Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-07-28
TwENTy-NlNTH CONGRESS.

The TaRlFF-delivered in the House o. Ref
yeseniaurss, June IS, 1916.
The hill repored by The Chairman OF the Com
m;,,ee Of WAYS and Means, providing for re
duc,ion OF dulles on foreign imports, from thei
present rates 10 the revenue slandard being unoe
consideration in the Committee OF the Whole
MIR HUBBARD, OF Virginia. addressed IN
Committee IS follows:
Mr. Chairman: rise, briefly TO sta'e my iea
sons for supporting the pill under considefaiou .
and 10 show that il contains much to comhlehu ,
IN The favorable consideration oil Inc county
.,e.,Iv y,J,ccs existing hi.h duties. ~ dbos'@te
fhe sncei6c. as well as III m,n;m'un pfincipie
;mnosins duties The former is clearly ihiens. -
10 sustain The protect,re features oil The Diil OF io4
and has The direct effect VI increasing re rae
prorc,ion AS The article which The duly i 'a,u
becomes cbeope,. as. for instance, sPecihc uu.s
of al 25 per 100 pounds upon fo'ieu .aIoren,
w.s The last fiscal year equal 10 an al Vdoisn -
dn,,, ~ :, mr. cent. Rolled bar iron was 'a 'o y
s,aiy,,od a, he custom house at 81 TO per ioo
nnas Now il is clear, that when rolled IRON
f,Ws in price. the specific duty OF ST. 20 per iou
hounds will increase the rate oil ad Vaiofelh uu'!
inns giving the manufacturer h'gaer Pro'ec. .rp
exactly in proportion as IRON JasS III pi'ee.
efIact of this increase OF duty as IRON ocConhes
1ie0ner is more effec,ually 10 exclude me
lion of i. thus preventing the Government rom
dor;v;no any reasonable amount oil revenue ''oin =,
,ha, source. But, in doing that, YOU also curtain
The commerce of The country, thereby aoins s'e"'
iniury 10 other great interests lhe "it"tN1a"'
principle is, if anything, more obnoxious tndn .iie
specifc. because il accompllshes more ,nJusnee
nnder legislative fciions and arDdrafHVaiudl'ohs'
As. for instance, the present law declares 'lia'
amanufac,ures OF cotton, not dyed, coored, pint
a. ar stained and no, exceeding in value twenty
cents per square yard. shall be valued al twenty
cents per square yard, and pay duty OF thir'y
ner cen,um nd raorcm" Now, under ihis iesls-
ia,;ve device, plain white cotton, costing SIX
cents per ward is 10 be valued at your cuso'n
bonses as though in fact il cost twenty GEMS
and they are 10 exact a duty oil lhlfy Pei c'n'
nd yalorem, not upon The real co>' VI ="
cents The ward but the fictitious PRICE VI twen-
" cents The yard BY this minimum sysen.
of taxing cheap white coltons, you IN iae. ."a
those costing only six cents the yaia "heh
;mnor,ed the enormous duty OF SIX GEMS inc
ward nv species of hocus Pocus iegisiaaon,
Won deceive plain people into The oeiei 'nd'
ION only levy a duty BY the bill OF 1872 on caeap
white cotton goods OF thirty per cent. az 'd'oIe"'
yer in fact should goods OF this description De
imported. they would have to pay ioo per GEM.
Inty. But this minimum principle IS means
Of imposing much higher duty on inc cot,on
cas,;ne only six cents per yard, than on that des-
crin,ion costing IS and 90 cents The yard;oecause
the more nearly the price OF The imported eollah
Goods approaches The minimum price Fixed by Jaw,
which in his instance is 20 cents me vare, 50
mnch more nearly is il an al vaoiem TAX. II us
erped,ent 10 impose an ad valorem GUY on "hie
cotton goods costing 20 cents the yard, why i y
not equally lair and Just 10 impose an du .dio'eu
duty on white cotton goods costing oh'y s,A .en's
the yardl Nav, sir, justice AND honesty III Tue aei
case imperiouslv demand ii; because lhe coarse
imam ooods usually purchased by The poorer classes
L-.s1I difference mdue, DC IDUIc
l,shav taxed than tie finer and more cosby aru'ie
houoh, by the more ,reeifau. The word minfmnm
4 of Latin origin and means the least OF sHaiieS'
ouanlilv: while maximum means the greatest VI
laroes, quantity. With this plain and OBVIOUS
distinction between The meaning Of the TWO words.
vet the former is selected and USED ~ 'he p'ii VI
1912. 10 designate prics which IN iacs Is a m9~f
mum when we take into consideration the ave.,
age value OF white cotton goods usually consumed
in The country. There Is no good reason LOT
using either Of these arbitrary terms as they only
tend 10 render The Law more d'liicnit OF cninP,e-
bension 10 the great mass Of the people. Fof Inc
frs, time in The history Of our Federal Legislation.
we now propose TO introduce entirely IN 'ariii
bill The od raiVrem system OF taxation. ms OF
i,sefis powerful argument in favor OF the Dill
now under consideration.
