The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-02-19
HURDHEARD FROM.
He AIRS HIS PECULIAR TARIFF
OPINIONS.
He Develops Wonderful sOIIcIIude for
the InhRbitRnm Of the Rural
DIsIFicls-"A Tariff fer Rev.
enue only" the KInd
OGTarin for Him.

WASHINGTON, February IS. - In the
House to-day Mr.. Hurd gave notice that
he would offer an amendment providing
for a statatiCian and subordinate officers
In the Agriculture Department and requir-
ing that officer to makea report as TO what
effect the customs and revenue laws
would, II continued in force, have here.
after on the agricultural people ol the
country; whether the effect OF such laws
has been to increase or diminish the price
oil American agricultural products In for.
eign markets; what effect they have had
on the price OF clothing and agricultural
tools in this country, and whether or not
the wages OF farm laborers aud the profits
Of persons engaged In agriculture have
been affected by such laws, aud, II 80, In
what way and To what extent. He then
proceeded to make an anti.protectiye tariff
speech.
Mr.. Hurd said the present tariff was
levied on over four thousand articles, on
the ground that American industry should
be protected; a tariff for revenue he did
not oppose, and he would be willing TO
support such tariff, notwithstanding
there may be some incidental protection,
but to the tariff levied Tor protection only,
he was opposed, Protection rested on three
propositions. First, that itCreated q fayora.
bic balance OF trade, and that the excess Of
exports over imports was for the benefit
OF the country. Second that 1t made
this nation Independent OF all other
nations ;and third, that protection increased
the amount OF labor, and that the increase
OF labor added TO the wealth oil
the country. These propositions he
denied. Restriction on trade was
the great cause OF war. That nation
was most independent which knew the
most OF the world, and availed itself OF all
the products ot intellect and skill Of all
the nations on earth. He denied the
proposition that an increase in the
amount Of labor added to the wealth of
the country. Men did not labor because
they wanted to, but in order to get enough
to support themselves and families. The
wealth Of nations did not depend on the
labor done, but on the value Of that labor.
II was claimed that protection would de-.
veIop the resources Of the country. II
could not develop the resources until II
had increased the aggregate. profits OF the
country, and II could not increase the az.
gregate profits because 1t could not In.
crease the disposable capital. The only
effect oi protection, he asserted, was 10
take the money from the pocket OF one
man aud put 1t In the pocket Of another.
Protection compelled the consumer
to pay more for goods than
tkey were worth, ostensibly 10 help
tho producer. He instanCed, In this con.
nectiOn, tho one article OF paper, for which
the consumer paid $l5, ,0000 900 more annu.
ally than he would have to pay II the pro.
lection was taken off, This was tax on in.
telligenCe and premium on Ignorance,
Protective tariff confined manufactures
10 the American market, and the manu-.
iactuter must soon choose between de.
crease In the product or increase In the
market. They must break down the bar.
riern built up, Tor Just aa high as was the
wall which the United States would raise
against other nations, 80 high would be
the walls raised against 1t. lie laid the
blame of the decrease in American com.
merCe on the protective tariff, and
predicted that should the tariff be taken
of all the seas would swarm with Ameri.
can sails, and "the whole land would
laugh with plenty by the humanizing In.
tluenCe Of free trade. | see nations be.
coming friends with nations, and forms OF
war disappear. | see the influence OF
great republic in ameliorating the condi.
tion OF the poor and suffering In every ma.
ton, and moderating the oppression Of
power, and on the wings OF free trade the
seeds ot Tree government will be scattered
over free nations everywhere" Applause
on the Democratic side