National Republican., 1878-05-09
F0RTY.FIFIH CONGRESS.
ICOntinutd from Hrst Pdpe.


After some discussion Of points Of order, a
vast deal Of confusion, and appeals from differ
ent members, Mr.. CoNoER agreed to mako the
limit two hours
The question was then taken, aud the mo-
tion was reiected-yeas, 107; nays, 1872.
Mr.. BUTLER asked the gentleman II he
would hot consent to some Limitation Of de-
bate.
Mr.. WOOD said he could not do so. He
wanted full and fair discussion, and then he
would ask tbs House to vote squarely on the
proposition whether Il would consider the bill
at this session but until tho debate had gone
further and gentlemen on tho other sido wore
better Informed upon this measure than they
were at present, he would not consent to limit
debate.
Mr.. KELLEY said the Ways and Means
Committee of this House had brought this i'm.
portant measure In here, and IL was due to the
committee that II should be fully discussed.
For this reason he had voted against his col
leagues from Pennsylvania and his party
friends who wanted to stop the discussion.
Mr.. C0NGER objected to the gcntlem n
apologizing for his action on this floor.
Mr.. KELLEY had no apologies to make
nut he could not be driven into playing the
blackguard and showing indeccncy to ths
Committee Of Ways and Means. Applause on
tho Democratic side.
The motion Of Mr.. WooD was then agreed to,
and the House went into Committee Of the
Whole, Mr.. SAYLER in the chair.
Mr.. TUCKER was recognized as entitled to
the floor, and said that the Constitution had
vested the right to raise revenue In the House
Of Representatives because the paying and lay
Ing Of taxes went hand In hand, and the House
was nearest to those who paid the taxes. But
II was to him an anomaly that when the Ways
and Means Committee report bill here to
diminish taxes strong minority Of the Rep
rcsentatives even opposes its consideration.
The Ways and Means Committee had charge of
the revenue under the rules of the House. and
the Committee on Commerce had charge of the
commercial interests Of tho country. Tho rca-
son of tho opposition to this bill was because
Of fatal and entangling alliance between the
revenue and commercial interests by which
alliance an attempt is made to keep up bounty
to protected and privileged classes.
There should be a divorce between the lay
ing Of duties and commerce, for commerce and
the power Of laying revenue were distinct.
There were three modes of taxation In this
country, one was tho direct tax on lands,
another was internal revenue, aud tho other
was customs duties; and the latter taxes were
as onerous as the proposed taxes on incomes
were said to be. The blanket which tho poor
man purchases to cover him, pays q tax OF
90 per cent. under the custom duties. You say
that is right, but when you propose TO tax
wealth amounting to one hundred thousand
dollars, you stand aghast. A tariff should be
one for revenue only, and tho existing tariti
was not one for revenue.
A protective tariff was for no other purpose
than to prevent and exclude importations.
The bill proposed by the committee would re-
duce duties In such u way as to permit in
creased imports and therefore would increase
the revenues. 1t was misnomer to call the
existing tariff law protection. Protection
against whatH Protection to whom? Instead
Of a protection II was n forced contribution ia
certain privileged gentlemen. 1t creates a
privilege class, who receive q bounty by i'm
posing grievous burdens upon others. Much was
said in this House about equality before the
law. But what sort of equality was that
which said that every man should not buy
where he could buy cheapest and sell where h,
could sell dearest.
His idea of equality was that each man should
be permitted to work out his own destiny with
out any obstruction by the Government. HC
did not ask for any special privileges or fol
fostering aid. In the raco of life all men start
together, and every man must work out his
own destiny. He should ask for no special
help from the Government aud should protest
against any Instructions by the Government
Referring to the heavy duty imno3cd upon
importations of iron, Mr.. TUCKER argued
that free importation of rails would tend t
cheaper transportation, because when iror
was highest of course the charges for trans
pOrtatiOn were correspondingly heavy.
The bill now pending for the construction o
the Texas Pacific Railroad contained pro
vision that the iron for its construction was Il
be American, and if the bill passed with thi,
provision the cost Of construction would bc in
creased and the cost Of transportation would
be enhanced In corresponding degree. This
iron interest had been protected so long that il
tl.a aT
right Under this system of protection, thu
privileged protected class received four dollar
for every dollar which the Government re
ceivcs as revenue. Twenty-Five per cent. of til,
people only are interested in this matter o
protection, and they demand tribute from
the other IS per cent of the people. The agri
cultural interests of the country were fou
times as great as the manufacturing interests
and yet the latter were protected at the cx
pensc of the former.
Mr.. TUCKER then referred to the grea
Importance of agriculture to the country, AM
said we could not cOnsun.e all in this country
and 1t was necessary to find q market else
where. II We do not import we cannot OK
port. If VIC don't buy we cannot sell, and /
We could not consume all Of our products wher
Is the justice Of passing laws which PRACTICAL,
prohibit expectation? Under freer laws as +
importation Europe would take more of OIL
goods than she does now, and we would get
much greater return. III 1872 the free list wa
largely increased, and the result was that ex
ports and imports were both increased. show
Ing that free trade enhances exports and i'm
ports.
1t had been shown before the Ways an,
Means Committee that ships could be built Il
this country as cheap rs on the Clyde If tn
exorbitant duty was removed from the mate
rial entering into shipbuilding. Mr.. CRAPC
Of Massachusetts,, had introduced bill to tax
Of that duty, and he would vote for the bill
tho gentleman would also let us buy shin
where we can buy them cheapest. Natiomu
wealth was not promoted by the prOtcctio
policy. The genius Of American institution
was against it. The protective policy lower
wages and puts fettcrs upon the country. Thi
Union itself was one Of the grandcst monu
ments of free trade in the world. 1t was mad
for free trade among the States, and this frc
trade made us richer.
As n politicO economic question, he believe
that free trade would enrich all. In cOnclu
sion he desired to say TO gentlemen on all side
that, God helping him, he desired to suppres
every feeling resulting from events of the pas
aud to extend to all the right hand of goo
will. We are brethren of a common race an
copartners in common destiny. Our cont
ncnt is washed by two oceans and our virgi
soil can produce all that is required to feed tn
hungry and to clotho tho naked. There wa
much to do besides referring to the past. Ii
the dead past bury its dead Let us look fol
T.. Al.