After wears OF angry discussion, and varied
mutations of parties, The Democracy have al Ias
40 far succeeded in vindicating their principles
before The country, as mol only 10 nave eiecleo
President favorable 10 revenue tar'h, oui a
we believe, majority in both Houses OF Con
gress. The duty now deVol'es upon inc peho
cratic members OF Congress o! giving their P'n-
cipss the sanction Of legislative enactment. we
owe il 10 the country now 10 reacjust the 'ariH |
and make i, strictly rcreaus measure. in dong |
This the Democracy need take shelter behind no |
complex devices in imposing duties, out MAKING |
,usrice and fairness onr guide, we desire not 10
my>tifv our acts. bat intend 10 place before The
ne pie a lax bill they can all comprehend ana ap-
preciate, from lis simplicity and Inc Intrinsic
correctness O. the principles upon which II Is
based. The ad raiorem rate OF imposing duties
is Ineligible and the rcrsnue principle is lusl;
so therefore, we boldly place our measures On the
Democratic doctrine Of extending even handed
ustice 10 all. We say 10 the importing mer-
chant. we will impose duty on your goods 0ecor-
ding 10 their rGiue; thus leaving the ,rcoltty who
consume The costp articles 10 pay most oil Inc lax,
while The poorer classes usually consuming The
cheapest. will contribute less towards deiTaying
The expenses OF The Federal Government
The extensive importation OF cheap foreign
goods was The plea assigned by the advocates OF
The tariff act passed in 1872, Tor demanding htsh
duties 10 protect American MANUFACTURES asa'n h
VIVA, ,hey characterized as the productions OF ihe
.sn.nner labor Of Europe" The epu complained
ri ,hsn by the manufacturers, was cheap iorc'gn
GOODS coming into successful competition win
our a merican mann features. This they repre-
,en,ed az a most grevous eDtt. II was urged mat
our well-fed, free American labor could not com.
pete in open markets with what ihey suSmalizeo
AZ the "pauper labor oil Europe" This alarming
calamity OF cheap goods was greatly deprecated
hv onr manufacturers, and for the mos. obvious
ri all reasons: il curiaticd their profits, but II en-
r;ch,d labor. and administered 10 The comfort OF
The needy consumer. never heard oil The pto-
uie raising clamor because goods were cheap =
The purchaser naturally desires 10 buy on The 0est
terms So therefore, the less money the people nave
10 nav Tor their mechanics, the better lor liieif
interest. But if The same cause which enables
them 10 buy on the best terms aso enaoles 'nea,
10 dispose Of their productions al Inc hiehest
rates why certainly they are doubly beneilted.-
'Then no rational people will complain OF being
enabled 10 sell and buy on the most advantageous
terms. The people-ihe great mass OF the con-
sItuept body-did not ask Congress, IN lS42, 10
n,ernose obstacles in the path OF commerce, SO as
IN imopde lis career and thus, by diminishing
competition from abroad, enable our manu-
facturers al home greatly 10 elevate Inc price
of their goods. But the manufacturing class
pc and those Immediately in their iniiu-
ence. implored Congress 10 grant lhem prolec-
,;on AGAINST the millions OF cheap foreign goods
daily thrown into The American markets. because
ne Competition lcsssnea their prcss Their un-
lusl and selfish request was granted The exPe-
riment has been fairly tried. The tariff law 81
1912 did enhance the price Of goods. Not only
did ii do that, but accomplished it by diminishing
our commerce, and greatly impairng the value Of
mr. agrieuhmyal staples This far in our lead.
ing agricultural staples has had bligh'ing etfec,
upon the mechanics, tradesmen, professional
men, and all others employed in the agricultural
districts. This Wing remedy Of excluding cheap
foreign goods from a fair competition with our
manufactures, has effected another most eStraor'
binary result. They now, when their boasied re-
medy has been repud,aled by The people, gravey
sci 10 work TO prove that since The passage OF The
protective tariff, they can manufacture goods as
cheap in this country they can be made ans
where-thus proving that their remedy TO deient
themselves against low prices has actually, ac
ius, expectations by enabling them 10 manuiac
iure and sell their goods as cheap they do abroad