The Daily Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Or.) 1876-1883, 1882-05-12
A ComnrehensiYe Nreech .

growing Importance, are general
ly appalled, at the outset By the
vast and disorderly mass OF statis-
tics presented alike by friends and
opponents of the present system.
There have been delivered in both
Houses by senators and represen.
tatives from all sections, speeches,
clear and practical, so framed as to
give instruction while dealing in
argument, and therefore to be
commended toseekers after knowl-
edge concerning these matters,
but, without invidious distinction,
it would seem that to all such, the
recent speech Of Senator Coke, of
Texas, will be most welcome. 1t
deals in facts, but all are peril
nent; it abounds in figures, but
their application is clear; it is
filled with aphorisms, but each one
is an axiom and text.
The Senator is what is called
free trader. BY that he does not
mean that all custom houses shall
be abolished and the Government
revenue derived from direct taxa
ton, as is so often and unwarrant-
ably charged against free traders.
He says:
81 know of no political party in
tn country which advoc .tes free
tr rde. The division OF opinion is
MT between free trade and pro-
lection; it is between a strictly
revenue tariff, with its incidental
protection, and a tariff tor protec-
tion with revenue as the incident. :"
In the sense in which protec-
tionists use the term ''free trade"
there is none in the world, for
even free trade England derives a
large share Of her revenue from d
tariff. The free traders in the
United States, of whom the Texas
senator may be taken rs an expo.
nent, are perfectly willing that
commerce shall bear its share of
tie burdens of taxation while pro-
testing against Determinations in
favor of other interests. Mr..
Coke says:
"No citizen can object to n
tax on imported goods judiciously
levied with an eye single to the
raising and collection of revenue
for the support of the Govern
ment. 4 tariff for revenue con-
structed in good faith only for thu,
purpose of raising revenue and
which does raise revenue, aud
plat it in tie national treasury.
is a le Ultimate and constitutional
and Necessary exercise of power.
As an ineritlble consequence, DO
mestic manufacturers or pr lducers
of the articles upon which such
revenue impost duties are laid, are
to that extent protected against
foreign competition. This species
or extent of protection is necessa-
rily an incident, corrolary to ev-
cry law which raises revenue
through impust duties, bnt revenue
should be the object and purpose
in view, AMI protection only the
incident: Those who favor a pro-
tective tariff demand protection
against foreign competition with
out reference TO revenue: claim a
right to protection and make pro-
lection the object and purpose OF
impost duties and revenue merely
the incident"
This succinct statement OF the
issue between protectionists and
revenue reformers, is the one
which actually exists, and which
te supporters OF the present tar
iff can in no wise evade.
Any one can readily see the
difference between protecting sin
fant industries" and wealthy mo-
nopolies, and shows that as neces-
sary as WAS the development OF
manufactures at the close OF the
revolutionary war, our fathers re-
ferred to by Senator Morrill,, as
friends Of the protective policy,
contented themselves with an adj
valorem duty of only eight and
one half per cent, imposed avow-
edly to give ''infant industries" q
start. That these s'infants" never
get out of leading strings is appa-
rent from the steady increase OF
the rate Of duty, which, rising
from eight and one-half per cent
in 1889, reached over forty-one
per cent. in 1882, and is now, un-
der the war tariff, over forty-fve
mar cont and fhic war tariff i'm.