Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1871-01-06
Otfora 4emotrat,
Free Trade and Revenue Reform.

10 the title ct advocates OF Free trade,
while the latter was as strong,y commit
ted To highly protective tariff But the
tween tho democratic and r. publican par
ties. The republican, party was made up
OF tire three prevailing parties. and quite
largely from the democratic party. and
IS it contains many who have never
changed their ideas on free trade. the
democrats can, by no means. lay claim
10 containing the only adherents of their
faverilc doctrine. tho they seek to DO So.
Now that the question is coming promi-
rently into our national politics again. it
does not follow that it must necessarily
divide the two prcsen, existing parties by
strict patty lines, OF that the democ ratio
party may make, by right. political CAPT
tai on the subject.
Upon canvassins and agitation of the
question, It NAY turn out that there arc as
many free traders. according to the prop
er understanding OF the term, in the re-
publican party rs in the democratic.
Among the earnest advocates of free
trade are many WeStcrn republicans,
One OF these, Geo. BrinkcrhoG, OF Ohio,
whom NC knew in 1862 and OF. and also
in 1868. as IN effective republican speaker
in ON State. and who still claims 10 be
repahicR- lie addrcssrl audiences,
without respect 10 party, in Portland and
Augusta, and advanced views which
were acceptable to many of both parties
We.can ,io no better that quote from re-
port Of his remarks in the Portland Press,
as follows:
IREF TgADE-wuAT 1T MEANS.
The speaker defined free trade not Ia
be the abolition of taxaiion-neither did
itmean direct taxation upon property &C
cording se value. No people were more
anxious than the free traders that the
credit Of the government should be main
tanned, and all necessary revenue col
lected So long as governments exist,
and So long as our Constitution remains
asst present, the only practicable way OF
collecting our national taxes must be by
tariffs and excise laws.
Free uade. therefore. means nothing
moro than such revision of the tariff and
internal revenue laws a. To give To the
Government the revenue il requires, AMI
nj the SAME time DC the least burdeusome
70 the people
The tsraf in any shape was burden.
and not blessing, and therefore ii should
be made ~ ligh, a> possible In or'!cr
TO DO this, it must be confined to it. sole
ohiec,-taNation To test a tariff, all We
have 70 Go whenever e pay ! tax under
il. is to inquire. docs the Government GET
ia DocSi it &c. it al? lit dies not, it /,
sticks TO somebody's fingers. or goes into
the Golfers ct some great monopoly. YOU
may rest assured tha; there is something
wrong.
THE TARIFF TESTED.
Gen B. then tested the tariff, by the
rule laid down and spoke OF the duties
on coal. iron, leather, salt, WOODEN goods.
and lumber. alleging that the govern
ment gets but a small revcu lie from the
tariff on those articles, while the rich
owners and monopolisis were pocketing
the largest amount Of the proceeds. lie
was very severe UPON the Onondago Salt
Company.
He contended Tint the effect of re-
duelion Of the tariff upon home manu-
features. would be more 10 their advan-
tage than to their injury, and quoted
fom letters from manufacturers to show
that such would be the ease.
OUR SHIPPING INTERESTS.
Ten years ago we stood at the head Of
the mercantile marine OF the world, and
now we a!readr rank only a, foiu,h
rate power. Under this tMiU we have
gone down steadily At the average late
OF 100000 toms per auuunI, and 20 Gay
iwo.ihildS Of The trciShlS ct our own
commerce arr paid 10 foreign ,hiP"wncr'
and il COSTS twice n mnCh 10 build >hi)
in New York aS it does upon The Clyde.
The projections claim the Alabama n
the cause ul all this, bu; the fact is the
Alabama went % the bottom six years
ago. and vet since that tine our shipping
has declined more rapidly than before.
Ten years ago, and the shipyards of
New York alone employed 10000 me
chanic>. and 900 apprentices. To day
they employ less than 1000 altogether.
TODAY. of The l25 great steamers which
ferry the Atlantic and return 4 profit to
their owneIs Of $4,000. coo a year, not
one carries the American flag. The
cause of all this is summed up in one
word offs shipbuildcr's testimony before
the Ways and Means Committee. viz:
Tariff"
Ten Yeas ago. or in 1861, the gross
value of shipping engaged in foreign
commerce amounted o sl0s. GGO. 600. and
the gross earnings to S36,O00.0OO. The
amosGt of American tonnage entering
our ports exceeded the foreign tonnage
S567,374 tons. In 1868 the excess of
American tonasge had fallen to l,974. 320
tons. In 1869 posi- ions were changed.
snd the excess Of foreign tonnage over
f.,,,os,;o tonpaUo uraS OAK COS TONS