Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-10-28
THE TARIFF.
Senator Voorhees, In Defense OF
Some of His Utterances on the
Knotty Problem.

Senator VOORHEES, In Defense OF
Some of His Utterances on the
KnOtty Problem.
From the Cincinnati Enquirer.
TRRaE HAUTE, IND, October 26.-ln q
letter received here tonight from Sena-
tor Voorhees,, that gentleman defends
his position on the tariff at Atlanta Is
follows:
al notice carefully what you say about
nv position at Atlanta. What SAID
there was upon mature reflection. lex
pected to be criticised, and Tor that
reason l asked no one to share my re-
sponsibility by consulting in advance.
The platform OF 1880 was q violent de-
parture on the subject OF the tariff, and
has no precedent in the history OF DEM
ocratic platforms adopted in National
Conventions. l have examined them
all. The declaration for a tariff Tor
revenue only was never before made
in q National Democratic Convention,
and is q burlesaue on common sense.
Every tariff on imported goods neces,,
sarily protects something manufactured
in the United States. To avoid all pro-
lection we must abolish all tariff and re-
sort to direct taxation.
"The great question while We have a
tariff for revenue is to 30 adjust it as to
afford the protection which 1t always
carries to those interests which need
and deserve protection, and to with
draw it where it is not needed. This were
nv position at Atlanta, no more, no
less. We are compelled to have tarln
for revenue, and protection 10 one OF
its absolute incidents from which there
ia no escape, and while this state OF
things exists want the West and South
to embrace the advantages which arse
from it. We lost Indiana In the last
three weeks in the campaign OF 1880 on
the absurd issue made by our platform
on this subject. In my opinion that
issue will never again be presented in
in that form by q Democratic State or
National Convention, and my purpose
at Atlanta was to aid in securing
sound position for the party hereafter.
81 was warmly Endorsed in the South
by leading men who have styled them
selves Free-traders. The policy l de-
clared will made the South the richest
part OF the globe, and will promote the
best interests OF Indiana. With Jetfer-
son, Madison, Monroe and Jackson, to
saw nothing of Washington, for my
support, do not fear the consequences
to me personally. l have not violated
the traditions OF the fathers, and ! am
willing to be judged by their traditions.
What is to be said, however, on the sui
iect of internal improvements by those
who criticise me on the tariff? Every
Democratic platform for fifty years and
more has denounced such improvements
by the Government, and yet we are now
spending $4,000, 900 year for that pur-
pose, and every Democrat in the Senate
from the South and from the West votes
for the appropriations and cries for more.
Edmund Burke says that statesman
ship is the science OF circumstances, and
| am often induced to think that he
was very nearly correct. This is long
and hurried letter, and one of the very
few of the kind | have ever written:
BY living, moving and acting in view OF
present interests, and not by clinging
to mere theories without any possible
application, the Democratic party has q
great future, but not otherwise"