Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-05-22
THE TARIFF.
SPEECH OF HON. A. E. GARRETT
In the House Of Representatives,
AnriI %. 1879.

aLsLO
Imports and 90 Reduce InterAsaI
Taxes, md for other Purposes.
ooNCLUDKD.
Now, Mr.. Speaker, having, as / trust,
hown Che necessity for repeating the OBJ
noxious internal revenue laws, 1 desire
to express my views upon the financial
policy Of the Government, as It is so near
iy allied and connected With thu internal
revenue system that l seek to abolish.
In times past, when the political party
with which have the honor to cooperate
had control of this government, a high re-
gard was entertained for the Constitution Of
our fathers, a Constitution inspired BY
wisdom and conceived in a spirit of forbear-
ance and good viii by the heroes and sages
who survived the Revolution that made of
dependent colonies fee States. But, sir,
In 1851 new party came into power and
took charge of the old ship of State, undertake
ing to run it under an entirely new chart,
throwing aside the old one by which it had
been successfully guided for over seventy
years. Under the old Constitution our
country had grown from feeble beginning
into mighty empire; the three million
people who established this Government
had become thirty-six millions; wealth and
power had advanced pdTi pGSSu with pOpu-
lation; the sails of our ships whitened every
ocean; the sun of every cline welcomed the
stars and stripes; our commerce had pene-
trdted to all the countries Of the earth; our
flag was respected by all nations, and under
its folds everywhere the American citizen
was free and protected; but when this new
marty came into power and proclaimed
their ahigher law" doctrine, declaring that
it was necessary "to legislate out
side of the Constitution" they struck
down freedom at home by enacting laws
in derogation of the rights and liberties of
American citizens, and sapped the very
foundation of republican institutions.
These laws have not only destroyed liberty
aHhome and erected a,centrlized-despotism
upon its ruins, bnt they have ruined our
commerce abroad, and left us dependent
upon other nations for all means of foreign
transportation; they have imposed Onerous
burdens of taxation, stolen our liberties,
and swept the American flag from the
ocean, leaving it as difficult to find an Amer
lean vessel in foreign port as it would be
TO find a member of the Radical party
within the ''pearly cases" Of Paradise,
or the golden streets" of the New
Jerusalem. Yes, sir, this party of great
'smOral IDEAS" by its incOmpetency and
mismaRagement, has accomplished all this
in the short space Of twelve years. And
how? If l might be permitted in this pre-
sence TO mention the constitution, once so
venerated in these Halls, l should say it
was because the letter and the spirit Of that
instrument had been violated in the passage
of laws that are unequal and unjust, that
favor some aid Cypress others, that tax in
dustry and exempt wealth.
Sir. In q Government like ours, instituted
by the people, for the people, and under a
written compact or Constitution, sealed as
ours has been by an expenditure OF blood
and treasure unequaled in the history OF
the civilized world; whose territory extends
over so vast an area, possessing so many
diversified interests to be fostered and en-
Outraged, the task of providing laws equal
Nv Just to all, it viii be readily seen, is one
difficult in the extreme, ifnOt altogether i'm
possible. The laW-maker, then, shOuld seek
TO evolve from all measures brought TO his
consideration f'the greatest good to the
greatest number" and to do this his mind
should be free from prejudices for or against
any section or industry. The wants and
wishes of the wealthy manufacturer, the
merchant prince, or the lordly banker,
should weigh no more with him, nay, not
so much, as the wants and wishes of the
of the great Ruler of the universe, Sin
the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat
bread" gathers a harvest from the bosom
of mother earth, delves beneath her sur
face to bring forth hidden riches, or in the
workshop fashions the productions of the
one or the other into articles of use or lux
ury and unless the legislator remembers
and acts upon this principle, he is unfaith-
full to his trust and unfit to represent free
people; be has violated the theory of repub-
iican institutions as well as his official
oath.
Mr.. Speaker, for twelve years this coun-
try has been under the exclusive rule of the
Republican party. During that time they
have had the entire control of every depart
mept of the Government; and, sir, it is.
with feelings that language fails to express
that l must confess these twelve years of
misrule have almost demonstrated that the
republican form of government in this
country is a failure. When | look back
to the glorious past, ana remember
til three millions of sturdy Democrats
who defied the power Of the mightiest en-
pire the world ever saw, and see them
emerging victorious from conflict with
that empire; when l think of the great
leader whose splendid abilities and deter
mined win led them through that seven
years of war and bloodshed, and again
when see him, having laid aside the sword
of the warrior, as the Chief Magistrate of
the nation be had helped to create; when
recOllect the long line of illustriOus men
who succeeded him; when think over the
marvellous and unparalleled growth of this
Western empire; when l RENE nber that
f-om is feeble beginning it had grown to be
one of the mightiest nations of the earth,
honored and respected at home and abroad;
when, looking back, l see and remember
all these things, glory in the name Of an
American citizen, and glory in the name
of Democracy, because it was of and
through Democrats that all the wealth, all
The mower, all the happiness Of the Ameri-
can people was achieved-by Democrats it
.gas made a city of refuge for the OPP
pressed of every land as secure as the cities
founded by the great Jewish law-giYer in
Judea.
Here. beneath the shelter of the starry
flag that floats from yonder dome, the down
trodden people of other lands could find
peace and protection, and once having
grasped the horns of the altar of freedom
erected by our fathers, no sacrilegious hand
dare modest or make them afraid. Here
was found freedom without icentiOus-
ness; liberty controlled by law; JUS
tiee, free TO all. But, sir, when leaving
the past with its glories and viewing the
present, when look at my country as it
, now is after twelve years Of Radical supre-
macy, no longer glory in the past, but
tremble for the future, because the grand
temple of freedom erected by our fathersls
defaced, its portals, its very sD1ctum sane
torunl have been invaded by thieves and
money-changers, and l cry aloud, "Alas,
how are the mighty faIlen!p and hope for
some new laW-givers to drive forth the
scoundrels with whip of scorpions.
Sir, it is not war, it is not the fact that we
were four years engaged in bloody and fra
tricidal strife (though that too is chargeable
70 the Republican party that has made this
change. No, sir, il is not this; but it is the
grasping dishonesty, the mean partisan hate,
inspired By envy and fed by fanaticism, of
the party in power that has led to these re-
suits and made good and true men almost
espair Of the future,