The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-02-24
HOUSE.

A motion to proceed to 1.-THE business on the
House calendar for the purpose of taking up the
Fiss John Porter bill was defeated--yeas III;
nays III
The House then went into Committee Of the
Whole on the
AGRICULTURAL APPROPRIATION BTLL.
Nj. Hurd gave notice that he would offer an
amendment providing for statistleian and subor.
dinate officers In the Agricultural Department.
and acquiring that officer to.make q report as to
what effect the eustoms revenue laws Would, II
continued In force, have hereafter on the aRri.
cultural people Of the country whether the effect
ofsueh laws has been to Increase or diminish the
price 0i American agricultural products in for.i
elgn markets; whaG effect they have had on the,
price Of clothing and agricultural tools IN this
country, and whether or not the wages OF farm
laborers and profits Of persons engaged inGgricul-
tlre haveibeen affected by such laws, and If 80,
In what WGY and 10 what extent. He then pro.
Oeeded to make an antprotectve tariff Rpeech.
He said the present tariff was levied ON over 900
articles on the ground that American industry
should be protected. Tariff revenue he did not
oppose, and he would be willing to suggest such
tariff Notwithstanding there might be some Incl.
dental protection, but to the tariff levied IOr pro-
tection only he was opposed. Protection rested
on three proportions: First, 1t created favorable
balance Of tradeAnd that the excess OF exports
over imports war ior the benedt Of the country
second, protection made the nation independent
Of all other nations and third protectIon inereaa
cd the amount Of labor, and that increase OF labor
added 70 the wealth OF the country. TheBe prO
positions he denied. Restriction on trade was the
great cauae Of the war That nation was most In.
dependent which knew most Of the world and
which awaited itself of all products Of intellect
and skill Of all nations on earth he denied the
proposition tERt increase In the amount Of labor
added TO the wealth ofthe country Men did not
lRD0r because they wanted to- but In order 10 get
enough t0Rupp0rt themselves and families The
wealth Of nations did not depend on the la.
Dor DONE but on the value OF the labor Il was
claimed protection would develop the resources
until Il had increased the aggregate profits Of the
country, and 1t could not increase the aggregate
profits because 1t could not increase dispOtable
capital The only effect OF protection hD sserted
was to take money from the pocket Of one man
and put II IN the pocket OF another Protection
compelled the consumer to pay more for goods
than they were worth, Ostensiby to help the pro.
duCer. He instanced 10 this connection the one |
article OF paper, for which the consumer paid gl5
OlOOOO more annually than he would have to pay
II restriction was taken off This was |
a tax on intelligence and premium on igror- |
anee Protective tariff confined manufacturers |
10 the American market and manufacturers must |
soon choose between the de crease in products OF |
an Increase in the markets They must break |
down the barriers built up for Just as high as was
the wall which the United States would raise |
Rgainst other nations, 10 high would be the walls
raised against II. He laid the blame OF the de |
creaee OF American commerce upon the protective |
tariff and predicted should the tariff be taken of
ell the seas would swarm with the American SAIL |
and the whole land would laugh with plenty By |
humAniuDB tho inAneu0 o. fseS tlAdO nISe6 the |