The Opelousas courier., 1894-09-22
The New Tariff Law.

Hiemoers OF the party which is RESPONSE.
ole Tor the new tariff law, it may be in.
teresting to learn wherein the recen,
legislation on that question will be at
improvement on the old law-the Nc
h'nley Republican Tariff Act. We pro,
pose IN this article to show the adyan-
tages to be derived by the mass of the
American people, and the people of the
South in particular, by the enactment of
the new law which regulates the uues-
ton as to what articles shall be admit
ted free of all charges into our ports,
and what articles shall pay a duty for
that privilege. and what these duties
shall be.
While the Democrats of the lower
hofse Ut the national legislature strug-
gfh hard for a greater reduction of ia
ltf rates than was finally secured, there
I'll n be no question but that the new law
III a great improvement on the old one.
Cpd that the people will be absolved
G.iom the payment of a vast amount of
taxes, or, what is worse, from the pay
ment OF an enormous sum into the peck
cts OF the men who have heretofore been
the beneficiaries of the protective policy
OF the Republican party-the manufac-
turers OF the North and East. Nor must
we believe that the new law was intend
- - 70 'Nh vi IN In
laborer in these localities, for the duties
which now prevail are not only large
enough to provide sufficient revenue for
the maintenance of the government, but
Will give the home industries an adyan-
tage over imported articles to that ex-
tent. Thus we have a law which does
not destroy the manufacturing indus
tries OF this country and at the same
time relieves the whole people of a con-
siderable burden.
First, let us see what articles have
been added TO the free list by the new
law. and what will be the benefit to the
consumer OF these goods by reason
thereof. We quote the words of Con-
gresham Wilson, of West Virginia, the
efficient chairman of the ways and
means committee of the House, to show
these facts
"ln the chemical schedule, S712, 900
worth of articles of the importations of
1893 are transferred to the free LIST, the
most important of which are sulphuric
acid and sulphate of soda, which lie at
the basis OF many chemical mannfac-
lures.
" Ia the metal schedule, the amount
similarly made free of duty was 81, 100,-
600 in value, including cotton ties, cop
per ores and pig and old copper fit only
for re- manufacturing. In the wood
schedule, the importations passed to the
free list amount to $40, 0OO, 900 in value,
including both rough and sawed lum-
Der. LIN agricultural products and pro-
Visions, duties are abolished on 81, $780,
600 OF the imports of 1885, including cab
oage, fresh fish ana "a 10 the flax,
hemp and Jute schedule t.o value of
tree Imports on the sam. ir o%orration is
Sl,1OO,O0O, Including ui.n res,ed fax and
hemp and binding Irvine.
III the WOODEN scheuu t, he value of
the flores transferred to the tree list on
the same basis is SIS. 500, 900, Free
paintings and statuary Increase the free
list over So, 000, 900, while the abolition
OF retaliatory duties under the so-called
reciprocity clause of the Mckinley law
releases from taxation articles valued at
$4,40O,OOO t0-wit, coffee, raw goat skins
and hides. IL fine, the total amount of
the lmportations of 1893 transferred to
the free list by the House bill and in
GUIDED in the bill as passed was Sal $685.
OOO. These freed articles, it will be
seen, are of great Importance, embrac-
ing tree wool, flax and hemp, or free f.
bres to American manufacturers, and
tree works OF art to American scholars
and the people generally"
In addition to these, as Mr.. Wilson
says, the Senate added to the free list
by its amendments dressed lumber, bur
laps, grain bags made from burlaps, and
bagging. or the articles placed
in number We're restored to the dutiable |
by the Senate-generally, however, |
With reduced rates-the most important
OF which are borax, refined camphor, re-
sulphur, clays, granite and fire
manufactured nickel. mica,
quicksilver, mOlasses and sugar, coal
and iron ore, and meat products. Thus
very substantial and important parts of
House bill We're saved.
MIR. Wilson continues:
With free lumber, free copper, free
of art, free wool and other fibres,
untaxed cotton ties and baggiug for
both cotton and grain, our chief export
crops, a pretty large hole has been made
IN the Mckinley bill and ia the protec-
tive system generally. Much higher
were finally kept ia the wooden
carpet schedule than can be iusti-
led on the basis of free wool, but 1T is a
great achievement, added to that of Sc
curing free wool, to get rid of the fraud
llent compound duties under which the
wearers of wooden goods have been. so
Dercilessly taxed in this country"
10 discussing the new tariff law re-
Hon. VIM. r. Morrison, of IlIi-
lois, the pioneer Of tariff reform and a
candidate for the Democratic
nomination in 1896, said
1.-THE rates are lower than in the Mills
Dill, which was endorsed by the Nation
Il Democratic Convention in 1888. In
he matter OF free raw materials the bill
8 far in advance of any bill passed in
,ur history by any party. 1t puts lum-
Der, wool, copper, salt and many other
on the free list, which many
'ears ago | tried but failed to do. 1t
.uts the tax on coal, iron and lead ore
q two and makes reductions in all the
schedules. For illustration, on iron and
teel in all forms for building, on iron
md steel rails and on pig iron, one-third
he ia. is taken off. On WOODEN goods
lnder the old law the tariff tax vas from
" to 1tO per cent, an average tax of
bout 800 on a 800 worth of imported
foods. UDder the new bill the rate is
rom 80 to 90, an average tax of about
AS for importing 800 worth. The re-
Iuctions in other schedules are not SO
but they are considerable in all"
To show the fallacy of the Republican
heory that a reduction Of the tariff du-
les will make it ia . IS Die for the
American ma%nufactu - compete
With the foreign pro,tn unless he re-
|uces wages, Col. Morrison says:
1.-THE average rate IL The cotton sche-
.ule was more than SO under the old and
still more than 40 per cent under the
law. Some cotton cloth and yarns
re taxed at $50 or more on the 800
vorth, and on knit goods we must paw