The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1893-12-30

himssir q home market, and that Promised
home market is further from him 10. day than
ever before. We have aimed to secure for him
such relaxation OF burdens Is viii permit him
70 enjoy more Of the fruits Of his own hard and
faithful hhor, To the farmers: Of the coun-
tyr we have given Gnfaxed agricultural
implements and binding twine and untaxed
cotton ties. for additional reason in the latter
case that cotton is the largest export crop OF
the country sold abroad in competition Win
the cheap labor OF India and of Egypt, be-
lieving that 1t was suficieni for the private
tax-gatherer TO follow the farmer in the mar
kets OF his own country and not TO pursue him
into all the markets OF the world As 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 ls92 was is.7l 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 Sl5l
per cent, but 50 many Of the rates OF the pres
ent law are really prOhibiinry. ii is impossible
TO say what its real rate of taxation is yet IL
is safe to affirm thlt ii is much
higher than any import tables viii
disclose. 1t must lie 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 1t will give TO the tax
payer. and especially TO the la5Ore-s Of this
country. Taking the importa;ions OF 1872 the
latest which were accessible TO the committee
when its tables were prepared, the new rates
would operate a reduction OF hearty one third of
the duties collected under thCtariT, ,bIt III rcat
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 n 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, larger return in the
comforts and goods of life for lis 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 NUN
Der OF articles for which they may proitahly
exchange their products: AMI. secondly, in
diminishing the government riEe imposed up
on them when they return with those crops TO
their own country.
II may he said that we are not justified in
making such a large reduction in revenue al
time when government receipts and expendi-
lures can no longer be balanced, and when
some new sources of temporary revenue must
he sought for. We have been conn led 10 re-
tain some articles upon the dutiahle list and
to leave some duties higher than We
desired because OF the present noecSsi-
ties of the treasury. but we have not
felt that any temporary shrinkaSe Of
revenue should deter us from carrying oGt as
faithfully and cffectually as We could the
instructions given 10y the American people
when this congress was put into power. Our
own experience ami that OF other countries has
shown that decrease of tariff duties immcdi-
ately operates such an enlargement Of com
merce OF production and consumption as rap
idly to make up any apparent loss OF rcTonue
threatened by those productions.