Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-08-21


want.
THE TARIFF.
Another pending issue, on which the Republi-
cans must act and maintain policy, ls tue larl1l
submit, if what the Republican party has already
done for the country should not be considered
some guaranty that it will continue to act wisely
in respect to the Tariff? The deductions OF
abstract speculation never should be adopted
in business or government, except IN the
rare cases where there examples to fol-
llow no lamps of history to guide. The full
calcium light of experience should direct the cltl-
zen and the legislators III the adoption OF govern
mental measures etfcctng Finance and the varied
forms Of industrial Enterprise and Commerce.
Theories however learned, acute, and brilliant,
too often end in illusions and vagaries, not sus-
ceptible of being converted into the solid sub
stance of practical sense. To the mathematical
measurement of dceroge results, the wise public
will cling with the unyielding tenacity with
which the mariner adheres to his chart and com
pass on the ocean track, when clouds are IN the
sky and the shore is far away. The penetrative
insight and level head of Alexander Hamilton, IN
his official papers on Public Credit, Finance, and
Manufactures, the common sense of the Coleman
letter of Andrew Jackson, and the Tariff views OF
Adophe THEIRS afford safer light for the American
people than all the learned speculations and brill
iant formulas of j. Stuart Mill. Bat it is said that
England is governed by Free Trade statesmen
therefore the United States should be. But Is the
fact that England is governed by Free Trade
statesmen a reason why the people OF this country
should bei England has monarchy; Mer9ofe
the United States should have king or queen
England has a nobility; therefore the United
states Senate should be turned into a House OF
Lords. England unites Church and State and
compels the 5000, 900 of Dissenters and 100000
of Catholics of England and Wales to support
their own churches and to pay their proportion IN
maintaining the Government Church also; there
fore this country should maintain union OF
Cburph and If the mere example OF Eng
land i. binding us in the one case, 1t is IN the
other. Adam Smith taught many things ably and
wisely, and 50 did Plato and Sir Thomas Moore
But the views of The first to the extent OF absolute
Free Trade in this country are no more pracuca-
BILE than the Republic of the sec0ad, or the Utopia
Of the thira Of these remarkable men. he theo-
res Of all three would answer admirably Tor the
Mlenial period, however near or however remote
But how far is England ruled by Free Trade
Just so far as the security of her industries and
the necessities OF her government permit, and
not an inch farther. Small III territory, yet
with vast amount of available coal, she wishes
to use As much of that coal as possible IN driving
the machinery of her faCtorles and steamships,
thus giving employment to her hundreds OF 1hou-
sands OF operatives. To keep her mills runnlnt
she must have cotton and wool. She has no cot
ton lands and can produce but traction OF tue
wool she needs Therefore she admits cotton and
wool free of duty. But suppose back OF Manches-
ter she had cotton fields sufficient to produce the
)
ton of her 3S,2lS,00 spindles, and pasturage
enough to raise all the wool required by her o30
wooden factories-do you believe she would then
admit cotton from the United States, Brazil and
Egypt free of duty: Not bit Of It, The full
history of England on this subject and right
understanding of the present English mind, say
no.. To make use Of her vast stores OF cheap coal
and maintain her numerous manufacturers she
must have cheap wheat-she cannot produce 1t
Therefore she admits corn and wheat tree OF duty
Il l,t,n In rl.I 'hl
mel and her Northern Border the prairie lands OF
our North West, far more than enough TO pro
duce the supply for her population, she would
have much to say about her boosted corn and
wheat laws She sees fit TO adapt her Legislation
to her productions and necessities, just as We
adapt our legislation and national pohcy to oul
necessities. When her manufactures were III
their infancy, struggling for life against adverse
influences, she supported them by protective
tariffs against the competition of the other Euro
pean countries which were ahead OF her III then
manufacturing industries. Now that these are
firmly established by the growth of centuries
aided by cheap capital and cheap labor, she
wishes to have other countries send her the raw
material and take manufactured goods III pay
ment. Thus She makes South America and the
Indies tributary to her enrichment. She sees tit tc
tax her people $780, 900 600 on Imports ss50,0O0,-
900 on Stamps SIPS 200, 900 in Excise, SIG 0O000C
Land Tax and House Duty, and to make a clcal
profit of millions per annum on her postal and tele
Graph service. Those who vaunt the political econ
omv and craftsmanship of England are so superior
to ours. and her thrift more signal, should moi
forget that Great Britain has l,00S,0O0 pau
pers, and that her annual Appropriation fol
schools is less than S6,5O0,OOO, while that OF
the State of New York alone Is SlO,4lo,3So. She
thinks it best to tax tea and Coffee while we
admit tea and coffee free, it being used by all our
people, and not product OF the country. 10 pay
the interest on our bonds, provide small annual
reduction of the National Debt and carry on the
Goverhment we must raise IN round number,
$3.50 900 600 per annum Direct taxation is not in
accord with the genius allowable by the neces-
sites of our people. Our Town, City, County, and
State taxes amount to all the airect tardtion oul
people are willing to bear. How shall the $780,
900 600 National Revenues be raised! You all
will say-ROt on the tea and coffee, houses horses
stamps and increased postage on letters and news
papers. How then? The Maine DemocIats-theii
candidate, Mr.. Titcomb, and the Free Traders OF
the country, may say-raise 1t by Direct Taxation
Would they not have music IN trying that expedi-
ent After taxing American liquors and tobacco
all they will bear, why not impose the chief pOr-
ton of the remainder on Foreign Imports On
Injuries especially? Is it not better to tax the
manufactured articles produced by the cheap
capital and cheap labor Of Europe, than to tax the
manufactured goods produced by the higher capt.
ral and labor of our own people, thus putting the
latter in a condition so that they cannot live
sitting all chance of extension Seeing that
this national taxation cannot be avoided, that II
must be imposed means of honestly paying
what it cost to maintain the life of the nation in
its terrible struggle with the rebellion, who SO
destitute of broad, national feeling and manly
patriotism. that he is not willing that this problem
Of National Debt and Taxation should be SO
welded as to incidentally build up our manufac-
tuics, make use of our vast water-power. our
ineNhau,tible mines of coal, and consume more OF
our corn and wheat productions by our own peo-
ple And this is all we mean BY our Protective
Tariff. 1t is to pluck from the iron hand of neces
,ity the .fower Of Public Prosperity-to extorl
from the problem of evil the magic influences
which are already wonderfully developing the
immense resources of the United States. The
vast and rapid growth of manufacturing
industries and the general increase of veal h in
this country since 1861, Notwithstanding the i'm
mensc havoc of life, labor, and property caused
by the rebellion, is fitting answer TO those who
cry out against the protective features Of oul
Revenue Policy.
The facts and considerations of this ques
ton address themselves with special force to
the people of Maine. 1t is obvious to all who
have Investigated the subject with an unpre-
JUDGED view, that only by the increase of oui
manufactures and the corresponding stimulus tc
our agricultural and commercial interests, car
Maine hope to keep at home her young men and
women, and to make fair increase in population
and wealth. With the West and South possessing
their immense capacity for agricultural produc'
ton, and their speedy access by steamers and rail