Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1894-01-04
Continued from 18th page.
the TARIFF BILL REPORTED.


at several times more than the re-
duction Of the taxes. Such n re-
form Of tariff must quicken every
industry must open a large field
for the employment of labor, must
secure to it more working days at
steadier wages, larger return in
the comforts and goods of life for
its labor, while the great body of
our people, much larger, as Mr..
Atkinson has clearly proved, than
all engaged in industries Liable to
foreign competition who produce
our great surplus crops and pro-
ducts, agricultural and mechanical,
for foreign markets will derive two
fold benefit, first in increasing the
number Of articles for which they
may profitably exchange their pro-
duct, and secondly in diminishing
the government fine imposed upon
them when they retdrn with those
products to their own country.
MUST KEEP UP THE REVENUE.
1t may be said that we are not
justified in making so large reduc-
ton in revenue at a time when
government receipts and expendi-
lures can no longer be balanced,
and when some new sources of tenn
porary revenue must be sought for.
We have been compelled to retain
some articles upon the dutiable list
and to leave some duties higher
than we desired because of the pre-
sent necessities of the Treasury. but
we have not felt that temporary
shrinkage Of revenue should deter
as from carrying out as faithfully
and as effectually as were the in
structions 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
Immediately operates such an en-
largement of commerce, of produc-
ton and consumption as to make
up any apparent loss of revenue by
those reductions.
IMPORTANT CHANGES.
A most important change in the
bill proposed from the present law
will be found in the general substi-
tuition of ad valorem for specific
duties. This must always be the
characteristic of a revenue tariff
levied upon large range of articles,
when they include the
plain necessaries of life. A duty
which taxes according to kind,
pound, weight. measure or the like.
without regard to quality, always
Expresses the less wealthy consumer
and lightens the just burdens of
his richer fellew-citizens. Such
inequalities as we have mentioned
in the WOODEN schedule aud many
still grosser ones that might easily
be cited could only be hidden in
the specific duties and would never
appear in tariff that assessed its
taxes according to the real value of
the articles taxed.
The justice of the ad valorem
system is often admitted by chose
who contend that it so easily tends
to fraud and differentiation as to
be unjust to the government, the
honest importer and the home pro-
Queer. A ready and sufficient
answer to this may be found in the
fact that in no tariff ever adopted
in this country has there been
very large introduction of ad
valorem duties and that especially
as to goods whose value was most
difficult of ascertaining. With the
improved administration of our
customs under the laws recently
adopted and to be made more per-
feet by this bill, there need be no
fear that the extension of this just
and open system will lead to abuses
anticipated.
THE RECIPROCITY Provision.
1t is the purpose of the present
bill to repeal in toto Section 3 of
the tariff act of October l, 1890,
commonly but most enormously
called its reciprocity provision.
That act placed sugar, molasses,
coffee. tea and hides on the free
list, but authorized the President,
should he be satisfied that the
government of any other country
producing such articles imposed
such duty upon the agricultural or
other products of the United States
which he might deem reciprocally
unequal, to annul the provision
under which these articles were adj
mitted into this country free. This
section has brought no appreciable
advantage to American exporters
is not in intention or effect a pro-
vision for reciprocity, bnt for retalia-
ton.
1t infiicts penalties upon the
American people by making them
pay higher prices for these articles.
as the fiscal necessities of other
nations compel them to levy duties
upon the products of the United
States, which in the opinion of the
President are reciprocally unequal
and unreasonable. Under the pro-
visions of this section. Presidential
proclamations have been issued i'm
posing retaliatory duties upon the
FIVE aforementioned articles when