The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-02-25
TCoNcLUpEDl

we gain nothing but revenue, and
make the price high for our own peo-
pie. While in levying reasonable du-
ties upon articles that we produce IN
competition with foreign articles, we
not only obtain revenue, but we en-
courage our own producers. The
Democratic party In their platforms
and speeches attempt to make capital
among farmers by representing that
every other interest Is tax upon the
farming interest. This is an insult to
the intelligence of those who culti-
vate the soil. III everybody should
become farmers it would be very dis
astrous to those who are engaged in
that business, for they would lose
their home market almost entirely, and
the foreign market would be too small
to take their surplus products. and
the business would become the most
Improbable in the country. The
true interests of the Nation consists
In the diversity of labor aud the mu-
tual growth and prosperity of every
occupation which contributes to the
wealth, intelligence, independence
aud happiness of the people. In
view of the large amount of revenue
we have to raise to pay the expenses
of the government, a tariff for reve-
nue. is essentially a tariff for protec-
ton and the discrimination to be made
for or against particular articles should
be IN favor Of those we produce,
rather than those we do not. The
tariff question now Is one Of fact, far
more than theory. The special Com
missioner of the Revenue, Mr.. Wells,
In his late report to the Secretary of
the Treasury, has happily expressed
the condition of the tariff question,
in the following passage:
The experience of the last few
years has been equivalent to a demon
stration that any attempt to recon
struct tariff as a whole, on any basis
of principle, is practically impossible,
the diverse interests of the different
sections of industries being suffi
GENTLY powerful, under almost any
circumstances, to engrait upon a bill
during its passage such notifications
as would effectually deprive it of any
pretensions to consistency or har-
mony. There would therefore seem
to be but one available method of
tariff reform, which Is, TO adopt the
same course that has been taken In
respect to the reforms heretofore
made In the internal revenue, and
which, furthermore, finds precedent
In all the experience of Great Britain
IN legislating upon the subject, viz
to make such notifications or re-
movals of duties, year by year, as ex
perience or the condition of the Treas
ury may indicate as practicable and
desirable; and thus, by pruning rather
than by reconstruction, to gradually
attain the greatest degree of simplicity
and effectiveness with the least posi-
bic burden upon industry and the
people,"
While l am far from agreeing
with all the notions of Mr.. Wells on
the subject of the tariff, yet | fully
concur in the statement that the
question is to be treated more with
reference to the actual condition of
things than with reference 10 any
theory. Experience from year to
year demonstrates the necessity for
reform, aud points out that, on some
articles, the duty is too high, amount
ing almost TO prohibition, and cutting
off that just competition which should
exist between our own and the manu-
features of foreign countries; that on
others it is too low, and might be IN
creased with advantage to the reve-
nue. and to our own producers; that
upon some articles of prime necessl-
ty, we do not and can not produce, it
is much too high, and should be re-
duced in the interest of the great
mass of consumers. 1t Is the bust
ness and duty of Congress to address
itself to the work of reform, and to
make such changes, from time to
time, as experience and reason shall
show to be practicable and proper
We are dealing with the actual situa-
ton aud with a stern array of obsti-
nate facts, and can not consent, on
the one hand, In pursuit of theory, to
burden the country with enormous
duties, or, on the other, to strike
down great existing interests in defer
ence to plausible schemes of political
economists.
The whole platform to which |
have referred, is a dismal rehash of
miserable negations and Democratic
common places, aud furnishes conclu-
sive evidence that the party has no
definite policy upon any subject, or
remedy for any real or pretended
evil. 1t has nothing to offer but OPP
position, empty professions of deyo-
tion to the Constitution, aud prepos-
ferrous suggestions of returning to the
condition of former times. 1t can
not restore slavery, neither give it up.
1t cannot undo the results of the
war, nor yet accept them. 1t cannot
grapple with the questions of the day
but like the deposed Bourbons who
wander about Europe, is strong only
in its hate and the tenacity with
which it clings to the policies and
memories of the past. l challenge
an examination of its platforms IN
the several States, of the speeches OF
its politicians in Congress, of the col
umns of its leading newspapers, TO
find any suggestion of policy or rem
edy upor any question whatever, be-
yond that of sullen opposition, de-
struction of what has been done, pro-
posals of impossible return TO the
conditions of the past.
NATIONAL FINANCES.
Mr.. Voorhees,, one of the most elo-
auent in tie Democratic party, recent
~ made Apeech in the House OF
Representatives, which was evidently
intended fors campaign document,
in which he discussed the financial
question at great length. His argu-
ment may be thus summed up and
stated:
FIRST. He entered into a minute
calculation in figures to show that, of
our Public Debt, 81, $50, 538, 966 were
without consideration, fraudulent and
should not be paid
Second. That Of the whole amount,