Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1870-09-07

-AzELLA N. SMITH, in RmPe1's Aa0ariH
/ for September.
GEN. GARFTRED'S SPEECH AT
MANSFIELD.
We extract the following from tn
speech OF Gen. Garfield, delivered a
Mansfield, Aug. 26.
THE TARIFF.
On the tariff question neither of tn
/ great political parties are united
| Opinions vsry all the way from fre
| trade to prohibition. 1t is also mani
/ fest thatthe question has assumed q 10
cal rather than a party aspect Doubt
| less the majority of Democrats ar,
! free traders, but all the Democrats
members of Congress from Pennsyl
vania, save one, abjure free trade anC
favor high protection for protection
sake. Republicans of the Northwest
and in the agricultural districts gener
ally, favor a considerable reduction o
protective duties, and some are avow
ed free traders. Others, like tbs
Democrats Of Pennsylvania, favor tht
highest lates of protection for protec
tiOn's sake.
Now, before discussing this topic
further, desire to make q statement
which viii not be disputed. 1t is
this: For the present, we must annu.
ally raise by taxation for the payment
of interest on our public debt about
one hundred and thirty millions in
gold. Our expenditures for foreign
intercourse, and our payments to In
dian tribes must also be in gold. No
prudent man, therefore, will say that
we can safely reduce our gold reve-
nues below one hundred and fifty
millions Of dollars. Our only source
of gold taxes is tariff duties, which
have produced an average of one
hundred and seventy-five millions Of
dollars per annum during the last
five years. By the law Of July last,
tariff duties on the necessaries Of life
have been removed so as to reduce the
annual receipts nearly to one hun
dred and fifty millions. Now will
these Democratic statesmen tell us
how much lower they intend to re-
duce our gold receipts? They declare
for a ''lOW revenue tariff Shall it
be low at all hazards without regard
to the necessities of the Government?
Before the late reduction, the receipts
did not average twenty per cent. more
than is actually needed to meet the
gold obligations of the Government.
But, both before and after the redue-
ton, they denOunce II as "a gigantic
/ beg them TO inform US
how great a reduction will be needed
TO transform this robbery into the
''lOW revenue tariff which they
promise and TO how low point they
propose TO push the gold revenues of
the Government They have given
US but one indication as to their mode
Of reduction. They demand that all
the necesseries Of life shall be ''abso-
lutely free Of duty" viii these gen
tlemen tell us what articles they in
elude among the neeessaries of life ?
Do they include tea and coffee, and
sugar? Certainly not; for they voted
almost unanimously against reduc-
ton Of twenty and half millions of
dOllArs on these articles at the late ses-
sion. Do theyinclude boots and shoes, (
coal and manufactures of iron and
steel, cotton and wool? Certainly
not for during the long period of
Democratic rule, before the war, when
he necessity for revenue was vastly !
less than it now is, the duty which |
hey imposed on these articles aver
ICED about thirty per cent. I'D valo- |
fem. That was the exact rate under |
he tariff of 1916. Do they include |
leef, pork and fish, salt, butter and |
sheese, potatoes and oats, wheat and |
iOur, and breadstuffs generally among
he necessaries of life? Surely not, !
or in the same tariff the rate on none |
If these articles was less than twenty |
Der cent. What then are these "nec- |
,ssaries of Hfen which they will
make absolutely free of duty?"
The fact is, there never was in this
country such a tariff as they propose ; |
md, in our present condition, there |
never can be, if We mean to pay our
iebts and support the Government
This utterance of the Democratic par
y is full of sound and fury, ,signifying |
1t is a vulgar appeal TO /
and passion; devoid alike Of
patriotism and sense.
The resolution of the Republican /
State Convention on this subject is /
acOmprOmise between two /
extremes Of opinion, and is probably /
lot altogether satisfactory 10 either
It recognizes the necessity of revenue /
ls the basis of the tariff-demands that 1
Is details shall be so adjusted as TO
work the least hardship to industry in
very form, and to secure to every class
# producers not a monopoly, but a
air competition with yOreign prOdu-
ers. This appears to me both just
nd wise. ANY extreme on this sub
ect will bring upon our producers the
worst evil that can befall them, which
5 sudden and violent change, constant
Place the rate. so high
nd q popular reaction will set in and
lace It so low as 20 disorganize if not
estroy enterprises of immense value.
his has been the sad history Of much
( our tariff legislation during the last
.fty years. Two counties, in the
istrict which I have the honor to
dig One-fifth of all the coal,
nd make three-eights of all the iron
reduced in the State of Ohio. A
cry high rate of duty would nodOubt
e acceptable to those engaged in these
Industries. But tits my clear convic-
ion that a moderate duty steadily
is far more valuable to
hem than the damaging fluctuations
7hich will result from an unsteady
Olicy. Organized as American in
ustry now is, our producers should
Ot, on the one hand, be subjected to .
be unrestrsined competition of all
1reigners nor should they, on the
ther, look tothe Government TO make !
II their enterprises profitable In
be divided state of opinions in Con-
ress, the details of the tariff in
lany respects were not satisfactorily
1justed. For instance, the present
uty on-eoal and salt, both prime ne
sssities of life, should have been in
luded among the reductions.
THE PUBLIC DEBT. Z
But, fellow citizens, you have a {
ght to know what has been done 6
-ith the surplus of receipts over ex-
endituTes- hope there is not an I
msrican citizen who will not bel 7
rOud to know that from the inaugu- q
itiOn- Of General Grant to the inst I
~ of the present month, the prinei1 =
Al Of the public debt has been Maid q
nd cancelled to the extent of one {
xteenth Of its whole amount, and {