The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-12-24
SOURCES OF REVENUE.

The Omaha Bee. discussing sources
of revenue. says that an additional tax
of dollar per barrel on fermented
liquors would. at the present rate of
consumption. yield about sS5 OOo, 900 rev.
enue in addition to what is now OBJ
tanned from that source. 1t further
states that the importation of coffee
reaches annually 650, 000, 900 pounds and
tea 96,000,000 pounds, and that duty of
cents pound on tea would yield
s4.50o,Go0 and a duty of cents pound
on coffee would yield 1900, 600, three
items yielding in the aggregate about
S53,o00,000 per annum. Having stated
this the Bee proceeds as follows:
But let it be granted that this plan
would furnish sufficient revenue, the
question is, is that all that is required?
The great Importance of providing the
government with an adequate income
is recognized by everybody. Men of all
parties agree as to that. But legisla-
ton to provide revenue should also
carry with it such protection to de-
pressed industries as will enable them
TO revive This is what the Republic
can party is expected to do. It was not
N4CSNCQ " POUCl oOicly " P1Of 4QC lev
enue. but also to give new life to our
industries and TO make a better market
for labor. Imposing duties on tea and
coffee would not be carrying out Re-
publican policy, it would not respond to
the expectation of the people who sup
ported that party. 1t would simply
tend to make these necessaries more
costly to the people without any COM
pensating advantage to them. 1t would
add to every workingman's cost of liv-
ing without improving the market for
his labor. Any party that should do
this would invite population at the
hands of the people.
OF course there is no probability that
the Republicans in congress will for a
proposition of this kind. They have
honestly endeavored to provide the
government with sufficient revenue,
/ and having been defeated in this, they
Will now go forward with the work of
tariff revision in accord with Republi-
can policy. leaving the responsibility
for treasury deficits where it justly be-
longs, with the senate Democrats and
their free silver ex-Repuhican allies.
Nothing radical will be done, but a tar
if bill will be framed, according to all
present indications. which will supply
needed revenue, give reasonable pro-
lection and improve industrial condi-
tions.
If revenue legislation should carry
with it protection to aid depressed in
dustries, then the true policy would be
| to abolish all internal taxes and raise
revenue exclusively from tariff duties.
This would prevent any industry from
ever becoming depressed; that is, if the
theory that protection gives prosperity
be correct
Granting that tax on tea and cof-
fee would raise the price of those arti-
cles the amount of the tax, would not
tariff on any article do the same? If
an article of foreign manufacture is
| taxed and the tax prevents it coming
| in competition with similar article
produced in this country, the domestic
article will be raised in price the
amount of the tax, while the consumer
| has to pay this additional cost, the
same as in the case of tea and coffee,
but the government derives no revenue
case while it does in the other; in
either event the consumer has to pay
more for what he buys. The Repub-
lican party certainly invited and re-
ceived Reputation in 1892 because of
| its tariff theories.
When it is stated that the Repub-
licans in congress honestly endeavored
to provide the government with suf-
ficient revenue reference is probably
had to the dead Dingley bill. If that
| was an honest endeavor TO provide the
it from dishonest endeavor to provide
it with revenue. 1t is an easy matter
to say that nothing radical will be
done by the next congress on the tariff
question, but what is and what is not
radical in tariff matters depends very
much on the point of view.