Oregon Republican. [volume] (Dallas, Or.) 1870-1872, 1870-04-30
The difference is made by tho public

AZ. Aaa uSu, III htS rPeecH mere stNIs
week, as We thought, really made no
point against the Republican position
on this subject, but simply held up to
the odium of his audience the prohibi-
tory tariff, which question is not in is
sue. He also extolled the English and
French tariff laws, that levy taxes on
the productions of the soil, while ours
discriminate in favor of manufactures
and mining. He thought our system
in this respect should be changed. He
did not state that those nations had
firmly established their factories and
possessed many skilled operatives to
carry them on, and can now stand alone
or that their agriculture is the branch
of industry to be encouraged. On the
other hand, our farmers, possessing
new aud rich soils, need no protection,
| though our factories arc the new enter.
prises to be built up. This we believe
to be the true statement of facts.
1t is curious why Democracy should
have such prejudice against our man
ufacturing interests when it is admitted
by all that nation should have, with
in its own borders, all the elements
that go to make up perfect nation J;
one that should be independent in
every respect of its ncighbors. If Mr.
Hayden's indicated policy should OBJ
tain, and the tariff on imported manu-
| factured articles should be removed
and placed upon the products Of the
field, We would in fact have no reve-
nue., but would be compelled to resort
to direct taxation to carry on govern
m mt affairs. This really is the secret
de ire of the Democratic party, but it
is plan condemned by all political
economists as being one particularly
burdensome to the people. Tt is the
well settled principle of statesmen that
reFenue for the support Of the govern
ment should be raised by that method
that will least be felt.hy the people.
and direct taxation is considered to be
the most burthensome. Mr. HAYDEN
is travelling out Of the records, as the
lawyers say, when he wishes to have
the tariff taken from manufactured ar
ticles and laid on the products of the
soil, and he knows that not one bushcl
of grain or pound Of fruit is imported
into the United States. lie wishes to
defeat the very policy that his party is
in favor of, as it in its platform has an
nounced.
The Republican party, like the Dem
ocratic, wants to raise revenue from
foreign imports, but desires that dis
elimination be made in favor of home
factories, so that in case Of necessity
we may rely entirely upon our own re
sources, having, in the meantime, plac.
ed ourselves upon a firm basis and ed
ucatcd large class Of skilled opera.
tives.
We think that it is mistaken idea
to suppose that manufactured articles
of consumption will be cheapencd by
the removal of the tariff on imports.
One instance to prove this position
comes to mind: When steel rails be
gan to be introduced on our railroads,
factories at once sprang up in the Uni-
ted States to supply the demand. The
enterprise was new one, and Ameri-
can steel rails were very expensive.
The duty on that class of rails was re-
moved. Onr factories were at once
obliged to cease operations. The price
Oh foreign rails at once advanced, and
before a tariff could again be levied on
steel rails and our factories sre.commence
operations, our railroad companies ex-
pended hundreds of thousands of dol.
lars more than they would have done
if the tariff never had been removed. |
We honestly believe that all this op.
position by Democratic orators is mere
ly high sounding words, intended to
captivate those who have never given
this subject fair and thorough inves-
tigation, for if they had, We cannot
conceive Of any other conclusion to be
reached than that free trade is q falsity,
got up by foreigners for the purpose Of
making a market for their wares.