The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-08-03

OF Ways and Means snehdaloTy OF the lailn IA"
Of 1912.
The House being ia Committee of the Whole on
the State OF the Union ..a-. 90 ..... r 4
Mr.. HARMANSoN spoke as follows:
enter into this discussion, MIR. Chairman, fully
conscious Of my lncompeteney 10 do II the justice
demanded by It's vast importance. But represent
mo a constituency who are Incorporating IN their
o6Inions on this subject, | should be recresnt to
every principle Of honor and duty did fail 10 enter
their protest against the peTpetuation OF system
which they honestly believe will bring ruin to the
agricultura commercial, and maritime interests OF
our country; a system which, II forced upon us,
must end in the subyersion Of the liberties Of the
people, when the few will govern the many, and
revel in wealth exorted from them by unjust legs
lation; a system which, If persisted in, ere half
century passes by will reduce the people a state
ofdegradation, immortality, and abject slavery.
Il 10 avert this, sir-it is TO save my children
from 80 sad an lnheritanee-that enter my protest
against your deceptive, fraudulent mscalled protec-
i've system, that carries hypocritcAl smile on lie
face and lie its tongue, TO allure, deceive, and
rob It's yielim wherein every argument that cunning,
ayarce and ambition conceive, Is uuserupulous-
~ used to persuade eonhding people that they are
benefited by oppression and robbery.
shall enter this discussion with full determine
ton IN oppose all legislation for special interest,
whether that interest be located at home abroad.
was not sent here, sir, as political vulture, 10
prey upon the interest Of any section Of the Union,
bat to demand and accord evenhanded justiee-a
fair compe luon--to ALL advantages TO none.
But before examine into the merits and demer-
its Of this ruinous system, would advise the com
mitlee, and particularly my opponents, that do not
wish TO be understood as mpugning their motives
Their motives and my motives must be left TO the
consciences OF each, and 70 our God. But IN eX-
posing what consider the and frauds Of the
system, shall not curb NY Indignation, nor let a
false courtesy smooth over Its injustice. shall strip
II, as far a. am able, to its nakedness.
The I'D vaorem principle Of this bill, or the prn-
cipe Of lsying the duty according to the value Of
the article imported, is objected to by our oppo-
neats for the reason they say, Of It's aiding the
importer 70 defraud the revenue by false invoices
This objection | look upon as unreasonable and
captous The oath OF the importer, the intimate
knowledge our own appraisers have OF the value
of all i'm orted articles assisted by prices current
and the eonhscation of the goods IL detected, are
full guarantee against that risk. | go for the tax
according to the value, for the reason that II is
honest its very face; II IS just and equal, bearing
equally all our feow-citIzens, rich and poor, as
far as is practicable. BY this system of taxation
what is still very important in u republican govern
ment-we shall all know what amount Of taxes we
pay. -, -
place in its stead, ] am utterly opposed to IT, as
unjust, unequal, and as throwing the whole weight
Of the government on the poor instead of the rich
thus reversing every principle Of justice. BY way
of illustration. let us take the article of fannes,
which, by your tariff Of 1892 is taxed IA cents per
yard, without any regard TO its value The hne
article at al per yard, which the wealthy buy,
will be taxed Ia cents on every yard The c''arser
article, which the poor from their circumstances,
are compelled to buy, if il cost 80 cents yard, Is
taxed the same amount All men must, it appears
to me, see the injustice Of this. Take, again, the
article of silk: your tariff Of IS42 taxes it - 50 per
pound Ofthe fine gauze silks, it would take SAY
twenty yards to make a pound, and should be
worth % or 50 per yard, and yet II would be taxed
but g 50 for the twenty yards. Take the heavy,
substantial article that the people in moderate cir
cnmstances wear, and suppose 1t would take ten
yards TO make pound, and is sold at 81 per yard
the tax would be 50 so, the same as that on thu
twenty YARDS which cost double as much. Thus
ISIS papaoly unjust, that have no hesitation IN
saying that no man would counenance the primer
pie for moment, unlass he was wholly blinded by
party passion and party bias These are the rea-
sons why unhestatngIy condemn all specific du-
ties.
Let us now examine, Mr.. Chairman, the true
question at issue. IL I understand it, 1t is simply
this: Who is to furnish this country with manufac
tured goodss-the grfcuturiss-comprisng three
fourths of the people of this Union through their
agents as it WERE the merchants and Sailors by
changing their -four, cotton, lard tobacco, RICE ba-
con- beef lumber butter, cheese, mules, horses, and
other productions Of the farm and forest, for them
with other nations; not only to furnish the farmers
but the army, navy, merchant, mechanic, &c.-oI
will Congress prohibit this, and allow few CAPT
talls,s to do III THIS is the true question. Both
are contendng to do the same thing. The uller o
the soil asks nothing but fair compettion-even'
handed Justice; but these chartered capitalists true
to their instincts, have the insolence to come with
their money bags to Congress, ahd demand as q
right of the representatives of free people, that the
Ia nhtht ah From
doing this, and demand a monopoly. IL IS yet to
be whether the representatives of the people on
this floor prepared and willing to harness the
uers of the soil TO the of these monetary shy
locks-whether the agriculturists are to be made
by law the hewers of wood and drawers OF water
for these lords of the spinning jenny.
To show the inevitable ruin OF the agricultural
commercial, and maritime interests of our country
1t the policy our opponents are pressing on Us u
carried out, will place the government precisely n
the condition they are striving to force 1t INTO
think can show to the most skeptcal that 1t Woulc
be our country's ruin. Let US adopt their system
and manufacture everything at home, (for this II
what every wing politician has persuaded the far
mers would be best for their interess,) and say
would be their certain destruction. Keep this con
Ranty in mind that all the goods imported into th'
United States are paid for with your -four, cotton
pork, lard, tobacco, beef, butter, cheese, lumber
horses, mules corB rice and other agricultural pro
NuS'iois, anu you are iuilishiHS yV'"oO''S" JN'N 49,
certainly If you were manufacturing them oil
your farms. You are indirectly the manufacturers
and this is the very bone Of contention.
Now, admit that by our assistance these charter
ed companies, through the help Of this glorious pro
tecive policy supplied the United States, and tina
nothing was imported We will take view Of The
condition of the planters and farmers, did such I
state Of things exist. For Illustration, will TAXI
the article OF cotton. | select this for the reasoI
that the amount made and consumed in the Unitet
States is better ascertained than any other article
export. Flour, corn, pork, lard, tobacco, rice
horses, mules, lumber, beef, &c, would share tn
same fate. We imported into the United States las
year ten millions Of dollars worth Of cotton goods
That would be equal (say) to two hundred thoosan
bales ofcotton We manufactured in the United State
(say) four hundred thousand bales. That would max
slx hundred thousand bales, being the amount tn
American people consume or wear out annually, IN
crop Of the United Staesis two millions and half
bales We would then have on hand, deductlng tn
SIX hundred thousand bales we use one million min
hundred thousand bales, | now ask our opponent
70 show US how we are to dispose Of this cottor
Ihsy tell us that England and France are obliged I
have It, That, Mr. Chairman, is a child's argr
ment Obliged to have il, indeed They must sho'
US mat they are abh 10 buu H. Now, | would as