The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-04-07
TARIFF REVISION.

Tariff Bill, 80 as to increase our reye.
nue., and at the same time reduce rates;
a few thoughts in regard to tariff legis.
lation may interest your readers.
After the United States had achiev.
ed their Independence and established
a government IN their own account,
the first and most serious problem that
confronted our Congress was, how best
to obtain the necessary means to pay
the expenses of the Government. We
have abundant and valuable resources,
but ~undeveloped. The policy of Eng
land had been discourage her Amer
lean Colonies from manufacturing
she preferred to furnish the Colonies
with the manufactured article for such
raw material IS they had in exchange
for these.
The Congress of the United States
adopted the plan to raise revenue by
putting a tariff, or tax, on all manu-
featured articles, imported from for
eign countries. The prime object of
the tariff wasuto collect from foreign
ers enough money to pay a large part
Ofthe Government expenses, for allow
ing the privilege of trade in our mar
ket. There was no division on the
tariff at that time. The plan had not
been In operation long before the Eng
lish and other foreigners, found q way
10 circumvent our scheme. They
could simply add a little more to the
price of the articles they sold US, and
pay a little less for what we had to
sell.
Something had to be done. The
expenses of the Government were in.
creasing and the revenue was not suf-
ficient to meet them. Congress then
decided to adopt q tariff with inciden-
tai protection on all articles that came
in competition with some that were
manufactured in this country.
The invention of the Protective
principle in u tariff legislation in.
sured to the U. 8. the commercial and
industrial supremacy In the world.
Tariff for revenue with incidental
protection continued to be the rule,
without much change until the Civil
War. The necessities of this war were
30 great that Congress adopted what is
called the High Protective Policy.
This was done for the purpose of get
ting more revenue and stimulating
more rapidly the production of war
material and equipment In the United
States. I will give one instance of
what wonderful results the extra High
Tariff worked. At that time railroad
iron was taxed at $50 per ton. An
drew Carnegie, the1famous steel mag
nate, appeared before the Finance
Committee of the House of Represen-
atives of United States and made this
proposition. That If Congress would
increase the tax on iron to $50 per ton,
that he would force the English, who
were then selling iron to the United
States for $l20, to sell it for $50. Car
negie's proposition was accepted. He
made good. The Tax was reduced
from time to time. The quality and
quantity were increased. Schawb, the
present head of the Amalgimated
Steel Trust, says that his company can
produce more rails, better rails and
cheaper rails than any firm in the
world. They do not ask for any fur
Their protection, and defes competi.
ton.
/ Under the stimulus of the High Pro-
tective Tariff the people of the United
Ot6IS5 lcdu LILO WOIlu III oil LILO &ICdL
Important industries. Except, per-
haps in the building of a great Navy.
England still leads the world In that
Much of what we hear and read
about the tariff Is stuff.
There is very little improvement to
be made on the Dingley Bill. Ding.
ley had a genius for tariff making.
Payne and Dalzell are his legitimate
representatives. They have studied
the subject in it's numerous schedules.
They are broadminded aid patriotic.
They have prosecuted a bill that ia
vors no particular interest or section,
to the disadvantage Of any other.
The south and west, who seem to be
raising more objections to the Payne
Bill than any other section, pay less
taxes and receive more benefit than
any other. So far as the South and
West are concerned the tariff Oh lum-
Der hides, sugar, rice and cotton and
fabrics affect than more than any
other schedule.
Lumber ought to be on the free list
for the following reasons Lumber Is
in very great demand in the South
and West just now, and will be for all
time. Free lumber will benefit q great
many people of small means. End.
BY putting lumber on the free list we
give protection to our rapidly disap-
pearing forests. Let our great lumber
mills 90 to South America, Mexico
and Canada to operate.
Hides should be put on free list for
the reason that free hides will benefit
the many. The farmer, the mar who
raises the beeves and sell them to the
gre at beef trust, generally get less than
the beef is worth, and throw In the
hide and tallow.
Add 25 to &c per cent. to the present
duty on sugar. The same on rice.
This will increase the price of sugar
about ! of l cent per pound, or about 8
cents on the annual consumption OF
the average person in Abbeville. Rice
about the same. Increase the duty on
cotton fabrics from Is per cent. to 80
per cent. This will further stimulate
cotton manufacturing in the South.
Add 40 or so per cent. to all woollen
goods. This will cause more interest
in sheep and help woollen mills.
Add 40 or so per cent. to silk, jewel
nv and fine liquors. There are many
other items in the bill that will stand
an increase, without expressing any
one, or making it prohibitive.
If the bill Ia framed along these
lines, with the present outlook for in
creased trade, 1t will bring ample reve-
nue. to meet the aver increasing ex-
penses of the government.
To sum up: We have had three
forms of tariff legislation. 1st. Tariff