Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 March 1884 — THE REVENUES. [ARTICLE]

THE REVENUES.

Who Pay Them—-An In tares tin g Exhibit, St. Louis Republican: The imports to the United States for the calendar year 1883 free of duty were to the value of $205,114,304, against $214,036,390 for the year 1882 —a falling off of SB,922,086. This large amount of imports free of duty came under about sixty headings, but is made up mainly of the following: Articles, tae growth of manufacture • of the United States, returned. $ 6,874,410 Crude tartar or argal dust 2,930,227 In igo 8,337,047 Nitrate of soda !; 2,4G9,013 Sulphur or brimstone 2,177,242 toffee 43,7J,048 Eggs 2,528,844 Undressed furs and fur skins 2,215,002 Hides and skins, other than furs 2i,140,522 Crude India rubber and gutta perch*. 14,786,320 Bags, other than wool 3,780,464 Raw silk, or as reeled from cocoons.. 13,122,019 Tea 15.346,009 Tin in many iorms 6,165,351 Wood, unmanufactured........a..... 4,033,422 Brown sugar 7,054,909 Total $153,392,837 The sixteen headings embrace threa.ourths in value of the goods brought into the country free of duty. The amount of dutiable imports for the calendar year 1883 was $481,960,362, against $538,807,117 in 1882—a falling off of $56,846,745. The total decrease of free and dutiable imports for the year was $65,768,831, comparison being with 1882. The dutiable articles imported came under 129 headings, of which the following are the principal: i/ive animals $ 3,513,629 Barley 6,288,341 Buttons and button materials. 3,599,323 Crude opium 8,931,278 Watches and watch materials 2,221,703 Coal, bituminous 2,240,260 Cotton cloth. 2,538,871Cotton knit goods 7,9.1,381 Clothing and other cotton goods 23,808,930 Earrhen, stone, and china ware 6,969,923 Fancy articles, perfumeries, etc 7,402,856 Hemps and substitutes for .. 4,576,324 Jute and sisal grass 5,720,995 Manufactures of flax, jute, otc. 24,133,992 Fruits and nuts 17,407,607 Furs dressed on skins 6,325,133' Pig iron 5,745,939 Tin plate or taggars tin 18,075,814 Various manufactures of tin 13,875,693 Precious stones 8,550,818 Leather 7,228,409 Gloves, kid and leather 3,583,653 Silk, dress and piece goods 16,321,441 Silk, clothing, laces, ribbons, otc 18,280,474 Brandy 2,246,626 Molasses 6,980,240 Sugar, Dutch standard in color. 87,774,898 Leaf tobacco 8,312,913 Cigars, cigarettes, and cheroots 3,055,770 Wine in casks 3,012,977 Wine in bottles 6,207,345 Lumber 7, *33,989 Wool, unmanufactured 11.843,625 Woolen cloth .*. 12,922,521 Women's and children’s woolen goods 17,095,209 Woolen goods unspecltied 8,430,558 Total $396,150,721 These thirty-six headings embrace more than three-fourths of the dutiable commodities brought into this country. It will be .observed that by far the greater portion are articles of prime necessity. Sugar, cotton goods and cotton clothing, woolen goods and woolen clothing, manufactures of flax, tin, and manufactures of tin, iron, and manufactures of iron make up much the larger pafct of the goods upon which duties are imposed. These are articles indispensable in every household in the land. These enter into the life of every human creature. The duty on these articles is from 40 to 50 per cent. It is not stating the case too str<mgly to say that on the six articles we have just named the laboring classes pay annually over $100,000,000 tax to the Government, or $2 to each person, and $lO to each average family. Thi3, of course, takes no account of the amount they pay to protect horn 2 industries which does nob go into the Treasury. This amount is indefinite, but is variously estimated to reach three times the sum, or more than is paid to the Government (more nearly five times, or SSO per family); that is to say, $6 to each person, and S3O to each family in the United States. If this tax were levied direct on the people the present tariff would not stand a month. It falls on them none the less surely, and is much less equitably distributed than’ are direct taxes, but so disguised as to excite no general protest. It is only by discussion that the truth can be brought home to the people who bear the burdens.