Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1882-04-27
Published Every Thursday
TARIFF AND TARIFF COMMISSION.
"Let Americans devote themselves to the
welfare of America. Garfield.
SPEECH OF hon. ]. 7. UPDEGRAFF.
OF OHIO,
In the House of Representatives,
"Wednesday and ThursdGy, Aprz 12 and IS,
1892


Wednesday and Thursday, Apra 1s and Is
1882.
The House, being in Committee of tn
Whole House on the State of the Union. an,
having under consideration the bill ID R
No. 2315) to provide for the appointment of
commission TO investigate the question of tn
tariff and internal revenue laws
Mr.. UPDEGRAFF said:
Mr.. CHAIRNAN: 1t is admitted on al
sides that our revenue laws need som,
modification. The unexampled growth
o our varied industries, changed pro
&C ms, inventions which modify cost
ID many influences bearing both upoI
llbor and production, demand a read
j lstment of our lev nue. system. Suci
reyi sion is in the interest of fair anC
impartial consideration of all branche:
OF our great and varied industries. Thai
work should be done carefully aad witt
full knowledge of all claims and of al
interests.
l shall not stop to comment on the Gu
rious fact thai our Democratic friends
have just nog discovered that this must
be done It once and without waiting
for the work OF. commission. For six
years that party has had control of this
House, and ftr part of the time of the
Senate also, without 'any promised
change of ths tariff they now denounce'
which they declare it is &c iminap to
permit longer to remain in force.
shall vote for this bill providing for the
appointment of acommission which may
suggest such changes as may be made
without injury and. with benefit TO the
common welfare.
The question has been ably discussed
as relating to our great manufacturing
Industries. What have to say will re-
late mainly to the interests of labor, and
espe cially- to a consideration of the
question of the effect of the protective
system on the agricultural interests of
the country, as this is the point of the
free trade assault.
The system of protection itself has
become a part of our national policy. 1t
has become SO intimately blended with
our developing industries, with our in
telligent and successful labor, and with
our wonderful prosperity, that it may be
most City called what our fathers Ramed
1.-THE American system.
All true economy recognizes with spe-
cial favor the producers of the necessa-
raries of life aud the elements of wealth.
Productive labor is the bedrock of de-
velopment and progress. National in
dustry is national wealth. That policy
which offers productive labor to the
largest number of the people of any ma
tion consults and develops her highest
prosperity. The wide diversity of these
industries is always the condition or ma
tional independence. Men and nations
have iO0rked themselves into civiliza-
tion and wealth, as well as sovereignty,
by skilled labor in diversified branches
of industry.
These plain truths are the foundation
principles of the protective system.
They have been for centuries practiced
by the great progressive nations of the
earth. Protection is to-day the recog-
nized policy of nearly all prosperous
governments The trade has had fun
aud fair trial among the nations of the
old world. And the testimony of histo
~ attests this broad and irrefutable
-truth-that no nation of earth in the
past or present has ever attained lead
ing rank, a position emitting it 20 be
called power" except those which
have adopted and resolutely maintained
protective policy in international COM
merce. This truth should keep its in
structlve lesson before US constantly
while our system is so desperately as
saulted by free trade interests. sak
Commerce is eiyilizing force and
supplies the agencies for the exchange
of surplus products for the needed pro
duce and commodities of other countries.
1t is stimulus to enterprise. source OF
wealth, and potential element in pro.
gressive civilization. But agriculture
and manufactures, with their kindred
and accompanying activities, are the
foundation industries on which are built
the permanent prosperity and strength
of every people. They are vital and pro-
ductive forces. Not only for the sake
of national wealth and in the interest OF
popular Intelligence and growth, but for
the benefit of commerce itself these
great creative industries must have fnll
development. As no nation can make
any progress from barbarism without
successful agriculture, so none has ever
advanced in civilization or power on tie
basis of agriculture alone. Manufac
lures are indispensable elements OF
symmetrical national growth, and com.
merce naturally follows as the compile
ment of the producing industries. Nc
government can afford to neglect the
development and protection of these in
dispensable occupations of civilized peo
Piles.
HOW FARMERS ARE DAMAGED BY
PROTECTION!
By the logic of English free trad,
pamphleteers and American free-trad,
college professors protection is an injus
justice and an injury to the agriculture
interest of the country. The farmer il
the strategic point of the free-trade as
sault. No matter how prosperous, he i
assured that his apparent success is on
ly "delusion;" that in reality he is car
rying intolerable burdens and is on tn
road to certain ruin. In defiance of fact
and reason, he is assured that he get
no protection form protection, and tina
a"home market is simply an ideal an,
wicked invention of an arganiZed ban
of robbers" called. in the very mocker
of satire, "protectionists." On this foo
I have heard the most opprobriou
names applied to some of our most in
dispensable industrial classes, until th
argument resolved itself into an assaul
of epithets. Elsewhere-the parliameI
tary way, 1 believe, of alluding to th
Senate-it has lately been declared by
distinguished person that if America
farmers knew more about it they Toui
never submit to protective tariff. Th
gentleman from Kentucky, Mr.. Turner
WHO said he had been farmer all h
life, dwelt with pathetic eloquence O
the 'legalized robbery" of this "odiol
tariff" Trace-ehains was his speci
grievance, but he declared it compelle