The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-07-21
The Tariff Disagreement

1t was expected that the House and
| senate would disagree on the tariff bill
| az the irst encounter IL was not desira-
PIE mat they should agree unless the
! senate should recede from the duties i'm
| posed on iron ore, coal. and refined sugar.
| - much has been said about taxes on
| raw materials that Ii would be farcicaI
| Tor the House 10 back down al the first
| snow OF opposition IN the other branch
| OF congress. The question whether IL
| would be best for the House - yield even
| tuallN IN order 10 pass some bin IS quite
| inherent; Seli-respect may be saved by
| sood nght. even though Il BE- a losing
| one. Moreover a good fight now leaves
| an open field hereafter. Tariff rcfOrmers
can 60 before the people and say: I'VE did
lhe best We could. We took all we could
Set and now we are going for the rest"
me pubic VIII respect such Il position
and If the result of the present bin is "a
!tNlNdI OF industry. as We think IL Will be-,
me pOlltlcal consequences Will be faVOra-
DE 10 new move in the same direction
, Gal ana IRON ore stand In the dutlable
list OF the Mckinley tariff at u cents per
ION. Inc House bill put them on the free
IlSl Inc senate restored them 10 the du-
liable list AT 40 cents per ton each. There
Is not much That IS new 10 be said in
reference % either Of these things. II
there are any raw materials these are the
IdNtst Ia the early history Of protective
farms any duties on these things would
nave been secuted and derided. They
would have been unimagnable. Yet 10
those who look upon all protective duties
as mixture Of delusiOn and fraud (as We
do) the taxes on coal and iron stand on
as good a foundation as those on cotton
cloth or tin plates. All that We can say
III good conscience Is that we take forty
cents per ton, because we cannot get less
and We take ii only as instament.
Inc sugar question is rather more com
pleX, involving question Of revenue as
Wen as questions OF protection 10 growers
and reiners. Our normal import OF sugar
Is now at the rate OF sixteen hundred
thousand tons (say thrty-flye hundred
millions Of pounds almost exclusively
raw sugar. At present raw sugars are aq-
mitted free while there is duty
on refined Of one-half cent
per pound. with one-t-nth Of a
cent per pound additional upon re-
ined from bounty countri-s-eiving our
IthheIs a practical protection as against
their only formidable rivals of six-fentbs |
ol cent per pound. which. as our lead |
iins reHher admits. they have fully utilized |
importing point here This duty is nor |
a revenue duty. was not intended as sucb
al ana mas no practical possibilities In that
me. our reiiners are more advantaceous-
~ situated with reference To their rau,
materials than those In any other conn
~. tIelr processes more perfect and
-neir pants Tar larger and better situated
INA more economically working With ar |
'oIute iree trade, therefore our refiners
YOU'D sun supply our total CONSUMPTION
%hlch cheaper sugar would make Larger
nan III IL now ana would employ mora
VOrkmen at better wages I'm every DEPART
hent or their business. Then, as now. the
MY imports OF refined sugar would be i'm
peclal grades for confectionery and drug
purposes, broken cargOes, etc. etc-tbe
lshest bounty paid by any connecting
ountry being not nearly sufficient 10
ay the freight across the ocean. and no
ountry exporting refined sugar having
lything Ike the advantages for its raw
u8dI supply possessed by our refiners.
w ere the question one OF an ideal bin |
IONalng tarin for revenue, there might
e something urged IN favor Of a mod
rate duty on sugar-thOugh the fact
nat ~ is the only article of universal
assumption that is used by ali. rich ana
GOT young and old. most nearly In nro-
orion 10 numbers and not 10 wealth.
ould make II an ideal example of the
al1ral injustice OF tariff taxation. nm
e nave not yet reached an ideal stand
Si"., ne Government needs revenue
"a MANY hfty. perhaps sevnty-
, ,rslys' and Il is altogether un- !
irtain what the income tax viii :
Ield, the Bureau of Statistics esI +,
inatlng anywhere from twelve "a :
llrty-nine millions Most likely the for ,
er lSures VIII be nearest the truth for
le hFst rev years. In order to be on the ,
We SIDE, therefore, N would seen, w.,
'slrabie 10 get some revenue from suoar
10 the question is how to get II wt,b !,
e least burden TO the consumer taiino I
70 account the necessity Of passing tbe :
II through the Senate as We'll as Inc -
ouse' mere are two votes from Ioufs- | .
ma 10 De reckoned with and the ma | .
ivy !" the senate Is &c small that they S