The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1882-09-14
THE TARIFF.
Able Speech by Hon. Frank
H. Hurd.
The Views of this Speaker Given With No
Uncertain Sound-A Report that
is Well Worth Reading.

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campaign here tonight before an audi
ence of four hundred. His speech dealt
almost altogether with the question of
the tariff, and left no doubt on which
side of the fence Mr.. Hurd is. He stands
! firmly opposed to protection, and be-
lievOs that the field is the world. This
district is outside of Toledo, and San
dusky is almost entirely agricultural,
and an advocacy of cheaper supplies for
the farmers and labOTers and opening
of better foreign markets will have con-
siderable effect. There was not much
enthusiasm evinced for the speech, as it
demanded more thinking than a GUS
tOmaTy stump speech. Local and State
politics received no attention whatever,
the whole time being given up to the
| question of revenue reform. The fol-
lowing is Mr.. Hurds speech:
PALACES AND HUTs.
As one is carried by the railroads
through the State of Pennsylvania, a
scene full of interest and instruction is
often presented to the gaze. On the
mountain sides, or in the valleys which
nestle near them, palatial residences are
seen, fit for the dwellings of Kings.
The houses, with their walls of granite,
their architecture of faultless style, and
towers lifting themselves above the
trees of giant growth which surround
them recall the castles which Lords and
BarOns occupy in lands of titles and
hereditary nobility. Through the ex-
tensiVe grounds wander, in the midst of
grateful shade and forest flowers, drives
over which are rolled magnificent equip
ages to the marble entrances. The in
terror walls are hung with paintings of
cOstliest selections, statuary in the halls
and parlOrs, and the stairways stand as
silent witnesses of the sumptuOusnesS
and luxury. The step is silent as it
touches the softest of carpets. All that
wealth can buy is here to crafty the
taste and please the fancy.
Near by, so close that the smoke from
the chimneys is often blown to the win
dOWs of the palaces, are hundreds OF
humble houses huddled together as
though there was no breathing room
Here live hundreds of families in desti-
tuition. Children are born and reared
with scarcely the comforts of life; the
plainest furniture is scantily provided
, for the room; there is no carpet on the
floor; food barely sufficient to keep hu-
man beings from starving is alone found
upon the table. Life is an incessant
struggle for existence. Ever in debt to
the merchant, the head of the family has
no possibility for laying up anything
/
the grave every step is weighted with
the burdens of penury. To emerge from
this helpless condition; to remove to
another place; to even travel from home
for rest or pleasure is in most cases i'm
possible. Generation succeeds genera
tiOn with no improvement, and with a
cloud darkening every hour and every
prospect.
The contrast between wealth and
poverty is nowhere else in America
more strikingly presented, and yet
there are hundreds who live in these
humble houses who are the employees of
him who lives in the palace. 1t is out
of their labor that his property has been
accumulated. 1t is upon their strong
arms that his fortune rests. 1t is
through their sweat and poverty that
his wealth has been realized. l have
often asked myself why has not the en-
plOye had more of the success of his EN-
plOyer? Why has not the labOrer re-
ceiVed due reward for his toll? Why
shall the one reVel in luxury while the
other starves in the very sight of the
plenty which his hands have made?
Long ago learned that the fault was
in a system which makes exOrbitant
profits for the one without providing
due compensation to the Other-a sys
tenn which calls itself protective, and
which under the name of tariff pre-
tends to benefit the American labOTer
while it really degrades him. This very
hour it is keeping tens of thousands OF
men out of employment and out of food
because they have only asked their EN-.
ployers to give wages enough to save
themselves and their families from star,
VatiOn.
Before 1 speak of the effect of this sys.
tenn upon the wages of their labor de.
sire to call attention to the nature of a
tariff and define what it is and the
method by which it operates.
A tariff is tax levied upon foreign
goods brought into this country. WheI
, 1t is levied for the purpose of raising
money to support the Government it il
called revenue tariff. When it il
levied for the purpose of helping indi
vidua's engaged in certain aVOcatiOns
is called protective tariff. In the on
case it is taxation for the public good
in the other case it is taxation for tn
{ benefit of individuals. The effect of tn
tariff is always to increase the price t,
the consumer of the foreign goods upOI
which it is imposed. If a foreign sui
: of clothes costs $40 without tariff, anC
: duty of 100 per cent. is put upon it, i
will then cost $40. The process in thii
is this: The importer brings the suit Il
1
is worth $50; with the duty to be paid
it is taken to the Custom House, where
he pays to the Government 100 per cent
upon that sum. The suit is thus in
creased in price to the importer $50
When he sells it he charges this sum t.
the purchaser, so that, although the i'm
porter has first paid the duty, it is al
, last paid by the man who buys the suit
to wear. The Government having re.
ceived the money, it is so much of tax
, to it which the consumer has paid fol
its support. To this have no objection
If the tariff be reasonable and be rea-
sonably levied am willing that public
revenue shall be raised in this way out
of the consumer. But the tariff in this
country is not levied for this purpose
merely. 1t is imposed to keep foreign
goods out altogether or to make theiI
price high, so as to benefit certain
American business men. The purpose
is 10 make foreign goods 80 dear that
the American consumer will be com
PEELED to buy of the American purchaser
Many think that they do not pay any
thing on account Of the tariff unless