Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1870-03-03

come farmers il would he very disaS-
irons to those who are engaged n that
buSpess. for they would lose their home
market almost entirely, and the foreign
market would be too small to take their
50 plus products, and the business
would become the most unprohtable IN
the county. The tue interests OF the
nat.ou consists IN the diversity OF labor,
aud the mutual growth and prosperity
ofevery occupation which contributes TO
the wealth, intelligence, independence
and hpapiness ofth people. In view
of the large amount Of revenue we have
to raise to defray the expenses of the
Government, q tariff for revenue is es-
sential.y a tarifffor protection, and the
discrimination TO be made for oragainst
particular articles should be in favor or
those we produce rather than those we
| do not.
The tariff question nov is one Of fact
| far more than theory. The Special
| Commissioner of the Revenue, Mr..
| Wells, in his late report to the Secretary
of the Treasury, has happily expressed
| the condition of the tariff question i'll
the following passage.
The experience of the last few years
has been equivalent to demonstration
that any attempt to reconstruct the tar,
if as whole on any basis of principle is
practically impossible, the diverse inter-
J ests of the different sections of ofindustrles
being sufficiently powerful, under al
most any circumstances, to engraft upon
| bill during its passage such modifica-
! tions as would effectually deprive it OF
any prstensions to consistency or har-
| mony.
"There would, therefore, seem to be
but one available method of tariffreform,
which is to adopt the same course
which has been taken in respect to the
reforms heretofore made in the internal
revenue, and which, Furthermore, finds
"a precedent in all the experience of
Great Britain in legislatins upon the
subject, viz: to make such modifica-
tions or removals of duties, year by
year, as experience or the conditions of
the Treasury may indicate as practical
BILE and desirable, and thus, by prun-
ing, rather than reconstruction, to
gradually attain the greatest degree
of simplicity and effectiveness with the
least possible burden upon industry and
the people"
While 1 am far from agreeing with
all the notions of Mr.. Wells on the sub
ject of the tariff, yet 1 fully concur in
the statement that the question is to be
treated more with reference 20 the
actual condition of things then with,
reference to any theory.
Experience, from year to year
/ demonstrates the necessity for reform,
and points out that upon some articles
duty is too high, amounting almost to
prohibition, and cutting off that just
competition which should exist between
our own and the hemanufactures of foreign
countries; that on others it is too low,
and might be increased with advantage
| to the revenue and our own producers;
| that upon some articles of prime necessi-
ty, which we do not and can not pro-
duce, it is much too high, and should
he reduced lin the interest ofthe great
massofconsumers. 1t is the business aud
duty of Congress to address itself to the
work of reform, and to make such
changes, from time to time, as expert
ence and reason shall show to be practi-
cable and proper.
We are dealing with the actual
situation and with stern array of OBJ
stinate facts, and can not consent, on
the one hand, in pursuit of the theory,
to burden the country with enormous
duties, ar on the other, to strike down
great existing interest in Difference to
plausible schemes of.pOlitical econ
| omists.
The whole platform to which 1 have
referred is dismal rehash of miserable
negation and Democratic common places
and furnishes conclusive 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 opposition, empty professions of
devotion to the Constitution, and
preposterous suggestions of returning
to the condition of former times. 1t
can not restore slavery, neither give it
up. 1t can not undo the results of the
war, noryet accept them. 1t can not
4 grapple with the questions of the day.
but like the deposed Bourbons who
wander about Europe, is itrong only in
its hate and the tenacity with which it
/ clingsto the policy and memories of
4 the past. I challenge an examination of
its platforms in the several States, of
the speeches of its politicians in Con-
gress of the columns of its leading
newspapers, to find any suggestions of
policy, or remedy, upon any questions
Whatever, beyond that of sullen op-
position, destruction of what has been
done, and proposals of impossible re-
turn to the conditions ofthe past.
NATIONAL FINANCES.
Mr.. Voorhees,, one of the most elo-
aent men in the Democratic party,
recently made speech in the House
of Representatives, which was evident
ly intended for q campaign document, in
which he discussed the financial ques-
tions at great length. His argument
may be thus summed up and stated:
| First-He entered into minute calcula-
ton in figures TO shew that of our public
debt 81 $50 .53S ,966 were without con-
sideration fraudulent, and should not be
paid. .Second-That of the whole amount
only 81 ,37I ,424, us were fair and honest
. and should be paid. These two sums
added together make the aggregate OF
the debt S373, ,516, 73l greater than it is;
but we will let small error like this
pass. Third--He argued that if the
public creditor insisted upon the pay
ment of the first sum, which is fraudu.
lent, the people would be eXonerated
and released from the payment of the
! second sum, which he admits is just and
honest. Fourth-He admits his willing
ness to pay the whole sum, if it is paid
in new greenkacks, to be issued for that
purpose. Fifth-By logic as incom.
prehensible as all the rest, he would
confine the new issue of greenkacks to
$500, ,OO9, 900, which would come fal
short, of paying even that part which
he admits to be just.
: But Mr.. Voorhees, ideas in regard tc
the currency have suffered great contrac-
5 ton since he made his speech in this
place, in January, to the Democratic
Convention. In that speech he advocat'
ed new issue of 81 500, 900, 600 of green
backs to pay 81 500, 100000 of the Five
!, twenty bonds, which, added to the
500, 900 900 of currency now afloat
would bring it up to 81, 200, 900.
quote from his speech as reported in the
Sentinel:
, II am sometimes charged with being