Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1893-12-04
a DEMOCRTTC TARIFF.
The new Tariff bill is an anachronism

surd if it had been offered at any time
before the late elections. Even to
democrats who had supposed their
phenomenal defeat, it is surprising.
Prepared by democrats only and in
secret, under the constant direction of
the President, it betrays the absence
of the SOLDERING influence of frank COM
parison of opposing convictions. In
parts it is clearly out of harmony with
itself, where political considerations
since the recent election seem to have
prompted departure from its theories,
but in the main it justifies the claim
that the committee has gone straight
on, as if the wishes of the people de-
served no attention.
It's most characteristic feature is the
general substitution Of ad va1orem for
specific duties This is contempt Of
the judgment Of competent econo-
mists, including some eminent demo-
Gratis, and Secretary Manning, Presi-
dent Cleveland's7 first choice for the
Treasury, who strongly urged specific
duties on the ground that by them
only could fraud be effectually check
ed. But the extreme Free-Trade the
ad valorem duties only, as if because
these are most easily evaded and
practically least eficacious.
1t should be fatal objection to the
bill that, unlike any other ever pro-
posed by either party, it deliberately
and Intentionally creates deficit. It's
advocates say that the deficit will be
about $50, 00O, 900, which they intend to
make good by later enactments, per-
haps an income tax. But there can
be no certainty about the passage Of
future measure, especially of such a
character. No other party has ven
tured to cut down revenues beyond
the needs of government without pro-
viding in the same act for correspond
ing increase from other sources. The
additions of the free list alone, includ-
ing wool, iron ore, copper, lumber,
sulphuric acid, salt and coal, with
many other articles which Protection
only has enabled the country to pro-
duce, will take more than $1O,O0O,OOO
from the customs receipts. Wool
growers of the South protested
against destruction of their industry
as earnestly as the growers Of Ohio or
Michigan, but without avail. Coal
and iron miners of Southern States
protested, not willing to accept the
destruction of their industries as the
first choice fruit of a thirty years
struggle for democracy, and similar
protests came from lumber. and cop
per producers. But with the com
mittee Of democrats grain of theory
seems to have outweighed ton Of ex-
perience.
The duties on manufactured prod
ucts are reduced, apparently, rather
more than 40 per cent in the aggre-
gate. But the proposed reductions do
not appear to be governed. by. any in
telligent rule, and the change from
specific to ad valorem duties makes it
a task of some days labor to deter
mine even approximately how far the
reduction in some schedules extends.
In the woollens schedule, more than
half the duty would be taken off, evil
IDENTIFY, even if the goods should be
honestly invoiced without undervalu-
alton, and the change to ad valorem
duties will make the practical effect
still greater.
In abolishing the duties on eggs and
vegetables the committee not only
throws away about 81, 500, 900 revenue,
but this change with abolition or re-
duction of duties on breadstuffs and
other farm products is calculated to
increase the serious depression of ag
riculture in Eastern and border states.
Even the sugar growers, though the
committee did not venture to repeal
at once the bounty SO often denounc
ed by democrats as "robbery," are
to see it cut away by fractions in eight
years, a process eminently calculated
to discourage any industry. In short,
nearly all classes must share the bless
ings of this democratic change, farm
ers and miners, wool growers and
weavers, cotton spinners, furnace men
and lumber men. 1t is not an Ameri-
can bill, but is distinctively for the
benefit of other countries and their
industries. 1t is hauling down the
American flag in this country as well
as in Hawaii-N. Y. Tribune.
Vermonters have had pretty good
showing in the matter of appointments
to office for the past ten years, not
only under the first term of Mr.. CleYe