Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1894-05-23

Tobacco Observation-Disclosures. 100000
Agricultural products. 100000
Spirits wines, etc. Observation-Disclosures. 100000
Gotten manufactures. ................. 3450,000
Flax. hemp, jute manufactures. 100000
Wooden manufactures. 23,5OO,OO0
Silk manufactures. Observation-Disclosures. 100000
Paper and pulp. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. SUO,OOG
Sundries Observation-Disclosures. 2,450OO0
Transferred to free list................ 12170,00
Total .......... 81, 1910, GOO
Senator VOORHEES, claims that the pro-
posed reductions in the tariff will save
$40, go, 900 III taxation to the laboring
people. This would be correct upon the
supposition that our imports of foreign
goods would be no more and no less dur
ing the years to come than they We're
during the year of protection, upon
which his calculations were made But
he ornits an essential feature in trade
The mere fact Of our having protective
tariff has been to prohibit the foreign
importations, and the mere fact Of low
ering the tariff will very largely in
crease such imp0rtatiOns to an extent
that will also increase the burden of
taxation. " The senator claims that every
dollar collected under the Mckinley tar
if is tax. Every dollar collected under
the free trade tariff will be equally tax,
and more Of it, because the imports will
be greater and the ultimate burden of
taxation greater.
Take an invoice of 81, 900 for manu-
features of cotton imported from Eng
land and now paying so per cent ad va
loren duty, the Mckinley tariff thereon
is $500. Take the free trade tariff of 35
per cent ad valore1n, which will permit
81, 600 of foreign cotton to be imported
where only 81, 900 are now imported,
and the tax will amount to 800, an in
crease Of $500 in the burden of taxa
ton" laid upon the poor people by the
Wilson tariff bill. The same rule may
be applied to all other commodities, and
the greater the difference between the
present and the proposed tariffs the
larger will be the imports Of the foreign
goods. This view Of the case has not
been presented by Senator VOORHEES, or
any member of his free trade army.
They endeavOr to make the people be-
l1eve that our imports will not be larger
when the tariff is lowered and that the
British trader is not waiting impatient
~ to food our markets with his cheap
goods.
But there is still another view of the
case that Senator Voorhees, has entirely
overlool1ed-the question of wages, avery
important phase TO the laborer Where
we now import but 81, 900 worth of cot
ton goods and will, with a lower tariff,
import to the extent of So, 600, there
will be just 81, 900 worth less manufac-
Uured III our own mills, and $500 less
Of this TO be distributed III wages. This
means that 400 men earning So per day
will be deprived Of their opportunity to
earn. These 400 men are to receive a
remission Of SLIP p in a year from the
tariff taxes that they have been paying,
yet in single Gay they are to lose 50
in wages. This will be a great relief,
no doubt. But there may be some work
ers and wage earners who would prefer
TO retain the So per day and pay the
$i.121a per annum. Such natural de-
sire on their part is characterized by
Senator Voorhees, as 'sordid, brutal self
ishness, :" and a ''lust for riches -
Senator Voorhees, claims to desire the
relief Of the people from unjust taxation
and proposes to relieve them to the ex-
tent Of $40, 60, 900, or 81. - y per head
At the same time he argues III support
of bill that viii provide a surplus Of
revenue to the extent of 500, $50, 245 and
says there is no terror to me in a sur
plus like this. Perhaps not. Men who
juggle with D2illions can regard mil
ions with complacency. But it seems
tard upon the poor laborer who is to be