The Charlotte Democrat., 1897-02-11
The New Tariff Law
as Agreed Upon.

dS agreed upon
Herbert Janvrin Brown writes tc
the Journal:
81 am able to give the Journal fol
the first time the Republican Tariff
bill as far as it has been completed
Reciprocity and $5O,OOO,OOO more
annual revenue are the principal
features of the bill. The Dingley
i measure is lot duplicate of the
Mckinley bill, some of the schedules
of the Wilson bill being retained.
The bill is not completed yet, and
will not be during this session of
Congress. The Republican mem.
bers of the committee are sitting
every day. and will pursue the same
policy after March 4. If the mea-
sure is completed in time to present
Immediately after the organization
of the next House, Chairman Ding
ley will be satisfied. The bill itself,
so far as progress has been made,
shows the change in Republican
sentiment.
The party has proftel by the Will
son Tariff law. 1t has found good
in it-so much good that many fea
lures of the present law will be
retained. Rates from the old Nc
Kinley law have been cut down.
Many Objectionable features Of that
bill are being eliminated, yet the
new measure vii resemble that law
to marked degree, especially in the
wool schedule, which is being held
to the last, piece de resistance of
Republican policy.
The reciprocity paragraphs of the
Mckinley law will appeal intact in
the new bill. To them will be added
a reciprocity feature on the spirits
and wine schedule. This is bid
for the trade of Germany and France,
a sop to Cerberus in the interest of
American meat products and the
Meat Trust. The details of reciproc-
ity are yet to be agreed upon, but
the machirery will be in the lower.
ing of reciprocal duties. The free
list of the present law is being cut
down with great rapidity. In this
respect the resemblance to the Nc
Kinley law will be striking One Of
the most important removals from
the list already made is that of salt.
Tin plates will have a standing in
the new bill, too, though the irou
and steel schedule has not been
touched yet to any great extent
Every schedule in the bill has been
discussed at least in part, but not
one Of them can be called finished
In each one there is something to hf
still Strengthened out.
The rate on kaolin, in the glass
and earthenware schedule, has beer
placed at the old Mckinley figure
but there the legislators have come
to halt. They cannot agree on the
rates for china ard earthenware
The raw mud is easily disposed Of
but the manufactured article is 6
poser.
The farmer is to be taken care Of
this time. The Republican party
heard too much in the last campai gr
about how little was done for TIM
farmer. So the agricultural sched
ule has received particular atten
ton. A tax is laid on everything
the farmer grows, but the cattle
men of the West can import Mexican
cattle to their hearts content at hall
the price Major Mckinley charged
Wools, cottons and silks are still il
the balance. There is where th'
rub comes, and there is where tn,
special duties must come in. For
is noticeable feature of this neV
bill that so far ad va!orem dutie
predominant. The administratlv
part of the new law will differ great
ly from the present. This has beel
made necessary by the change, IL
some instances at least, from an at
valorem to a specific basis.
The committee has been workin!
in secret. 1t has hidden itself away
Representatives in various interest
have tried in vain to learn the fat
of the schedules in which they al
interested. The chief changes il
the various schedules so far mad
, are given below, The committe
has no intention of touching interna
revenue taxation in connection wit
the new bill. This is folloWin
Speaker Reeds view Of the situation
and will be adhered to. The rate
indicated have been decided on, an
stand as given up to this date. Th
publication will likely bring in
storm Of protests from every interes
! ! which is getting only part of what
\ | demanded. Enough influence ma
| be brought to change the rates o
certain items.
Jurors Drawn for the Courts.