Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-12-09
The Tariff Agitation.

Editor Morning NeoOs; The first gleam of
national politics shining through the fog
of sectionallsm that has overspread the
country for twenty-one years past, comes TO
us in the tariff question now asserting It's
importance in the West, East and North.
We of the State of Georgia during the ex-
istence Of African slavery were advocates Of
free trade, that we might clothe the slaves
and work our plantations at the lowest cost
We were purely agricultural, cotton and rice
producers, aud dependent on external in
dustries for the clothes we wore, the food
we eat, and the animals and implements
used in our fields. We were essentially a
dependent people. Hence absolute free
trade was to US the life of our plantation
system. But the war altered all of this bv
emancipating us from the thraldom of slave
labor, and opening to us the enterprises of
manufactures, mines, fOundries and the
many profitable investments OF mechanical
genius, with the still larger profits of
free labor farms.
Our conditions are changed, and with
theee changes follow fnseparably differ
ences In our views of national political Oues-
tions as they may affect our various inter
ests. But whatever these differences, there
are sound fundamental principles bv which
they must be ruled, If the promotion of the
general welfare be the paramount intention
Of our political national organization.
Governments to be effective must be libe-
rally supported by their citizens or subjects,
and the revenue for the purpose must be
raised either 0y direct taxation per capita,
or indirectly by duties or imposts. The
Constitution of the United States prohibits
the laying OF any tax or duty on exports by
the General Government (artlcle /, section
9, clause 81, and conse quently commercial
taxes or duties are limited to imports. Ex-
perience prefers the indirect revenue by
duties on imports, which are required con
stitutionally to be uniform throughout the
United States; and our investigation of this
method OF raising our national revenue is
therefore reltrieted to tho discovery of that
legislation which, as 1t is to be uniform,
shall be likewise just and best for the gene
raj welfare.
The first duty, of our government to its
people is the protection of their liberties
and national independence, and to dis
charge that fully it is essential to cultivate
within our own territory all of the resources
needed to support us against foreign in
vasion. This is Of primary Importance tn
the general welfare. Our revenue, then, 30
De collected from the people should in
clude this obligation, as well aa the
current expenses of maintaining our gov
eminent With due respect, dignity and eff
cheney, These constitute the factors for
calculating the amounts annually to be
collected. That amount, ascertained. con-
stltutes the revenue for the country, and
any excess OF 1t is untustifiable. The com
petition with foreign products calls for the
fostering of our own of the same character.
ONLY that duty which equalizes the market
value OF the two in our own country Re
yond that there must be diserimfpa-
ton contrary to the spirit of our Demo
cratic Republieanism in favor of certain oc-
cupations. This excessive burden of i'm
post Is known generally by the term eProtec-
tion," as It Is the comforting Of special privi-
leges ON the particular capital so employed
and the creation, so far as it extends, of
privileged classes. During the Tory sway
In Great Britain protection was the national
policy, and strengthened the privileged he
reditary classes by the addition of another
aristocracy of money. For capital is ALWAYS
exclusive. Protection, then, as l haYa
defined it, is an aristocratic element
dismetrically opposite to the interests of
Democracy, ana as the tendency of civilized
intelligence is now towards our prineiples
Of self government, we find Great Britain.
France, Germany and the other advanced
governments of Europe advocating "free
trade," OF as party In France more accu-
rately express 1t, stair trade" The people
OF all civilized countries are asserting their
right to economical government and de-
mand to be clothed, fed, and supplied in
all things at the lowest reasonable prices.
Hence, the list OF goods imported should
consist OF ss many articles free Of duty as
can possibly be allowed, and where duties
are laid they should be as light as consistent
with the "general welfare" and not for the
benefit OF any particular set of Industries
and individuals. But men are ruled bv In.
terest, and now that Georgia Is no longer
closed to progress, we shall have our pro.
portion OF pTotectionists In manufacturing
and other like occupations; excellent for
bringing sectionalism under the sod
OF broad, healthy national-
Ism, but not conducive to
domestic economy IN our personal wants.
Our political sentiment in Georgia conse-
auently should be to restrict national taxa
ton, duties and imposts. to the needs of
revenue and for revenue only. But, what
ever the national policy, whether Of ''pro-
lection" or ''free trade" Georgians have
the satisfaction of knowing that we can
"stand the racket" better than any other
State In the Union, as we have within her
territory all the necessary resources for self
maintenance beyond aHy other.
DEMOCRAT or THE OLD SCHOOL.