The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1894-07-31

sophistries and idle theories of educated
docninaires and free trade congressman.
The New York Sun is the ablest
Democratic newspaper in the United
States and is intensely partisan ON near
ly all political subjects, but in it's issue
of July 2, 1898, the following disorim-
mating article appeared, and as it comes
from an undoubted Democratic source
and states the difference Of the two par
ties so fairly and impartially it is proper
to quote it for the benefit Of the doubt
full and for the encouragement of pro-
tectionists:
Respecting federal taxation, we
will now state the position of the De-
mocracy as defined by the Chicago plat
form, upon which the overwhelming
victory of 1892 was gained. Ascertain
the value of the goods to be imported.
Ascertain the amount of revenue to be
raised from imports for the expenses of
the government honestly administered.
Fix the rate and collect it without dis
elimination, preference or partiality.
Anything else is unjustifiable. Any
thing else is unconstitutional. Any
thing else invades the rights of the
citizen and is unlawful as we'll as I'M
Democratic That is clear and compre
hensive. That is what the Chicago plat
form declared and what the people APP
proved.
1.-THE Republican position is diamet-
rically different Tariff duties, say the
Republicans, should not be levied for
the mere purpose of revenue, but large
ly with view of promoting American
manufactures and labor and relieving
farmers and mechanics from unfavor-
able foreign competition. The Republic
ans say that it is one of the powers and
duties Of a government to protect the
people who maintain it from unfair
foreign competition as well as from
hostile foreign invasion. The people,
through their representatives, impose
the taxes ON goods entering into Ameri-
can ports from other countries, and they
have the right land it is natural that
they should exercise it, so as to impose
those duties that the interests of Ameri-
cans will be favored and the interests
of foreign rivals in the same industries
or pursuits Disseminated against That
is Lne hepuDllcan uOcIf1ne.
Between the two systems-Demo-
cratic, for revenue only; Republican,
of discriminating taxes to foster and
protect certain interests-there is no
possible concordance. One is bluntly
opposed to the other. If one is right,
the other necessarily must be wrong.
In order that there may be no misun-
derstanding relative to the meaning of
certain terms and phrases, 1t may be
we'll to define them.
A tariff is system of duties imposed
by the government of country upon
goods imported or exported. In the
United States there is no duty ON ex-
ports There are but two kinds of
tariff in the United States:
l. A free trade tariff.
2. A protective tariff.
A free trade tariff is simply for rev
enue only, and revenue derived there
from is intended for governmental ex-
penses exclusively 1t is the system
which is in operation in England. Since
it is designed for revenue only, its du
ties are nearly all levied upon articles
Except luxuries) that are In great and
certain demand. 1t so happens that the
articles thus levied upon except luxu
ries) are constantly required by the com
mon people in their household economy
and that they cannot be raised or pro
duced profitably at home, such as tea,
Coffee etc, and therefore cannot come
into competition with home productions.
A protective tariff not only provides
revenue for the expenses of the govern
mont, but also so discriminates its duties
that they are levied principally upon
imported articles that come in direct
competition with home industries, and
so adjusts the rates that such competing
foreign productions cannot be placed
upon the home markets at prices less
than the fair and reasonable home mar
lSet price
BY this means the high wages of our
home laborers are maintained and need
not be reduced to the low level of cheap
foreign labor, and under this tariff arti-
Giles of necessity for the common people
in their household economy and which
cannot be raised or produced protitably
at home are admitted free of duty, such
as tea coffee, sugar, etc.
Duties are the specific sums of moneys
or the rate per cent that is levied upon
| the goods passing through the custom
house. MANY use the term tariff
'synonymously with duty, but ineor-
rectlyl
! There are two kinds of duties:
1. Specific @ Ad valorem.
! A specific duty is fixed sum of money
to be paid upon each yard, ton, hun
dred, etc. Illustration Wheat pays
specific duty of 90 cents bushel with
! out reference to its market value.
An ad valorem duty is a stated per
cent that is levied upon the value of the
goods imported nlustration-The duty |
on certain manufactures of silk is so |
per cent of their foreign value
A very strong objection to an ad va
lorem duty is the opportunity it opens
to fraud and dishonesty by undervalua-
ton of the goods imported.
Both of these duties are sometimes |
combined ON the same article.
INSTRUMENTATION carpets pay a |
specific duty of 60 cents a square yard |
and an ad valorem of 40 per cent ON
their value.
Protection is that economic system /
which requires chat its sufficient duties |
shall be levied only upon such commod- |
tiles (besides mere luxuries) as we are |
capable of producing in economy and |
quantity to regulate prices in the home |
market Cd. II. Rico
Prior to 1888 we imported all our |
steel wire nails The duty was cent a /
pound, and the nails cost us to cents |
a pound. In 1888 the duty was raised |
to cents pound, and in 1891 we made |
over 4, 900, 600 kegs and exported them
to all parts Of the world, and our PEG
pie could buy them at about 2 cents a
pound.
Free trade is Dream a vagary, a
theory, which, if it could be material
lied, would abolish all tariff duties and |
remove all custom houses from our from |
tiers and let every nation into our mar
kets az freely as the air comes In, but |
such system has never been used or
adopted between or among civilized ma
tions.
1t is taught nowhere except In col
leges, by theorists and dootrinaires, and
| is absolutely imDraoticable.