Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1894-05-16

the city Yesterday on his private car Eau
lev" accompanied by Mrs Camden and their
daughter, Mrs. B. D. Spillman. They were
called here by the serious illness OF Mrs.
Camden's mother, Mrs. Judge Thompson,
at whose bedside Mrs. Camden spent the
greater part Of the day. The Senator has
the appearance of being in better health
than for some time past, Notwithstanding his
arduous labors in the Senate. As stated IN
the Register before, no one has done more
to effect compromise among the Senators
upon the tariff bill and to get the bill into
such shape that its passage now seems to be
a certainty, than has Senator Camden
From the very first he realized that the bill
should be- promptly passed and his constant
endeavor, since the bill has reached the
Senate, has been to hasten action upon it.
No one has realized more fully than Sena-
tor Camden, whose large interests have felt
the effects Of the business depression, that
the prompt passage OF the bill was needed,
and now his efforts seem to have been re-
warded. for the Senator is now very san
guiue of the speedy passage Of the bill.
"My impression" he said to a Register
reporter yesterday, sis that the tariff bill
will pass the Senate and with the co-opera-
ton Of the House, will become law not
later than the first of July at the farthest."
When interrupted with the remark that
that would be welcome news to the people
of Wheeling the Senator said he realized
their feeling. 81 sympathize," said he,
with the Impotence of the country in the
apparent delay in this bill by the Senate
What the county needs is prompt action in
the passage of the bill, in order that the
great industrial stagnation that has come
upon the country may be terminated and
that the business of the country may revive.
1T must be borne in mind, however, that
the present tariff bill is farther advanced at
this time than was either the Mckinley bill
at the same period in the session or the tariff
revision of 1881. The Mckinley bill did
not become a law till the last of October or
the previous bill until about the first Of Sep
TENDER. 1t should be also taken into con-
sideration that it is work of much more
care and labor to reduce a high tariff to
revenue basis in the interests of the people
than il is to frame high tariff measure
satisfactory to the manufacturers, in whose
interests all the duties are arranged.
a revenue tariff is not free trade, and
while the duties imposed under the McKin-
lev law are intended to foster monOpolies,
still a great deal of care had to be exercised
in the reduction to see that they were made
in fairness. Some articles could stand
more reduction than others, aud every re-
duction had 70 be made with caution. The
result, 1 think has been very satisfactory.
There has been, I think. great deal of
Misrepresentation as to the changes made by
the Senate Finance Committee in the Will
son bin. The Senate bill is not very diff
ferent from the Wilson bill, the most con-
spicuos change being made in the sugar
schedule. As the bill came from the House
the bounty was retained upon sugar grown
in this country in a gradually descending
scale and imported sugar was placed
on the free list. But the Wilson bill did
not provide sufficient revenue to meet the
estimated wants Of the government by some
thirty millions of dollars, even including
the income tax, which was admitted to be
uncertain in its results OF this deficit in
revenue over ten millions was created by
the bounty to be paid to American sugar
growers. In changing the sugar schedule
the Finance Committee of the Senate went
upon the theory that the bounty on sugar
should be eliminated IS 4 tax upon the peo-
pie. Sugar has been on the revenue list
from the foundation of the government to
the present time, with the exception of the
period when it had been on the free list
under the Mckinley bill. And sugar, by
the way, had been placed on the free list in
the Mckinley bill to get rid of revenue, in
order that higher duties might be placed on
other articles without raising too much rev.
enue. The idea Of the Senate Finance
Committee was that a revenue tariff should
be again placed upon sugar to supply the
deficit in the Wilson bill and at the same
time to get rid of the bounty to be paid
The duty Oh sugar under the Walker tariff
was 80 per cent ad valorem, when sugar was
worth about twelve cents a pound. In the
present Senate amendments the duty is
placed at 30 per cent, ad valOrem, equiva-
lent to about one cent 4 pound, as against
about four cents under the Walker bill. 1t
is estimated that this will produce revenue
Of thirty million dollars annually. Adding
10 This the ten million dollars now paid as
bounty. which will be saved will have
the effect Of creating forty millions Of reye-
nue.. But this will only produce increased
taxation to the amount of twenty millions,
as ten of the thirty millions COLLECTED on
sugar would have beer paid as bounty.
"The other amendments and changes in
the Wilson bill made by the Senate Com
mittee are Of much less importance and
great number of them are either formal or
immaterial.