The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-05-25
Randolph fuckers Speech on the Tariff.

House of Representatives, May 9Th, is
distinctly discussion of the principles
upon which tariff legislation should rest
and of the history of such legislation in
this country.
Mr.. Tucker begins by noting the ano
maly in the position of the minority of the
House part of the representatives Of
the people-in opposing bill for the re-
duction of taxation, and even in opposing
the introduction and discussion of such
bill, and the explanation of the fact, as Mr..
Tucker gives it, involves thorough ex-
posure of the fallacious theory upon which
the protective system rests. "Whyis it,
he asks
"Why is it that when their Representa-
tives are called on to lessen the burdens of
the people there is found in this House,
composed of the Representatives of the
people, strong minority against the con-
sideration even of such a proposition
The reason is to be found in what [ m ust
call the fatal entangling alliance begun in
the early history of the Government and
continued to this day, increasing as the
years have rolled on, between the regula-
ton of revenue and the regulation of COM
merce. 1t has come to pass that the ques-
ton of laying tax to raise revenue has,
by the operations of the Government, been
perverted into power for laying burdens
upon the people in order to bestow the
bounties upon privileged classes.
'For if this was bill merely to dimin-
ish the taxation to raise the necessary
revenue for the Government the Repre-
sentativcs of the people here would not
hesitate to vote for such BILL But there
is back of this revenue object desire and
interest on the part of some gentlemen
here to keep up high rate of duties on
imports. They demand high taxation not
for the purpose of raising revenue for the
Government. but because the duties upon
| imports by indirection put bounties into
the pockets Of the privileged classes whom
they represent, and who favor burdens on
others as the means of vast benefits to
themselves. The country is thus divided
on what seems to be merely revenue bill
into two parties the burden bearers and
the bounty-takers."
Mr.. Tucker contends that by the Con-
stitution, and especially by its history and
the spirit which went to its construction,
the power to raise revenue was meant to
be absolutely divorced from the power to
regulate commerce, and therefore that to
use the revenue power "for purposes of
regulating commerce and putting into the
pockets of privileged class bounties ex-
tracted from other industries is a perver-
sion of the revenue power, contrary to the
spirit of the Constitution and violative of
all principles of right and justice.
The constitution, requiring tariff duties
to be laid for revenue only, it remains to
determine what is the proper revenue duty,
and that, says Mr.. Tucker, depends upon
the resultant of two factors, the rate of
tax end the amount of consumption, which,
in well-considered tariff scheme, should
interact, and regulate each other. A tariff
which produces the greatest amount of
needed revenue at the lowest rates of duty
is the one which at the same time favors
consumption most, that is to say, which
most increases the comforts of the people,
which are measured by the degree of their
consumption. A proper revenue tariff,
therefore, is one which produces the re-
quired amount of revenue by the means
of minimum rates of duty.
Gin view of what have said these rules
may be laid down as within the spirit of
the Constitution; first, no duty should be
laid higher than the maximum revenue
point; second, that under that maximum
revenue point Injuries may be made to
pay higher rate of duty than necessaries;
third, that it is more just to have an ad-
valorem duty, and, where that is impracti-
cable because of danger to revenue from
frauds in invoices, that the specific duty
should be so laid upon the article by class
ifcation as to make it as nearly as possible
equivalent to an ad valorem duty; and,
fourth, that, unless necessary for revenue,
raw material may be admitted free of duty
in the interest of the manufacturer as well
as of the consumer of the products from
such materials.
The existing tariff, Mr.. Tucker shows,
is not in accordance with the spirit of the
Constitution, nor is it tariff framed for
revenue. To prove this, Mr.. Tucker
quotes the exultant report Of the Ameri-
can Iron and Steel Association, to the
effect that in 1867 the country did not
import ton of steel rails-"that is to say,
the power to raise revenue by tariff is,
according to the ideas of the gentlemen
who represent the iron and steel interest,
to be purposely perverted from its constl-
tutional object of raising revenue into
scheme to support the iron and steel in
terest by diverting revenue from the treas
ury and furnishing rich bounties by tax
upon the consuming classes of the country"
Protection, says Mr.. Tucker, is mis-
homer. "Protection to what? Protec-
ton against whom p The system is sim
ply one of enforced contributions, of taxes
laid upon all classes to pay bounties to
privileged class. 1t is not protection, but
privilege-violation of our natural and ac-
quired right of equality before the law.
"What right has any man to say that the
profit of my labor shall be laid under
contribution to support him p
"Therefore l say that this so-called pro-
tective policy is properly named a policy
to create a privileged class, because their
monopoly in the market is brought about
by the prevention of imports to that mar
ket, SO as to give bounty to the home
manufacturers and to burden the home
consumers. Its purpose and effect are to
give to the home producer a monopoly for
the sale of his products in our markets
and so to burden the consumer who dares
to desire to buy the like article of foreign
production, that he will be constrained to
yield to the demands of the monopoly by
paying the tribute exacted under the
power of his Government"
What we have given is merely the in
PRODUCTION to Mr.. fuckers speech. We
have not the space to go over even the
heads of his close and cogent argument,
nor to give instances of the various, bril-
liant and effective illustrations by which
he gives light and clearness to every part.
But we must not neglect to quote the elo-
quent and imprisoned peroration, which
is thrilling appeal to the ideal spirit of
nationality which should actuate us, if we
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