Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1842-10-31
l., MONDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 81, 1912.
310ltttrdl.
SPEECH OF Mr.. HUDSON or MISS. IN
COMMITTEE or TIE UTOLE. ON TIiE
IiRifF BILLS, DELirERED July (,

Mr. Cu,RMAN: From what have seen ofihc spir
and temper of tho Committee. and irom what know Of
the views aud feelings OF gentlemen On this nnr
inclincd 10 believe that there not radical difference
Of opinion between | am satisfied that il gcntlmcn
could toagct their preconcelved oplnious, and would s
down and canddly compare noios, they would find
themselves much together than they nagine.-
Every man will allow that the Treasury is empty;
~ man will admit that need revenue; and, whatever
may bo his party bias speculative opinions, every
will acknowledge that our revenue must come mainly. il
not wholly from imposls, Nearly every member this
floor will admit that III Imposing duties, there should be
discrimination or revenue. aud IN degree inr pro
lection. Ever, man in Imposing duties. would have
some reference to the policy Of the nations with which
we are connected by commercial intercourse.
doubt whether there is gentleman present who
will dissent from these views win any member on
this floor rise IN his place and say that, in the imposition
o duties. he would have regard To the interests Ut The
peoploi VIII any one maintain that the general wei
fue, the very object Tor which the Government was in
stntcd should bc overlooked dlsrcparled, IN raising
the means to support the Government Ii any one
teans these opinions. and Is willing 10 carry them ont
let hun spatk Lat hin declare. in the presence OF
this House and Of the naon that he will moi discrim
nate between Injuries and nccessarcs. and that he has
no disposition 10 protect the laboers Of tins free Rcrub
lie against the pauper labor Of the old world.
Mr., Chairman. II we approach this subject like bust
ness men, our first inquiry will be, mhM arc The rant;
qhc Government The Secretary of the Treasury es
Inmates the wants ofthc Government for three years
come Al S32 ,OOO,OO annually. The chairmon of The
Committee otWays and Means aud Manufactures
us that II would not be safe 10 estimate the necessary
amount Ut nett revenue nj less than S21 900 600
So. OO0 900 for several years come. IN these cs
mates included several millions which will be- rcqu
red TO redeem Treasury notes outstanding and 10 pa,
the interest and redeem the pnc pal of the loan required
TO pay the debts the late administration and IL supply
the deficiency created IN the Treasury by the reductions
which have taken place during the lash year, by the op
| oiaions ut the compromise aci.
The Secretary estimates the importation NJ sl01 .OO0
600. from which he dclucls S3 600 900 Tor the free
articles, leaving about 80 900 0o0 imports which
TO raise the necessary revenue. Without intending
90 into this part of the subject which has been fully ex
hhilcd by the chairman Of ways aud means, is sui
Client to say that taking the Sccreary's estimate.
to raise &32,oo000O on importation Of S9i 100000
would require an nd yalurem duty Of about 10 per cent
Now, sir how shall the neccss1r, amount be raiScd}
Every gentleman will admit the pro!rely ola free list
Ii would be folly To impose duty upon specie. the I'M
porlaon ol which amounts IN some years, Ia &l1,Ouo,
Ooo. Equally nnwlse would be 10 impose duty on
articles Imported for the OF the United States for
literary Institutions and societies. The other free afti
cos generally those Of absolute necessity as drugs
aud medicines or the materials necrr 3ary unr
manufactures. Such list has always existed from the
adoption oil the Constitution has been the policy Of the
Government 10 admit such articles free ol duty. nor am
aware thai any gentleman who has examined The subject
is disposed 10 arm hilate Ibis free lsr
What duties. then sh, be imposed upon the tqi.-
100000 Of dutiablc afticlcsl We have already seen
that the duty. il il were levied upon ever, article
be % lor ccn' Bu will every article bear this duty
Ot would sound policy dictate such an impustiunl-
No: the same which would dictate free list
would require that moderate rite If duty be imposed
up III some articles. 0nc class ut articles is Of such
character that they could be easily smnggled, and
lghd duty would lead 10 frauds upon the rcycnuc
her class Is consumed principally by the poor who
but lily able to bear the burden Of any additional taxa
ton. One article comes in competition with domestic
production, and another does not; article obtained
IRON country whose ports are open To productions.
while another comes from the country from whose por's
our products excluded. These coisi,r raons would
dictate different oduiy horizontal duty is as
absurd IN political economy, as exact equa, uni
urmlty IN nature. No man can, am persuaded, after
reflect ~ Tor single moment. maintain that every arli-
Gle under all the variety OF circ,usanc4s should pay
the same rate per cent.
We required, them by The dictates of prlprety of
sound policy, Vi common sense discriminate in the i'm
position OF duties; and II some articles brought below
the average rate others must be carried above but
this question: wish tenqnire chy raise al ain
II BE- said that is necessary 10 support the Govern
me say, then carry ont The same principles in lcvylng
duties as those which the Government is founded As
the Government established ''to provide for the
mon defence. aad 10 promote The general welfare"
should have regard TO those Objects in the imposition Of
duties Protect your industry agans the pauper labor
Of the old world; seek the welfare Of your country
and not the prosperity ooer nations from hose ports
some OF your own products are excluded
But we are told that low rate Of duty will produce
more revenue. Without stopping here TO show the lla
cy Of this position. will simply remark that this could
be done only by Increasing mp'raiions Aud IL This de-
sirablei Have not excessive mporallons been prn
clpal cause Of our pccuniary cnbaTras nenR The gen
eman from South Carolina Alr Pickens) the other day
gave us dolcu account OF the pstratc condition Of the
conniry-comInerce and agriculture nearly Destroyed
business, IN all lis departments, mbaTrassed-ndivdua
credit gone, States bankrupt and the United States
bonds ha"ked in the market. And does that gentleman
suppose tina. individual State credit would be improved
OF foreign Indebtedness be wiped out, by increased mpor
ation OF foreign luxurics? win new and increased
debts relieve our pccuniary embarrassment? Common
prudence would suggest TO Us 10 cuai expenditures
to diminish lmporalioDs One argument in support
Of tariff is, that it will tend To diminish mporations
and so check that pride and cxirdyagance which nos
stalk forth at noon day.
But, sir, VIC told that The proposed rates Of duty
are unreas nably high. Has any gentleman shown, or
even attempted to show, thai the proposed rates will
give more revenue than is required, than
pended by the last Administration Such an attempt
mas not been made. Still gentlemen tell that the du-
lies IN the bills before MS are enormous. Enormous
They are not as hig, they under The Admins
raon ut Gen Jackson they are, the principal ar
cies, no higher than they during the Adminstra
ION OF Mr. Van Buren,. Let us look at a lew articles
under his reign:
by the acs Of 1882 and 1888 woollens paid a duty of
81 per cent ad valorem; and though the duties sugar
iron In lis various forms, and coilos, were mostly spe
chic they would not, on an average, vary materially
from The same rate OF ID per cent Under the operation
OF The the reduction would bring