Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1844-03-07
AL
TEHE1 TARIFF.
SPEECH OF MIR. McDUFFIE,
OF SOUTH CAROLINA.

OF SOUTH CAROLINA, N
IN the Senate, January 10, 1914. --On the re-
solution OF the Committee on Finance TO
postpone Indefinitely the bill introduced by
him for the reduction Of the present Tariff
to the standard OF the Compromise act.
). Mr.. McDuiIie, III reply 10 the areu-
a,ents urged BY Mr. Evans and MIR.
Huntington when the resolution was I'M
der consideration the day before, address
sed the Senate as follows:
Mr.. president:-lf one OF the illustri-
Gus patriots who framed the Constitution
under which we are now .deliberatIng,
could have presented himself before US
during tho debate of yesterday, he. would
have been struck with establishment to
find the constitutional. provision. howev-
err inadequate to its purpose-which was
Designed to protect the people of the
United States from unjust and eppres
sive taxation, brought up as barrier a
gainst relieving an indignant people fFom
the most monsfrous, unequal and unjust
system of taxation that ever stained the
legislative annals OF this country. In
their great anxiety to save the people of
the United States from unnecessary Nod
excessive burdens, those illustliou> pat.
riots, who had been brought up in the
school of the Revolution, where they
were taught to regard unconstitutional
taxation as the greatest of all political
evils. very naturally Interposed everu
possible obstacle which might secure
their rs,stetiry FROM, 81 great Il curse
Fer tEis purpose, they provided that no
bill raising reveEue should originate IN
the Senate; but that all such bills should
originate in that house which more d.
recuy represented the people of the u.
States. Now. sir, presume that the
Senate of the United States will not be
disposed to believe that the iIlustrious
trainers of thus Constitution meant to deal
in mere idle wot,!s-that they would
insert in the Constitution of the U. S. a
clause which had no practical utility.
ask YOU, then. what rational, what SEN
sibIe meaning can be given to that clause,
but that the object was to prevent this
body from originating bills to raise rev.
enue by the imposition Of taxes? Ii was
not that they wished 10 prevent you from
putting money into the treasury. but TO
prevent you from taking money ont Of
the pockets Of the people. To raise re-
venue is. in itself. poihIna; but ,tN raise
i. by imposing excessive burdens on he
people. was obviously the srievance~they
designed TO prevent. One Of the Sepa-
tors (Mr. Huptinston( not now in his
place, Internationally in. answering an
argument of my friend from New ilanr-
shire. (Mr. Woodbury. let out what is
the true view Of this. question: My
friend from New Hampshire bad argued
that, in various instances. the Senate Of
the United States had originated bills
providing public revenue; giving as an
instance. laws imposing rates Of postage.
In answer to that, the Senator from Con
nociicut (Mr Huntington) said (thoush
the facts did not justify the arsument)
that this was not raising revenue by i'm
posing taxes--clearly admitting the
right Of the Senate TO originate bill rails
ins revenue. which did not impose taxes.
Suppose, Mr.. President, that we had
some mysterious power To raise revenue,
without, imposing pecunary burdens on
the people, suppose we are endowed
with the power Of necromancy. and could
call down. showers of gold from the hca
vens, or strike the earth with our magic
wand. and caase it to throw up its bud
den treasures; was it against that, or amy
other similar mode of raising revenue.
that our ancestors intended TO guard -
| repeat. that no sensible Interpretation
can be given TO the clause under. consd-
Grafton. that does not look to the impo-
siton of taxes as the snle subject OF The
restriction it imposes. on the Senate
Regarding it in any other light, 1t would
be a mere frivolous and unmeaning waste
of words. e.,.
But, sir, let us look to the practical
construction-t to the true nature OF the
bill which hare had the honor to INTRO
duce to the Senate. Is it, IN form or ~
Substance. a bill for raising revenue r
Is its object to raise revenue Wlii lis
effect be to raise revenue by its own in
herent visor. ?--to use the words OF. the
senator from Connecticut. Assurediy
nat. 1t is a bill, on the contrary, total
" and exclusively operating 10 reduce
and repeal duties. 1t imposes no duties