Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-12-20


apparent loss OF revenue threatened by
those reductions.
MOST IMPORTANT CHANGE
In the bill proposed from the present
law will be found in the general substi-
tntIon Of ad valorem for specific duties.
This must always be the characteristic
of the revenue tariff levied on a large
range OF articles and especially when
they include the plain necessaries OF
life. II is the purpose OF the present
bill to repeal in toto section three OF
the tariff act of October 1, 1890, com
monty but most enormously called It's
reciprocity provision. That act placed
sugar, molasses, coffee, tea and hides
on the free list, but authorized the
President, should be be satisfied that
the government OF any other country
producing such articles imposed duties
upon the agricultural or other products
of the United States which he might
deem reciprocally, unequal and unrea-
sonable, 20 suspend the provision under
which these articles were admitted INTO
this country free. This section has
brought no appreciate advantage to
American exporters, is not in intention
or effect a provision for reciprocity, but
for retaliation.
Upon the larger sizes Of plate glass,
where the duties were very high, We
have have made reduction OF about
one-thlrd. In the iron and steel sched-
ule, beginning with free ore and duty
Of 21H per cent. on pig iron, we have
reported a scale of duties considerably
below those of the existing law, being
benefit to the consumer without calling
for any halt in the imperial progress OF
that great industry OF our country. The
duty upon steel rails has been put at %
Der cent, which according to the re-
ports Of our Department of Labor, quite
compensates for all difference in the
cost Of production In this country and
abroad. There seems to be an author
ity reported that the
POOL OF AMERICAN RAIL MARKETS
which, under the shelter Of the present
duty Of S13,44 per ton, has kept up
prices 10 the American consumer far
beyond the cost of production and legiti-
mate profits, has been reorganiZed TO
continue the regulation OF their prices
above the proper market rates. As all
shippers, and especially American ship
pers, are virtually interested in cheap
ening the cost OF transportation, rates
of duty upon steel rails should be ad-
iusted so as TO protect them from
monopoly prices and monopoly COM
binations. Upon tin plate, the duty
has been gagged with reference to the
revenue it will bring into the treasury,
and the difference between this duty
and that upon the black plate has been
lessened with a view to discourage what
may not be unjustlY called the bogus in
dustry of making American tin plate by
the mere dipping in this country OF the
imported black plate. In the sugar
schedule, we should have preferred to
wipe out at a single legislative stroke
the existing bounty system. We be-
leve it to be contrary TO the spirit of
our institutions, and eau conceive of no
circumstances under which we should
have advocated or approved its intro
ductlon into our laws. We have found
it there as we find it virtually existing
in every other schedule Of the tariff, and
dealing with it in this
MORE OPEN AND OFFENSIVE FORM
as we have dealt with other schedules
where large property interests are at
stake. We have reported provision
for its repeal by such stages as shall
gradually obliterate it from our laws,
while permitting those who have In
vested large means under the eXpecta-
tion Of its continuance, reasonable time
In which they may prepare to take their
stand with the other industries OF the
country. Duties on imported tobacco
leaf, suitable for cigar wrappers, which
were enormously advanced by the act
of 1890, have been placed at such fig
ures as, after careful investigation, we
deemed most likely to produce most rev.
enues TO the treasury. But while this
object has alone decided the rates, their
amount is so high that no domestic
producer need claim that there is not
abundanr protection and to spare for his
product in them. OF the staple agri-
cultural products, including meats and
provisions, we are such large exporters
and must continue to be such large ex-
porters, that any duties upon them are
useless for protection and fruitless for
revenue and generally can only be i'm
posed for the purpose OF deluding the
farmers into the belief that they are re-
ceiving some consideration and benefit
under the tariff, although the prices OF
their products are fixed in the worlds
market in competition with like pro-
ducts prOducted by the cheapest labor
ia the world. For the producers Of orr
great export staples, which having fully
supplied the home market, must over
flow and seek larger purchasers else
where, the only effect of a protective
tariffs to take away from them from one
fourth to one.haf OF the products for
which they could exchange their sur
plus in the open market, should they
venture to buy in the market where
THEY ARE OBLIGED TO SELL,
or 10 compel them to give like portion
of the avails of their labor, when turned
into money, by increasing the cost Of
what they buy in the home market.
Recognizing that the American farmer
has been through many years, the pa
tient victim OF the protective systems
and that he has been induced to sup
port it under the delusive promise that
by immense sacrifices he was buying for
himself home market, and that this
promised home market is farther from
him to-day than ever before, we have
aimed to secure for him such relaxation
of burdens as will permit him to enjoy
more of the fruits Of his own hard and
faithful labor. To the farmers OF the
country, we have given untaxed agri-
cultural implements and binding twine
and untaxed cotton ties for the addi-
tional reason in the latter case, that
cotton is the largest export crop OF
the country sold abroad in COM
petion with the cheap labor OF India