The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1870-03-08
GOV. MORTOu'S SPEECH
AT INDIANAPOLIS.

Mr.. Kerr, the Representative in Con-
gress, from the Second District, who
stands high in the Democratic party,
recently made q speech in the House
upon the subject Of the tariff, and after
discussing it at great length, summed
up he tue principles upon which it
should be established. in the following
language. l quote from the Globe of
January %, 1879:
"As general principle, therefore,
imposts should be chiefly charged
against imported av,icles Of luxury, and
snca other articles Of commerce as can
not be produced at all in our country.
Such duties never TAIL to produce the
greatest amount OF revenue with the
least materiai effect on general prices );
the most inconsiderable loss to the peo-
pie and the least injury to domestic pro
ductions. Bat these principles are
shamefully violated by the present
laws"
This declaration is most extraordi-
nary, but is perfect illustration of the
spirit of the Democratic party towards
the manufacturing interests Of our
county He says that duties should
be levied chiefly against imported arti-
cles Of luxury, and against such otaer ar
ticIes of commerce as can not be produced
! IN or country SO far as the articles Of
luxury are concerned, it is all right but
that duties should he levied chiefly
against articles that can not be produced
at all in our country, is a declaration
of war against our manufactures. He
would place the duties high where we
haveno manufactures to encourage Or
protect, and would place them low or
abolish them alto getler where we have.
According to his story, they ought to be
made high upon tea and coffee because
we do not produce them, but abolished
or made very Low upon all articles
which were produced in competition
with foreign countries. | differ with
him exactly, and insist that ii there be
a discrimination. il should be the other
way.
In levying heavy duties upon foreign
articles that we DO not produce we gain
nothing but revenue, and make the
price high for our own people. While
levying res asonable duties upon articles
that we produce in competition with
foreign articles, we not only obtained
revenue, but We encourage our own pro-
ducers Tne Democratic party in their
platforms AMI speeches attempt to make
capital among farmers by representing
that every other interest is a tax upon
the farming interest. This is an insult
to the intelligence of those who culti-
vate the soil. | every body should be
come farmers it would be very disastr-
Gus 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 unpro-
fitable in the country The true inter
ests Of the Nation consist in the diver
sitv of labor and the mutual growth
and prosperity Of every occupa' ion
which contributes to the wealth, intelli-
gence, independence and happiness of
the people. In view of the large amount
of revenue we have to raise to pay cx-
penses of the government, tariff for
revenue is essentially tariff for pro-
lection, and the discrimination to be
nade for or againsS 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 Commission er
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:
:sThe experience of the last few yea 8
has been equivalent to a demonstration
| that any attempt to reconstruct tariff
as whole, on any basis of principle,
| is practically impossible, the diverse in
terests Of tue different sections of in
dustries being sufficiently powerful,
under almost any circumstances; to
| cngraft upon bill during its passage
such modification as would effectually
deprive it of any pretensions to consis-
tency or harmony. There would there
fore seem to be but one available meth
cd 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 fur
thermore, finds precedent in all the
experience of Great Britain in legislat-
ing upon the subject. viz: to make
such notifications or removals of
duties, year by year, as experience or
| condition Of the Treasury may indicate
as practicable and desirable; and thus
by pruning rather than by reconstruct
tion, to gradually attain the greatest
| degree Of simplicity and effectness with
| the least possible barden upon industry
and the people