Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-07-10
FIRST MEETING OF THE TARIFF
COMMISSIONERS.
All the Members Discussing Inform
ally the order OF Busfness-The
Opening Address OF the President.
John L. Hayes.

ally the order OF Busfness-The
Opening Address OF the PreaidenG.
John L. Hayes.
The Tariff Commission, created under the
having been convened By the Secretary of
the Treasury, assembled In the large parlor
Of the Ebbitt House at 10 O'Clock last
| Thursday. As early as IL O'Clock members
| Of the commission began to ar
rive, and after being introduced to
each other gathered IN groups and
spent the intervening time in casual
| conversation concerning the magnitude
| and character Of their prospective labors.
| AT IL o'clock the following named gentle
men, comprising the full commission, were
in their seats: John L. Hayes, of Cam bridge,
Mass; Duncan +. Kenner. New Orleans;
| William Fl. Mcmahon, New York city;
Henry w. Oliver. Jr.. Plttsburg, Penn; A.
M. Garland, Springfield. ILL.,; Robert P. Por-
ter, Washington; John W. n. Underwood,
Rome, Ca; Alexander r. Boteler, Shep-
SSrdstoWn, West Virginia; Jacob Amber,
Salem, Ohio.
The President. Mr.. Hayes, delivered the
following opening address, which was
| listened to with close attention:
GENTLEMEN-I have the honor and pleas.
ure OF greeting you as members Of the Tariff
commission, and OF welcoming you to what
trust Will be pleasant association in
| useful labors. Appointed to the unsolicited.
and on my part even deprecated, honor OF
presiding over this body-an honor which /
recognize as a tribute to the oldest and
| most widely diffused Of our industries
conceive that may, without assumption,
glance with you tentatively over the
sphere OF duties which, as body you may
ultimately pronounce to be the province
of the Tariff Commission. You will douht-
less agree with me that this commission has
no other functions than those provided by
laws, and that its essential duties are de.
fined by the third section of the act consti-
tuting the commission, which is as follows:
''It shall be the duty or the commission to
take into consideration all the various ques-
tions relating to the agricultural, CONNER
cial, mercantile, manufacturing, mining and
industrial interests OF the United States, as
far as the same may be necessary for the
establishment OF judiciOus tariff or
the revision of the existing tariff laws upon
q scale of justice to all interests" 1t would
be improper for me to anticipate the con-
clusions which should be made by your col
lective wisdom by any Interpretation of my
own of the law defining your functions, but
may perhaps be allowed to refer to one
phrase In the law constituting the commits
sion, which l think you Will agree with me
should be the keynote of our deliberations.
The law declares that the objective point of
our labors is the establishment of a iudi-
cious tariff, or revision of the existing
tariff laws upon scale Of justice to all in
tereets.
Need | say that, with justice as our pole
star, and with fidelity to its direction. our
labors will have their highest claim for pub
lie approval, and even II that fails, sufi-
Client reason for our own contentment?
With this end in view, no special Industry
n houA nndna 0duontaOas =. L
terest can be subserved; no duty pro-
noting one industry, yet depressing
another can be justified, and the re- |
lations of the industries to each other, no |
less than the special necessities of each. |
must be considered. Moreover, through the |
conditions OF justice to all interests made |
imperative by the law, the constitutional or |
theoretical scruples which might have exist
ed as to the original propriety of the exist
ing national tariff policy must be waived. A |
radical or subVersive change In the present
general economical policy of the country Is
virtually ipterdicted, and q judicIous, not a
revolutionary tariff, a revision, not a
destruction-of existing tariff laws is de-
clared to be the object to which our labors
shall conduce. 1t is in the name of Justice
that an eminent statesman who is the ablesk
opponent OF the theory upon which
the existing tariff laws are based, and whose
relations to the constitution Of this commits
sion gives greater weight to his words, has
recently disclosed, In his commemorative |
eulogy upon Daniel Webster, that sGno sd-
iustment Of the tariff laws which overlooks
the system OF taxation under which capital
for several generations has been invested |
and labor induced to apply its powers to
special pursuits, Will be either Just or wise.n
What better guide, gentlemen, to our labors
can we find than the Injunction contained
In the concluding words of Mr.. Baysrd.
whom have just quoted-"Be Just and
wise ?"
have said that this commission has no
other functions than those expressed IN
the law. But there is paramount and i'm
Piled condition In all service to the State. /
namely, the obligation to regard the inter
ests OF the nation, or those all-embracing
benefits summed up in the words national
prosperity. II in the definition of the sub
jects which should receive the Consideration |
OF the commission some are omitted which
we can scarcely doubt were intended to he
kept In view; II questions of revenue. n
the Interests OF consumers, OF science, of
literature, and of art, are not specialIv
referred to, they may be all included undey
the implied obligation resting upon MS To
consider the interests of the nation as
whole. Who Will say that we shouId mot
keep In view the attainment of the highest |
possible material life for the nation, its Sc
curity In times OF war, implying both its
means OF defense and industrial indepen-
dence, Its position among other nations. fits |
acquisition OF all the arts which fortifv. en-
rich and ad0rn, Its attractiveness for the
skilled labor Of other lands, and the com
fort and means of support Of all it's peoplep
In the revived life of the nation since
the healing of the wounds of
supplanting sectionalism. We NAV all now @
partake Of its spirit with the Certainty of
public sympathy. II to the guidance of
justice we add the impulse of patriotism
we have a motive which will give enthu
siasm to our efforts, while there Is safety IN
this direction. By making the national In.
terests paramount to those of section, class,
or industry, we may also find a solution
OF many questions of opposite indJ-
vidual or sectional interests. and nav
avoid many difficulties by remenberln1
while not unmindful of justice to existin1
interests, that protective duties should he
imposed or withheld, not for the benefit of
individuals or special Industries. but for the
eood OF tne nation. Ii, through the spirit
and methods of our labors, we Should he so
fortunate as to conduce to the result that
sectionalism and partisanship shall sink IN
the aim Tor the general good, and the DoIi-
cies and names OF protection, free trade and
revenue reform shall be merged in the
broader system and phrase national policy
the moral will equal the material benefits
OF the new economical departure,
have said thus much, gentlemen. opIv
tnat might express my own sense Of our
nlgn obligations and grave responsibilities
to Congress, for which we are the inst,n-
ments Of investigation. / should encroach
upon your prerogative, II have not already
done so, IL l should enlarge further uno1
the duties before US. shall Occuuv vour
attention no longer, as all the time az onr
command and its most diligent Improve
ment VIII be required for the fulfiIlment of
the imperative obligation for the c0mnIetion
of our labors at the time fixed by Cop0ress
and now await your action for the com
mencement OF the practical work of the
commission. "a o
The reading Of the address was 0reeted
Win applause. At its conclusion, the act
OF Congress creating the commission was
read at the request OF the President, and
with the approval of the members OF the
commission, the Hon. Robert P. Porter. of
Washington, consented to act as Secretary
OF the meeting pending the formal
organization OF the commission. Some
discussion followed as to the correct In