Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1880-09-30
A Tariff Record.

ON6I luC biiC tOiOSA hRN "ANS'
A Tariff Record.
al hold that properly adjusted COM
petition between home and foreign pro-
ducts is the best gauge by which to reg
ulate international trade. Duties should
be so high that our manufacturers can
fairly compete scith the foreign product. "
That was General Garfeld's position on
the Tariff question, as defined in speech
on the Tariff Revision bill. July 10th,
1896. In his letter Of acceptance, dated
July 10th, 1880, exactly fourteen years
later, he said: "In reference to our GUS
tom laws a policy should be pursued
which will bring revenues to the Treas
ury, and will enable the labor and cap
-ital employed in our great industries to
compete fairly in our oon markets NTH the
labor and capital Of foreign producers"
The two expressions of opinion, four
teen years apart, are identical in spirit,
and almost identical in language.
General Garfield's tariff record in the
intervening fourteen years is in keeping
with the positions taken in his speech
of 1865 and in his letter of 1880. He has
always been in accord with his party.
which in 1850 declared that while pro-
viding revenue for the support of the
General Government by duties upon i'm
ports, sound policy requires such an ad-
iustment of these imposts as to encour-
age the development of the industrial
interests of the whole country" and
commended "that policy of National ex-
changes which secures to the working
men liberal wages, to agriculture remu-
nerative prices, to mechanics and man
ufacturers an adequate reward for their
skill, labor, and enterprise, and to the
Nation commercial prosperity and indie
pentence," and which IN 1880 reaffirmed
the belief that the duties levied for the
purpose of revenue should SO discrim-
mate as to favor American labor"
Wherever and whenever he has taken
action looking to modification of the
tariff it has always been in company
with pronounced Protectionists, and in
the real interests of Protective policy.
He has steadily and energetically op-
posed the Democratic attempts to de-
stroy the Protective features of the Tar
iff bill attempts which have been per-
sistent, and assuming many forms.
In 1870 Schenck's Tariff bill was in
troduced, which among other reductions
put down the tariff on pig iron from 80
to 81 ton. General Garfield supported
the measure as necessary to defeat the
Democratic Free Traders, who were in
sisting on reducing the duty to SO ton,
and in this action had the cooperation
of all the Protectionists in the House
and in the Senate of such strong Protec-
tionists rs Morrill,, Sherman, Scott of
Pennsylvania, and Howe. The rate then
adopted is that now existing, and Pro-
tectionists are fully satisfied with it.
A further reduction of war rates was
proposed i'll 1872 and supported by such
Plotectionists as Dawes, Frye, Foster,
Wheeler, and Hoar in the House, and
Sherman, Morton. Wilson, Howe, Ferry,
and the two Morrills in the Senate.
Garfield supported the measure in such
good Protectionist company and it was
adopted. In 1875. it was proposed to re-
store the duties on iron and steel to the
figures at which they stood previous to
the reduction in 1872, ,Iand although some
ProIectionist Republicans thought it un-
necessary General Garfield voted with
the majority of the Republican men,
bers in favor of the restoration, which
was carried by very close vote.
In 1878 Fernando Wood reported from
the Ways and Means Committee his
Revenue Tariff bill, which was a long
step toward Free Trade. General Gar
field fought this bill vigorously. In a
speech delivered June 4th, he character
lied the bill as "a most unwise and dan
gerouS measure; dangerous to the great
National industries of this country, so
dangerous that if we should pass it, il
would greatly increase the prevailing
distress, and would make the condition
of our artisans deplorable to the last de-
gree. The charge make against it," he
continued, "is that it seeks to cripple
the Protective features of the law" The
bill was defeated by 1874 to I21. OF the
1S4 votes against the bill, 115 were given
by Republicans and 10 by Democrats,
nine of whom were from Pennsylvania
ami four from New Jersey. OF the 121
votes in support of the bill ia were
Democrats and seven Republicans. Gen.
eral Garfield both worked and voted
against the bill.
Last winter Mr.. Covert introduced a
bill to reduce the tariff ON steel rails. 1t
was sent to the Ways and Means Com
mittee, where it was strangled by vote
of seven to six. General Garfield stren-
uously opposed its being reported, and
the seven who squeezed out its life were
Garfield, Kelley, Conger, Frye, FELTON,,
Gibson, and Phelps. Those seven, with
Garfield as one of the most watchful and
unyielding, prevented any action by the
committee threatening injury to Protec-