Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-07-23

history of the United States is practically
completed All tariffs have met with gem
eral criticism at their passage, and the re-
ception of this one is what might be ex-
pected. All Democrats criticise it simply
because it is a Republican measure, and
there are Republicans all over the country
who have interests which have received
treatment different from what they wished
The Wilson tariff of 1894, which Pres-
dent Cleveland said meant party perfidy,
party dishonor' for the Democrats, and
the present bill have shown both parties
the great difficulties that must be encoun-
tered in framing tariff bill for country
as large as the United States. 1t is to be
hopedthat these difficulties will be a brake
on tariff tinkering in the future. The coun-
try will be better off under almost any set
tied tariff than under a condition of con-
stantly contemplated change.
The most important schedule of the bill
and the one that caused the most difficulty
and delay was that relating to sugar. The
| trainers OF the Wilson bill had bowed alb
july ~ -Ait oAA-hl - AAeki anu II " a. AAOltA
that the Republicans would show that the
! trust could not continue to dictate terms.
! The House voted for a rate Of protection
on sugar lower than the present law, but
the Senate marked up the figures. When
! the news came Saturday OF an agreement
by the conferees it was said that the Sen
ate had surrendered to the House. This
has since been denied.
The sugar schedule seems to be a veri-
table Chinese puzzle of different rates and
technical terms, and what the entire sched-
ule means is a matter OF general dispute.
There is probably no man whose views
have more weight than Worthington c.
Ford chief of the treasury bureau of sta
tistics, a Democrat, whose figures have
never been disputed by anti-protectionists
| He finds that under the Wilson bill the
| differential on 100 pounds of refined sugar
was 1882; under the proposed House
schedule 1878, under the proposed Senate
schedule TO- So, and under the conference
schedule-the one which will become op-
erative under the new law-13.92 cents.
| His calculations vary but little from those
of Mr.. Dingley The writer of the mar
ket letter for Willett * Gray, large sugar
firm, says the reduction from the present
law is 80 per cent
| Vermonters will regret that the pro.
! hibitive rate of 81 thousand on white
! pine lumber has been retained. 1t is be-
lieved that this rate will ruin the large
lumber interests of Burlington, while il
will enrich the lumber barons of Michigan
Minnesota and Wisconsin, who control the
white pine lumber supply of this country
which will have no competition from
Canada.
The statement has been made twice il
Congressional debate and has been pub
lished repeatedly without contradiction
that at a conference of lumbermen in Sen
ator Burrows committee room one man
figured out that 81 duty meant $1,000,
600 to the little coterie present.
The Senate duty on hides, which woulC
interfere with the export trade in boots
shoes and leather goods, has been low cred
and a compromise was also reached which
gives rate more satisfactory to the grea
carpet interests than the one first proposed
1t is to be regretted that the duty on statu
ary and works of art was maintained.
The main point to be considered, how
ever, is whether the bill will provide tn,
government with a revenue sufficient fo
running expenses. The treasury bureau
of statistics calculates that the revenue t
be derived from the new tariff will aggre
gate SIG, 1884, 900 for the fiscal year endin.
June 80, 1898, of which S3S,OOO, 900 will
come from sugar, $29, ,02S,O 900 from wool
S13, 797 900 from tobacco, $15, ,46S, 900 from
fax, hemp and jute, S1S, ,623, 900 from silk
and the balance from chemicals, earthen
ware, wool, agricultural products, pape
and sundries.
On account of the immense anticipatory
importations it is probable that the re
ceipts of the government will not quit,
equal the expenditure for the next fsca
year. When the great stock of foreign prod
ucts imported prior to the operation of tn,
law have been consumed the revenu,
should be from forty to fifry millions
greater The new tariff is protective, lik,
the ones under which OR country has seel