Taxation For Taxes Only

All the proteotionÏBt party organs persistently refuse to underatand the meaning of a revenue tariff, or a tariff for revenue. We will try to enlighten them. The Demooratio conventions and the people at large are demanding a tariff for revenue, and we think the postponement of it will prove dangerous to the party in power ; go, no doubt, some tinkering with the tariff will be tried early next session. But, on the other hand, a real revenue tariff cannot possibly come from the tariff party, being more dangerous even than the refusal of t to that party. For a revenue tariff must be a tariff that will give our manufacturers very raw material free, suoh as wool, oils, tiinber, hides, 8tone (inoluding marble), pig-iron, chemicals that are used for manufaoture, hemp, flax, and in short all articles that are imported in a raw or crude state, and that cannot be used by consumera as they are imported. We decidedly require free medicines, and no duties on the hundreds of little artioles on whioh the duties do not pay for collecting. Then we require a tariff made on a sound basis ; that is to say, if we have duty on textiles for the present, it must not be as it is now on woolens for instanoe, where a coarse blanket pays 140 per oent. duty and a fine blanket 90 per oent., or where a yard of the finest broadcloth pays 65 per cent. and coarse pilot oloth pays 120 per oent. The higher classes of the same goods should not pay the lower duty, and no duty on a textil fabric should be higher even to-day than 25 or 30 per cent., except perhapa on ■ilk. This of itself will be equivalent to a revisión of our ousioin laws, giving our officials a ohanoe to do their full duty and at the same time proteoting honest importen not only from smuggling, but also from becoming the prey of informers and spies. It is outrageous duties whioh tempted Fhelpi, Dodge & Co. to enter upon their painful career, and permitted the Custom house sharks and Bliss & Co. to glut their greed. We may perhapa be asked how we oould raise revenue enough with suoh alterations. Well, then, we hope the country is ripe to understand that thi Government ought to be and can be oarrioi on nt XX ozpondituro of $'J 50,000,000, partioularly as the interest we have to pay, including 1 per oent. sinking fund, is now a little over $110,000,000. We need, therefore, only to raise f150,000,000 from duties - and this we can do by taxing a few articles, such as spirits, wines, and tobáceo, heavily - and putting a moderate duty on some articles of neoessity. Thus we oan show how a few artioles will yield a very great revenue. Ooing upon the basis of consumption of 1872 we find : Proposed duties, average. Sevenue. 8ugar, 1,500,000,000 Ibt 2.per et. $37,600,000 Brandy, 2,500,000 gala $2 per gal. 5,000,000 Wines, 10,000,000 gala 50o. per ffal. 6,000,000 Tobacoo leaf, 12,000,000 lbs.SOc. pet lb. 6,000,000 Manufact'd silk, $35,000,000 40 per et. 14 000 000 Cigars, 900,000 lb $2 per lb. l,Ki,OUO Manufactures of woolens, 55,000,000 30 per et. 16,SO0,0O0 Manufactures of cottons, $36,000,000 S5pMCt. 9,000,000 Iron bars, rails fincluding teel rails, but exclusive of pig-iron) 1,400,000,000 Ibs Jioperlb. 7,000,000 Total duty $101,900,000 Here we have nearly f102,000,000 from these nine items, whioh will leare only 148,000,000 to bs raised from fanoy goods, leather manufactures, hardware, cutlery, watohes, jewelry, perfumes, musical instrumenta, earthenware and glasa, manufactures of flax and linen, dried fruits and other articles. Of course, it is impossible to go into details, but by this outline it can be seen how easy, safe, and practicable is a Free-trader's revenue tariff. It will be seen we have not even touched upon the renewal of a duty on tea and coftee. From these two articles alone over $20,000,000, could be raised by a moderate tax at the Custom-house. Now, although we have set forth a mere approximation, and although the progress of our legislation should be a steady continuance in taking off burdens, a teady reduction of the taxes levied at the Custom-house, and a steady diminution of the number of things there taxed, yet enough has been said to show that Pree Trade, that is a Tariff for Revenue, ;hat is Taxation for Taxes only, is at once aerfeotly practicable, easy, and safe, besides thut it would libérate all industries and restore General Prosperity. - N. Y. World.