Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-05-28
The Tariff.

AIdrich's Opening speech Outlining
the Republican Position---MOderate
Duties and Permanent Adjustment
Rather than Extreme Protection the
True Policy.
The debate on the tariff bill began in the
United States Senate Tuesday. Senator
Aldrich of Rhode Island, in charge of the
bill, made the opening speech, which was
the official utterance of the Senate finance
committee. In opening his speech Senator
Aldrich urged the importance of adjusting
the tariff on basis which shall be perma-
pose of the committee to make the pro-
posed readjustment on moderate rather
than on needlessly high protection
lines,
Frequent revisions of the tariff, the SEN
ator said, are productive of long periods Of
uncertainty and arrested development.
The radical change in policy in 1894 proved
disastrous to the business interests of
the country. 1t was thoroughly I'M
understood throughourth country in
tine last political campaign that if
the Republican party should be again en-
trusted with power no extreme tariff legis-
lation should follow. Ii was believed that
in the changed conditions of the country a
return to the duties imposed by the act OF
1890 would not be necessary, even from a
protective standpoint.
1t was with these facts constantly in
view that the majority of the finance com
mittee prepared the amendments which
they have submitted for consideration.
Nothing could be more conducive to the
return and maintenance of real prosperity
in this country than the wel-grounded be-
lief that there were to be no violent
changes in our revenue policy for some
years TO come. The true friends of pro-
tective policy do not insist upon extreme
rates, or any that are not necessary to
equalize conditions. The committee be-
| lieve that in the reductions they have sug-
gested from the rates imposed in the House
bill they have not gone in any instance be-
low the protective point, and II the bill
should become law in the form presented
by them, every American industry would
be enabled to meet foreign competition on
equal terms; that is, so far as this equality
can be secured by tariff legislation The
rates suggested by the committee amend
ments are considerably below those i'm
posed by the House bill, and in most in
|
1890.
After stating the belief of the commit
tee that the House bill would not yield the
additional revenue required for the needs
of the government Mr.. Aldrch proceeded
to Justify the action of the Senate COM
mittee in providing for an increase in the
Internal revenue taxes by placing a tax on
tea and increasing the tax on beer and to-
| bacco. Nothing in the theory of protec-
tion," he said, "interferes with the impo-
| sition of further internal revenue taxes by
protectionists whenever such a course is
found desirable for revenue purposes. In
the future it is almost certain that we
shall be obliged TO depend more and more
upon taxes of this nature for necessary
revenue. In the years TO come we must
expect a decrease, rather than an increase,
in the customs revenue to be derived under
the principal schedules of the tariff With
duties adequately protective upon manu-
features of cotton, wool, silk and fax, we
may expect constantly diminishing reve-
nue. from the importations of these prod
ucts. If the rates imposed by this bill on
sugar should be found to lead to the rapid
development of the beet-sugar industry in
the United States, we may expect large re-
auctions year by year from the contem-
plated revenue from sugar. Some of the
most sanguipe advocates of the policy OF
encouraging beet-sugar production in this
country believe that we shall within ten
years produce all of our sugar.
"The legitimate result of a protective
policy is TO give the American market 10
American producers. When this becomes
an accomplished fact, the revenue growing
out of protective duties disappears. II
| he avid haf
look for other sources of revenue"
A large portion of Mr.. Aldrich's speech
was devoted to an elucidation and defence
of the amended sugar schedule. His
speech was followed very closely by Sena
tors on both sides. The necessity for in.
creased revenues rendered return to free
sugar impossible, and the belief that every
reasonable effort should be made to encour
age the production of beet sugar in the
United States led TO the recommendation
for the higher rates upon sugar made by
the Senate committee.
He explained the difference between the
House and Senate rates, and introduced
tables showing that the latter were more
equitable and uniform, and not any higher
than those of the House. The imposition
of high specific rates upon low grade sugar:
would exclude them from the United States
the effect of which would be to confnC
American purchasers to beet sugar and tC
centrifugals from nearby countries, send
ing all other sugars to the free markets o.
Canada and England, increasing the cos
to consumers in this country. For thes,
reasons the committee recommends an &C
valorem rate of rs per cent, on all sugars
not above 81 degrees. II was important
that the refining industry should be giver
careful consideration and proper protection
The fact that the refining business for the
most part was carried on by one company
should not be allowed to furnish a pretex
in the preparation of tariff bill for tn,
destruction of great industry.
In reference to the wool schedule, Mr.
Aldrieh claimed the rates recommended
! furnished more effective protection fol
the wool-grower than he had ever before
received. Speaking of the proposed duty