The daily gazette. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1874-1883, 1882-01-11
WILMINGTON, DEL. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY H. 1882
Senator BayaFd's Speech ON the
TaFaM
WAsHINaToN, Jan. DO, I8e2.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 1882.
Mr.. Bayard, (dem, of Del, from
the Finance Committee, reported
with a recommendation that it pass
the Morrill, Tariff Commission bill,
and also with an adverse report the
Gardland Commission bill. He said
he favored the made of constituting
the commission prescribed in the
fOrmer-namely, from among civil
lians as tending TO remove the tariff
question from the arena of sectional
or partisan feeling, Of the existence
of which Congressman were fully
conscious. Proceeding to argue the
necessity for immediate action to
correct the incongruities and ineffi
cency of the existing tariff he charac-
terized its class legislation for the
benefit of few as a perversion of
legislation. lie repudiated the doc
trlne that what is wanted is tariff
for protection with incidetal revenue
and argued that taxation to be just
must be uniform, and to be uniform,
must be universal. The paramount
purpose IN tariff taxation should be
to provide for the expenses of the
government and the incidental result
OF this, in fostering our industries,
might be wisely considered not as
the controlling motive in laying the
taxes, but as one of its inevitable
results. He did not propose now to
discuss the principles OF tariff tax
alton at any length. They were soon
TO be acted upon by the representa-
tlYes of the people
The war taxes of the present tariff
we're out of date In time of peace. In
illustration of this he referred to duties
on various articles. He believed the
manufacturers were not insensible to
the fact that their own interest required
stability and permanency in legislation.
He would now adopt a means for re-
lieving them from aBy cause for appre-
hension from Congressional interference.
No poor man had been heard before
Congress pending the agitation OF tariff
questions, and he wanted information
from the laboring class as we'll as from
others. Through the instrumentality OF
comui ission this information could be
secured and Congress enabled to legis-
late intelligently. The facts that no
action on the tariff had been taken by
the House and the difficulty of securing
joint action by the two houses without
q means, such as that proposed, were
controlling reasons in behalf of the pro-
position. 1t woald facilitate rather than
delay the framing OF harmonious plan
OF tariff and excise taxation He (Mr
| BayRrd) believed that men could be
found who, by the weight of their per.
sonal characters, by the reasonable JUS
tice OF their deductions, would furRist
| Congress with q scheme of reform taxa
ton, internal or external compared witt
which the present system is but al
darkness to light. He could not say
such a commission would be formed /; b.
could net say he was willing to try al
I experiment the first of its kind In oul
history.
Upon the conclusion of Mr.. Bayardi
remarks (the morning hour having il
the meantime been extended informally
the Sherman Funding bill came up, bu
was temporarily laid aside without =
vote.
Mr.. Beck then took the floor anG
spoke at length. He opposed the bill
as cunning scheme of the monopo
lists for delay, to which they had re
sorted not only as means of prevent.
, Ing legislation by the present Congress
but of whitewasnlns all the enormitiel
of the high protective system. HI
argued that our manufacturers shoulC
no longer be content with homt
monopoly, but should exert themselves
to foreign markets. Under free trad
England had obtained her commercial
supremacy, ard the wages of he
laborers and the wealth of her people
had increased beyond all precedent
Mr.. Beck spoke for three hours, ant
was attentiVely listened to, his speecl
containing large amount of statistica
and other information bearing on tn
question of tariff.