The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1880-09-30
Garfield and the Tariff.

The GAINESVILLE Signal, in reply to the
Courier of that-city statesthe following
facts respecting the record of GenerM
Garfield on the subject of tariff: z
l. Garfield's honorary mem hershin
of tile Free Trade Cobden Club, Of
London, England, is a fact as public
and notorious rs any such fact can be
made He Was voted member of
that Club, and accepted the honor, on
account of his convictions of the prin-
ciple and policy of Free Trade. These
convictions he has repeatedly acknOwl-
edged in Congress- Wiiatever oppo-
site sentiments he may since have
adopted, if any, as the Republican
candidate for President, are insineere
and hypocrirical, and are nothing more
than buncoInbe 10 satisfy and gull his
Tariff supporters. His real convictions
always were for Free Trade. or this
there is abundant proof. .....s -, :.
=. In the 3Sth Congress-, the first of
which Garfield was member, 1868 4,
he voted to reduce the proposed tariff
on railroad iron from 81 to 60 cents per
hundred pounds. On the final vote
on the bill to raise the tariff of 1851
from Sc to 50 per ,tOu-the same as the
tariff of lS42-he declined to have his
vote recorded. On the question of the
proposed reduction oh railroad iron
WEIGH he supported as above stated, he
voted in opposition to every protective
tariff member of Congress. Congress
ional Globe of 1864, page 33l2)E ! 80
On the tariff of 1870, when intro
duced in Congress, Garfield made q
speech against it, In which he asserted
that "a large majority of the great
thinkers of the present day are leading
in the direction of what is called Free
Trade" t. -..f
'' Pig Iron kelley" at once "most
positively" denied this assertion,
wheroupon Garfield again reiterated
his statement, in these words:
al affirm that the tendency of mod
ern thought is toward Free Trade. u
Congressional Globe of April l, 1870,
page 26S. .F.-i i4,'
Aud i'll this same speech, On'page
272 of the same Congressional Globe,
lie quotes paragraph from former
| speech of his own i'll Congress, in 1866,
| in which lie said: i'. e'''' -i '-.''
| am for a protection ajtich leads to ulti-
mate free trude i am for that free trade
which can only be achieved through a
reasonable protection" 5.no- rH" y
In this manner of expressing his
views and defining his position there
! is considerable of the trimming dema'
gogue, as usual with Garfield. but his
! declarations i'll Congress We're such as
| to place him in opposition to "a pro-
tective tariff per sc; and the prOtec-
| tionists always SO understood him. 81
In the same session of Congress, he
voted for the reduction of the tariff on
! pig iron from 50 TO 81 per tOn.-COn-
| gressional Globe, list Congress, page
3I97, part 5; aud page 5522, part 6. -.
l. In the 42d Congress, page 81 of Con.
gressional Globe, he voted to repeel all
duties on foreign coal. He voted, how
ever, to retain the duties on tea and
coffee-articles not produced in this
country, and which everybody has tC
buy aud use! ~ .i"' i''''.' ~ :.
In 1872 he voted yea on the bill
making ten per centum reduction III
| the tariff on foreign wOOls, iron and
| steel.-Gongressiona Globe, 4zd Con-
gsess, part 3, page 1852. !rn.n ~ Il. :,
3. In confirmation ofGarfeld's well
| known position on the tariff, although
he received the complimentary nOml-
nation of the Republiean Congression'
al caucus for Speaker Of the 45th Con
gress, in, 1877, The Republican mem'
bers of that Congress from Pittsburgh,
Errett aud Bayne, and also Pig Iron
Kelley, from Philadelphia refused t.
] vote for him in the election of Speaker
| in the House, and gave their reason fol
] their refusal TO be Garfield's notorious
Free Trade views, and his member.
ship of the Golden Club. This appears
in the Pittsburgh Republican. daily
papers of October 16, 1877. (RandalI
Democrat, was elected Speaker.)
| Candidate Garfield shows up on The
tariff,as OH most other questIons-al
imposter, a humbug, a swindler, and Z
fraud. The more ne is Investigated
the more disingenuors, double dealing
and Machiaveliln, he develops. He ii
totally unfit and unworthy To he Pres
ident, of the United States, and tn,