The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-02-16
The Tariff.

The Tariff.
In the palmy days of the Demo
cratic party. it was the boast of its
adherents that they always settled
their differences inside the party or
ganization. The boast was we'll sus-
tanned by facts. The party was free
trade-radieal free trade-in South
Carolina, and for Polk and DALLAS
and the Tariff of ~, in Pennsylva-
MIA. For years the most diverse views
existed among members of that
party in different States, on some
questions Of public policy, and yet.
when the election day rolled round,
they were all found voting for the
same candidates. When reproached
By their Wing opponents with this
inconsistency, the reply was always
forthcoming, We dispose of these
vexed questions inside the party or
ganization. We fight it out among
ourselves, aud do not intend that out
siders shall interfere"
IL is hard for the Courier to COM
prehend the fact that the Republican
party has fallen heir to this princi-
pie of vitality which once was the Sc
cret of Democratic strength. Hence,
ii cannot understand how one por-
ton of our party may be in favor of a
tariff for revenue, and another por-
ton for 4 protective tariff; why it is
that similar differences of opinion
exist on the financial questions of the
day, and yet the party remain intact
when it comes to the polls. The Sc
cret Of the whole matter is, the party
il disposed to settle these questions
inside its own organization-to fight
the battle out in its own house
hold-in an argumentative and for
bearing spirit. We state this in or
der to relieve the Courier from the
highly nervous excitement manifest
ed by its tariff article in yesterdays
issue.
That the Republicans of the West
ern States are in favor of Tariff for
Revenue only is evident to every one
who reads their papers. All the more
prominent Journals, with possibly four
or five exceptions. openly advocate
that policy. The fact il evident. not
only from the tone of the papers. but
By the vote of theWestern Republican
members of Congress an expert
mental vote on the resolutions offered
py Mr. MARSHALL. The resolutions
read as follows:
ResolUed, That the power granted
Id the Federal Constitution to levy
and collect taxes, duties on imports,
and excuses to pay the debts, and
provide for the common defense and
general welfare of the United States
does Aot include or embrace any
power to levy duties for any purpose
other than the collection Of revenues
for such purposes therein Indicated;
that tariff levied for any purpose
other than revenue, and especially
one levied to foster and enrich one
section of the country at the expense
of the other, or to foster and enrich
one class Of citizens at the expense of
others. is unauthorized by the Con-
stitution, unjust to the great body of
the American people, and, in its re-
suits, injurious eventually to nearly
every individual interest OF the
country.
ResolUed, That IN the preparation
of the bill for the modification of the
existing tariff laws, Congress should
confne its action strictly to the prepa
ration Of a tariff for revenue exclu-
sfvely, and that the duties on no
article should be greater than that
which would give the maximum of
revenue on such articles.
These resolutions were assailed by
the high tariff men as free trade reso-
Iutions, and a strong effort made to
influence the members of old Wing
stock or antecedents to vote against
them. But even with this advantage
the prohibitionists did not like to
meet the resolutions on their merits,
and the old method of laying on the
table was employed to get rid of
the troublesome matter for the time
beieg. The motion to lay on tho ia
BID was carried By vote Of SO TO ".
A large number did not vote at all,
showing that they were not fully pre-
pared to take decided stand one way
~ the other. But we refer to this
matter for the purpose Of calling at
tention to the politics Of the members
from the Western States voting. The
Democrats arc printed in ita2ic.
ILLINOIS - Yeas. none. Nays =
Judd. Burchard. Ingersoll, Cullom,
Veely. Burr, M4rshuU, Hay. CScbs
3 Absent-Farnsworth, Hawley,
Cook, Moore. Logan-5.