with wool, eggs fax,
hemp, etc. The duty of five cents dozen
on eggs yielded revenue of 1922, 1875 in
1892, and every cent of it was paid by the
Canadians who sold eggs for shipment to
the United States, if they are to be believ-
ed. They shipped about 2,300,000 bushels
of barley to the U6ted States the same
year, and paid the duties thereon to the
amount of more than 100000. The prop
osition is to reduce this duty from 80 cents
a bushel to 40 per cent ad valorem, and thus
save to the farmers of Canada about $780,
600 year, on the basis of last years ship
ments, at the expense of the national treas
llN anu lut ldIultIS Ol lut CHlltu states.
Significant in this connection is the fact
that about the only exception to the gener-
al wiping out of the specific duties and the
substitution of ad valorem duties is to be
found in the cotton schedule, a discrimna-
tion clearly in favor of the southern plant
ers.
In the tobacco schedule the present taxes
of 50 and S2.75. a pound on wrapper leaf
are reduced to 81 and Sl.25 per pound, and
35 cents and 30 cents per pound on filler
tobacco, unstemmed in each. Manufac-
lures of tobacco are put at 40 cents. CT
gars are reduced from S1.j0 per pound and
- per cent nd vaorem to s. per pound and
p per cent.
Pig iron is reduced from So. y per ton tC
22t per cent ad valorem, and steel rail:
from S13.44 per ton to % per cent In the
pottery schedule the duty on plain white
ware is summarily cut down TO a uniform
80 per cent ad valorem. Decorated ware i:
reduced from 60 to A. per cent, and undec
Grated from 50 to 4O Carpets are put a
35 per cent for Administer moquette anC
Wilton, and 80 per cent for Brussels, Will,
? common grades go down to 20 per cent
The bill provides that the duties shall b
removed from wool on March l and reduc
/ ed on woolen goods July /.
, The most apparent comment to be mad
e on this proposed revision is that the worl
e has not been done on the lines of the Chi
, cago platform, which declared our presen
, tariff to be a "culminating atrocity," bu
D that it has been done in hating an
r grudging recognition of the fact that tn
] protective principle is the right principl
, and that it cannot be abandoned or ignore
y without destroying the industries of tn
= country. 1t by no means proposes a tart
e for revenue only, for its free list fills tw
t or three columns, and under tariff fo
5 revenue only there can be no free list, bu
every imported article must pay its ju:
= and equitable share of duty into the publ
: treasury. The internal revenue feature
y of the bill have not been announced but
is understood that the imposition of an il
{ come tax is still under consideration.
Comments and criticisms on this repol
fill many columns, and few of them al
J, greatly cOmmendatory. In point of fac
=, some of the strongest condemnation comG
n from Democratic sources. This discussion
: however, affords little illumination as
% what will be the outcome of the Democra
If ic attempt to revise the tariff. The fact
r be remembered is that the Wilson bill,
II the measure will doubtless be known,
~ ~ not a law, and there is small probabili
a. that it will become a law in the form
1t which it has been submitted. It is simp
" the expression of a fraction of the wa
is and means committee, the Republics
F. members bearing no part in framing Il
# measure. The bill must run the gauntlet
ne the whole House, then of the whole Sc
lg ate. 1t will be attacked at many point
I'd not by Republicans alone, but by Dem
IL Gratis as well. Almost certainly it will Il
dergo notifications in committee of L
: whole, and those notifications will be
the direction of protection, not in that
free trade In other words, as the Bost
Advertiser aptly says, "the bill will ha
some of its fangs drawn before it is p,
mitted to bite"