Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-09-24

We extract the following from the
speech OF Gen. Garfield, delivered at
Mansfield, Aug. 26th.
TILE TARIFF.
On the tariff question neither of the
great political parties ale united. Opin-
ions vary all the way from free trade to
prohibition. 1t is also manifest that the
question has assumed local rather than
party aspect. Doubtless the majority
OF Democrats are free traders, but all
the Democratic members of Congress
from Pennsylvania, save one, abjure free
trade and favor high protection for pro-
tection's sake. Republicans of the North
west, and in the agricultural districts
generally, tavor n considerable reduction
of protective duties, and some are avow-
ed free traders. Others, like the Demo
Gratis of Pennsy lvania, favor the highest
rates of protection for piotection's sake.
Now, before discussing this topic iut-
ther, I desire to make statement which
will not be disputed. 1t is this For the
present, we must annually raise by taxa
tion for the payment of interest on our
public debt about one hundred and thir-
ty millions in gold. Our expenditures
for foreign intercourse, and our payments
to Indian tribes must also be in gold.
No prudent man, therefore, will say
that we can safely reduce our gold rtve
nues below one hundred aud fifty mil
lions of dollars. Our only source of
gold taxes is tariff dnti,s, which have
produced an average OF one hundred
ND ,n,,n,,,,, 6.o ,,,;il;,no of dollars ,,or
annum during the last five years. BY
the law of July last, tariff duties on the
necessaries Of lille have been removed so
as to reduce the annual receipts nearly
to one hundred and fifty millions. Now
will these Democratic Statesmen tell us
how much lower they intend to reduce
our gold receipts? They declare for
low revenue tariff. Shall it be low a, all
hazards, without regard 10 the necess-
ties of the Government Before the
late reduction, the receipts did not aver
age over twenty per cent. more than is
actually needed to meet the gold Obli-
CATIONS of the Government. But, both
before and after the reduction, they de
nounce it as a Gigantic robbery" |
leg hem to inform lis how great d re-
due ion will be needed to transform this
''robbery" into slow revenue tariff
which they promise, and to how low
opInt they propose TO push the gold rev
euues of the Government? They have
given us but one indication as to their
mode of reduction. They demand that
all the necessaries soi lite shall be abso-
lutely free of duty. VIII these gentle
men tell us what articles they include
among the necessaries of lite? Do they
include tea, coffee and sugar? Certainly
not for they voted aim ,st unanimously
against reduction of twenty aud II half
millions of dollars on these articles at
the late session. Do they includc boots
and shoes, coal and manufactures OF iron
and steel, cotton and wool? Certainly
not, for during the long period of Demo-
cratic rule, before the war, when the ne
cessity for revenue was vastly less than
it now IL, the duty which they IMPOSED
averaged about thirty per cent ad valo-
rem. That was the exact rate under tho
tariff OF 1916. Do they include beet,
pork and fish, salt, butter aud cheese,
potatoes and oats, wheat and flour, and
brcadstufs generally, among the peces-
saries OF life? Surely not, for in the
same tariff the rate on none of these
articles was less than twenty per cent.
What then are these "nccessarirs of life"
which they will make "asbolately free
OF duty Y' Hd 2Iilif i/} : Z
The fact is, there never was in this
country such a tariff as they Propose;
and in our present condition, there new
cr can be. ii we mean to pay our debts
and support the Government. This ut
terance of the Democratic party is full
of sound and fury. s,gntying nothing.
1t is a vulgar appeal 10 prejudice and
passion, devoid alike of patriotism and
sense, \, 81 ~, -. .t ssl. F..
The resolution of the Republican
State Convention on this subject is man.
itestly a compromise between two ,ex.
tremes of opinion. and is probably not
altogether satisfactory to either IL re-
coail,zes the necesssty flreyenue AS the
basis of the taritf:-demands that its de-
tails shall be so adjusted as TO work the
least hardship TO Industry in every form.
and to secure to every class of producers
not monopoly. but a fair comp.tition
with foreign producers. This appears
IA me both iost and wise ANY extinyn,,