Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1880-09-16
A Tariff for Revenue OriY

Subscriber" wishes to know the mean
ing of "a tariff for revenue only" There
ought tc be no misapprehension in the
minds of voters as to the exact signii
canoe of this phrase. 1t is the one dis
tinctive article in the Democratic creed
which contemplates change in the
present policy of the Government and
makes direct issue with the Republi-
cans. The latter declare "the duties
levied for the purpose of revenue should
so discriminate as to favor American la
bor" A careful reading of the contrast
ed planks of the two platforms will in
dicate their radical difference at once.
They both take the position that the OBJ
ject of a tariff is to raise revenue. The
Democrats go further and say that this
should be the only object. Their policy
is to encourage importations regardless
of their effect upon existing American
industries. The object being to get as
large revenue as possible, such rates
only would be imposed as the foreign
goods could pay and still hold the Amer
lean market against home productions.
This is a Democratic tariff, and is what
the Cincinnati Convention meant by its
declaration for tariff for revenue only.
A tariff formed on the principle adopt
by the Republican National Convention
of 1860, and indorsed by each subsequent
Convention of that party, aims, while
providing adequate revenue for the
Government, to furnish incidental pro-
lection to American industry. This may
necessitate, in some instances, partial
sacrifice Of revenue, but experience has
demonstrated that a tariff can be both
protective and furnish a revenue such
as the free trade doctrinaires in the days
of their ascendancy never dreamed of.
1t may be as to some particular things
almost prohibitory in order to secure
| the home market for new industry
which could not otherwise sustain it.
self. Such high rates are, however, but
temporary and exceptional. The ruling
consideration of protective tariff is to
enable American manufactures to COM
pete with the foreign product, notwith-
standing the cheaper labor entering into
the production of the latter.
Under the beneficent influence of this
policy mines have been opened, furnaces
erected, mills constructed and every
form of manufacturing industry for
which our country is adapted has been
lah 70 n hflh ln1 1,+n
rious influence of protective tariff has
been steadily preached to us by English
free-traderS, and their lamentations
have been faithfully re-echoed by Amer
lean Democrats. Yet the twenty years
since the adoption of our present tariff
system has been the era of our greatest
industrial and agricultural DEVELOPMENT.
The English manufacturers, who see
themselves cut out of the American
market, and who find American goods
competing with their own in foreign
markets, are anxious to convince the
American public that its protective tar
iff is the ruin of the country. The Cob
den Club of England at its last annual
dinner, held in London, July u, listen.
ed with great satisfaction to Mr.. Simon
Sterne of the New York Free trade Club
as he demonstrated to them the prob
ability, as he deemed it, of .HancOck's
election, and with it the triumph of
free-trade principles in America. "The
platform of tie Democratic party"
he told them, "fairly pledges it in une-
quivocal terms to free trade, and it has
Il considerable advantage upon this
question against its adveIsaries, mas
much as the avowed and recognized in
terests of the Southern States are all in |
favor of free trade" Should Mr.. Sterne's |
anticipation be verified, "Subscrber"
will have practical and forcible illus
tration of the meaning of "a tariff for
revenue only" He will find that it
means the shutting down of mills, pnt-
ting out of furnance fires and the stop
page of mining, or else general reduc-
ti0n of the wages of American work
ingmen to the European standard.