Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-06-04
THE TARIFF.
Speech Of Hon. John M. Bright,
OF TENNESSEE,
In she House Of Representatives May


The House being in Committee Of the Whole
on the state Of the Union, and having under con-
sideratiOn the bin III. r. No. 2322l 70 reduce du-
ties ON imports and to reduce internal taxes, and
-Ilr other purposes
~ CIR. Bright said:
Mr.. CH4IRMAN: The financial and Industrial
interests Of great country like the United States
cannot be shaped and directed by any narrow
minded craftsmanship. do not mean to be in
vidiOus when I impute short coming to Ameri-
can craftsmanship in dealing with questions too
much in detail instead OF dealing with them in
combination. All the great questions Of banks,
tariffs, bonds, commerce, agriculture, mRnufac-
lures, and civil service reform have been 1agel-
lated into t8tters in detail Then each perform
ance has gone before the country disconnected
from its political cognates, leaving the public
mind 90 make its own combinations. Few gem
eral readers have the leisure and documentary
facilities, if they had the inclination, to supple
nent this delinquency of cur statesmen BY IA
tiguing and exhausting investigation Of their
own
of the tariff bill, reported by our labOriOus Com
Inttee of Wave and Means. with its Thousand
and one' items, and its bristling columns Of fig
ures, with references to other tariffs and other
fields of arithmetieal iungles.
It has been truly remarked by Frederick Bas-
tiat in his HarmOnes of Political Economy,
Gthat all legitimate interests are in harmony"
The converse of this proposition is also true,
that the arrangement OF one interest viii inter
rupt the whole. 1t may be said that all the ele-
ments of national industry stand in relation TO
the part OF a wise aud comprehensive
craftsmanship so TO adjust these ele-
ments as to work out the grand equation Of ma
tional prosperity. Therefore IL is insisted that
our various national interests are so affiliated
that they should be treated together, not in the
details Of each, but in the relations of each 20
the others. See the number of attendant inter
ests which collect around the tariff as a common
oenteri The tariff furnishes the preteXt for
raising revenue the revenue is to pay the nation
al bonds, the bonds furnish the capital for the
~ AZ
every field of industry; while in the adj ustment
of the tariff our commercial, manufacturing
mechanical and general labor interests are affect
ed as cOllaterals.
Let Congress by legislative Interference put
our manufacturing establishments on the hOspi-
tai list and shelter them under protective bOun-
ties, then all the industries cry out against the
favOritism and demand compromising benefit
The whale fisheries must have bounty. Com
merce must have a monopoly OF the coastlng
trade. Mail steamers must have subsidies by the
million. Ship-buil1ers and mariners with mourn
full eloqUence demand the rebuilding OF our di-
lapidsted commerce. The mechanics band to-
gether into trades unions and labor leagues for
their protection. Agriculture utters its heart
grOans and complains that it has TO bear upon
It's broad back the Government, public debt, and
all the other industries and feebly tries 70 pro-
tect itself by agricultural societies and Ear
mer's clubs" while the Government would ap-
pease its clamOr with the munihcent recognition
of an agricultural report" and an 'impOrted
seed /" for experiment, to every thOusandth man.
And last though not least, the railroads, with
cormOrant rapacity, would swallow up our whole
public domain. This embodied antagOnism of
American industries challenges the consideration
Of every American statesman. These forces are
known in our modern political canOns by the
name of "rngs."
These disturbing elements indicate that there
is something wrong in the administrative func-
tiOns of the Government. A searching scrutiny
will detect the disorder in q vicious revenue and
protective system. II is conceded that there is
an ample constitutional power to collect taxes, di-
rect and Indirect, TO pay the debts and legitimate
expenses Of the Government To this extern
taxation Is not political oppression. 1t is also
conceded that legitimate taxes may be justified
on sound principles of political economy, to wit,
the exchange of labor for labor, or service for
service. The executive Judicial, and Legislative
officers Of the Government, the Army, the Navy,
and all subordinate civil functiOnaries render
services for which they should be paid fair com
pensatiOn.
