Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-08-26
Garfield and Protection.

|
many of the Republican orators and
editors of Pennsylvania are becoming
exceedingly anxious to make the issue
OF protective tariff a leading one in
this State, and with view of forcing
public attention to the question are
earnest and persistent in their en-
deavors to make record for Mr..
Garfield that will be satisfactory to
our mining and manufacturing inter-
ests. Their effort in this direction is
one of the amusing absurdities of the
campaign, and thus far their success
has not been at all equal to their
zeal. In the pursuit of their laud-
able purpose they find difficulties
in their way that are hard to
surmount. For instance, the many
votes given by Mr.. Garfield in Con.
gress in favor of reduction of duties
upon foreign imports, and especially
those he gave to lower the duty upon
pig iron and to place coal upon the
/ free list, cannot be recoRciled with the
theory of protection such as is advo-
Gated by the friends of n protective
tariff in Pennsylvania.
! 1t must be remembered that Gar.
field was the successor in Congress of
| the celebrated Joshua Giddings, one
of the notable men of his day, we'll
known for his extreme opinions upon
the question Of slavery. Next to his
pronounced views against African
slavery, he was also always an open
and avowed advocate of free trade.
Upon neither question did he enter.
tain halfway opinions. When there
fore the mantle of this distinguished
predecessor fell upon the shoulders of
MIR. Garfield it was only natural that
he should be in accord with the views
and sentiments of the man under
whose political teachings he had been
reared. and his votes in Congress show
that such was the case As early as
1864 he is found voting to reduce the
proposed duty on railroad iron from
so TO go cents per ton, and on the
final passage of the bill of that year
increasing the duties upon foreign inn
ports he did not record his vote. The
bill of 1864 increased the duty on pig
iron to 80 per ton, and in 1870 Mr..
Garfield spoke and voted in favor of
reduction of this duty to 81 per ton.
In the debate of that year Mr.. Gar.
field spoke as follows:
AS an abstract theory Of political
economy FREE TRADE has many al
vantages and much can be said in its
favor; nor will it be denied that the
scholarship OF modern times is largely
ON THAT SIDE; that large majority
of the great thinkers Of the present day
are leading in the direction OF what Is
called FREE TRADE.
Judge Kelley, the great Pennsylva-
MIA apostle of protection, promptly
entered the lists against Garfield,
denying the soundness of this view
and quoting from the writings of
Henry S. Carey TO show its fallacy.
In response Mr.. Garfield again said
81 detract nothing from the great
ability and the acknowledged fame of
Mr.. Carey when ! say that on this sub.
Ject he represents n minority among
the financial writers Of our day. am
trying to state a. fairly as | can the |
present condition Of the question; and |
in doing so | affirm that the tendency |
Of modern thought is toward FREE |
TRADE"
Thus Mr.. Garfield not only avowed |
the advantages that free trade had |
over protection as an abstract theory |
of political economy, but went to the
extreme of taunting the friends of
protection by asserting that the intel
ligence of the world was against them.
Two years later, in 1872, Mr.. Gar
field still held the same opinions, for
he then voted in favor Of the bill
making a reduction of 10 per cent.
on the duties Of wool, iron and steel
and on all manufactures Of iron and
steel.
These facts are oil to be found in the
official records Of Congress, and they
prove that Garfield not only spoke in
E. - e.. a..I. - - - |