BY whom should they be paid? As a general
rule ALL all, should pay and pay in proportion e
their means. The burdens of Government, like
the diffusion of atmospheric pressure, should res
upon all the people and property. But suppose
the Government, in the adjustment of its tariff
through Partially, should impose the burden o.
its support upon one class, or uneqUally among
different classes. Then it has violated princi
pie of equality, equity and justice, disturbed thu
harmony OF the industries, and laid a sure foun
dotiOn for national discomfort Has the Govern
ment committed this reprehelsible folly and mi
guilty? Let us see.
Men are not apt to cry out unless they are hurt
We hear the tones of discomfort pealng through
the land from the great industries Of agriculture
MECHANICS, and commerce against the uneQus
and ruinOus adjustment of the tariff.
Manufacturers alone have no complaints &
make; buI they are always ready TO thunder fort
a guid ttggst protest against the reduction OF any
duties which would admit Of foreign competi
ton, There is an aggregate Of about six hun
dre2 million dollars Invested in manufactures il
fhstifpited States What does this large capita
and its enormous profits pay toward the supper
of the national Government? Comparatvel
They paw atrihe by their personal Consumption
of tea coffee, sugar, tobacco, and perhaps one Q
two other articles. But the humblest laborer 1
the fields has as great personal capacity for th
consumTtion of these articles as the Wealthies
manufacturer, and perhaps pays more than
does TO the Government in their consumption.
But whatever tribe the manufacturer ma
have 70 nav he gets q thousand fold remunera
fion in the royal protection of his Government
He is on the inside the gates Of commerce, an
escapes the duty tribute TO the support OF hi
GoVernment. The farmer, mechanic, and day
iaBorer are the consumers Of dutiable goods, an
aus they pay the taxes for the support OF IN
= Governr1ent The manufacturers neck ha
49, boay, indurated by the woke Of taxation
he chafed and fretted under the income tax un
iii the Government gently lifted 1t on inns
bad enough but y Is not an Inc farmer, INC
chanic and ayzlabGrer have not only to supper
the Government and pay its debts, but, on the TO
OF these, they, in the consumption Of prqIecte
eOods pay bounty and support to manufactures
IN r0npOus munifcence, who, under shelter 9
the Government, can raise the price OF thei
goods to the high-wateT mark of protection.
This protection is in the nature of pensio
bounty, which goes to the manulact aEe9 ana nc
~ tbe' Government. The Government does no
have the money TO pay, and 1t can AFFORD 20 ?
liberal at the peoples expense. Or course th
manufacturers do not complain OF q Durde
which they do not feel. 60. M.
But let ils look at the sum Of this burden. In
amount OF taxes collected on imported goods dun
ing the last fiscal year amounted 70 SSO5,Z'V,4V
There would be protection bounty, not only
the extent of this amount, but Inc prOtecuO
would extend to all the home msnufactqres slll
liar in kind TO the dutiable goods II mas pee
carefully estimated that the people OF the Unite
States consume about four and One-haif tunes !
much as the dutiable goods imported. But a
Stunning that they pay four times as mucn, tne
thew nav four times S2O6,41O,4US, or SoZoiooO,Oo
Oue-fOurth to the Government and three-fOurU
10 the manufacturers, batting what little u
manufacturers pay themselves. The result
that the manufacturer Is not only exempted II l
having a fair proportion to the expenses Oh u
G0yernment but through the artificial contri'
ance of the tariff he is slui0ing and maxim
enormous profits out of the other industries OF Il
country Any system which works out such
rasult l. manifestly wrong and calls for q rem
Az The pretext which called the prOtecti'
D0Iiey into existence in our Government has loI
since ceased to exist. The doctrine was toundt
I'M the idea that 1t was national duty 70 encop
age the home manufacture OF war nlaIerlals
make us Independent of foreign nations. Wht
We grew 70 be great and powerful, and we we
ashSmed to own ridiculous timidity, the prote
tionists changed the cry into protectlon 1
American labor ,,.,-,-
Of a stsrveling calf, was let to the Governme
. udder. and he has been tugging away since
iii he has grown to huge proportions, ana nc
moves about with numbering, pig-metal urea
roaring ike very bull OF Bashan, Iuil-hV ~,
and goring every other industry from the 90
eminent mangeT. It Is high time our Cover
Jnept was tving wisp upon its horns, as the Q
Romans did with their dangerous boYines, 70 9