Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1882-11-30
8sHlptqatit Nnttlluest.
FREE TRADE.
How Our Chaotic Tariff Robs La.
boring Men and Strangles
Industry.
FresdoDm for the 2, Asmsslcan :, |. ..,s Flag on
Service Reform.
[FOm the New York world, November ;. !

"A
ct New Brighton BY the Jefferson Club, at which a
address was made by invitation BY Mr.. Perry RE-
mont, the candidate for the First Congressionr
District. The chair was taken by Mr.. Krebs, Ii
President Of the club, who made q few appropriat
remarks In introducing Mr.. Belmont. Mr. Befmou
was received with much enthusiasm by large an
appreciAtiye audience, representing not only n
Democrats Of the district but great numbers Of III
best Republican residents Of Staten Island. Nj
Belmont spoke as follows:
thank you heartily for your welcome. Perhap
you will be willing TO hear what may haye to sa
about certain matters, directly affecting your inter
ests, and concerning which may be called upon /
act In Congress In your behalf. can think OF noti
ing more important at this time TO the interests Q
the people than the principles and method of taxa
ton. do not see why there should be reuctanc
to discuss Custom House taxation particularly O
the contrary, 1t seems to me TO be much better 4
take up these questions now than to put them of
especially II they should be postponed to the excii
ing times Of Presidential elections when they are mo
generally treated with fairness or moderation OF
either side.
Let me begin by putting this case Suppose tn
Federal government had steady income from an,
source which made unnecessary the raising of none;
by annnaltaxation, either direct or indirect for m
ordinary expenditures Of the Government. woul,
any large body OF impartial voters be likely to ad
yocate taxation for the purpose Of drawing from
themselves into the treasury money to be distributed
by Congress as bounty or a subsidy to any class O
Glasses oil manufacturers, whether infant or adult
The theory Of our Government demands that tax
II s that In two or three of the States of the nioI
there have been judicial decisions to the effect ina
the constitution Of the State contained restrictions
either expressed or implied preventing State or mu
niopal legislatures from assisting certain indyidua
ing the public credit. F'ONe
For Instance to aid in the rebuilding of houses /,
CITY whlcn had peen partially destroyed by fire, o
to encourage the erection Of works for the carryinG
on of certain kind of useful manufacture
There may not be any clause in the Federal Con
stituton which expressly prohibits Congress from
making an appropriation as a bounty to encouragt
individuals to engage in any speaal Industry. sini
lar to the clause to be found In the State constitn
tions which compelled the decisions to which have
REFEREED yet 1t may be safely said that no consdera
BILE number OF voters could be found to advocate d
rect Federal taxation In order to obtain money to he
paid as bounty to encourage any form of industry
as for example, thegrowing Of tea plants recommend
ed some few years ago. or indeed to aid In the man
ufacture, by individuals of the most useful and des
rabe articles as an affair of purely private business
and speculation. If You cannot find any considera.
Die body OF voters East or West who would advocate
the raising ofmoney by direct taxation for such nnr
poses then how can 1t be deemed wise or expedient
Tor Congress to accomplish the same thing by in.
direct taxation? -
Itseems to me that at the end of some such con-
slueraons as these one must come to the concluson
that 1t is neither wise expedient nor
and is probably an unconstitutional exercise of Now
or for Congress to levy duties on imported articles
for any other purpose than to aid In raising the
enue actually required for the permanent and an
nual expenditures of the Federal Government. n
by the wise and skiful adjustment and honest lew
Of duties demanded by the requirements Of the pub
nc service, any american manufacturers aided and
encouraged by this incidental protection, 40 mucb
the better; no one will stand in the way Of that.
Every one sees and comedies that Congress- must
at present. levy duties on imported articles in order
to obtain the necessary revenue for the
When 1t is once determined what sum of money 10
needed each year for that purpose then what par of
tnat sum and what part bv indirect Custom House
taxation becomes matter Of administration which
might not seriously divide political parties
And when it has been once ascertained what s,,r,
shall be thus raised by tariff of duties on Imports
for the purpose of obtaining revenue with which tn
carry on the government with economy then also one
would say that the honest adjustment and levy of n
TIES for such purpose should not in itself suffice To
Cal parties. "' Poii'i'
viii, Of course, be difficult in the practical ad
Justment of scale of duties to prescribe "a hard
and fast lne which shall separate and distinguish
rate or duty which is "for revenuer from a rate Of
duty which Is secretly urged for the sake of proec
ton IL IS TO be anticipated that there will be diff
culties and embarrasments, but thew need not
90 serious. In doubtful cases there will probable
nor DC many, Ia or out of Congress, who would re-
Iase 70 give the American manufacturer the benefit
OF tne doubt, provided the general rule of fixing
rate for revenue is honestly adhered to-
ouGh are my present vctions upon the constitu-
tional principles and the rules of political economv
Mnlcn NJ seem 70 me to have been originally involved
suredy oct and vote whenever 1t became nv Official
duty to do SO, If the question were now new one in
our public affairs. But the question is not new. A
arm intentionally and studiously framed in many
Psrucuiafs 10 operate In way to bestow bounties
or suosidles on certain mapufacturers has been long
in operation in the country Large enterprises have
Deen undertaken and great sums Of money have been
invested ON account OF the tariff and in conseonenee
OF the pecuniary advantages that it offered.
MANY VINO have, since the tariff laws of 1851 and |
too4 embarked their capital and energies and given
employment to great numbers of people in the pro-
tected manufactures, have been those tt NAV he who
were adverse to the laws when originally enacted
but who at last came to look upon that q, stem Of
as permanent. It would be clearly uniust
and lmpontlc TO bring needless injury or possible
destruction on such Investments by sudden repeaI
such tariff laws, unwise, dishonest or inioutous as
they may have been in the beginning. reduction
OF taxes should be gradual, and no investment made
on the encouragement of the Government should he
put in peril by the Government Itself How many
OF such investors there may be who did NOT
iousy promote in Congress this vicious tariff lepisa
non or who have since their outlay had their orig.
l am unable to say, ~
That the existing tariff law Is crude clumsy and
unjust ls not generally denied. Those familiar with
us practlcai operation do not hesitate to concede
tnat ~ is as deinoralizing to the officials who admin
lister 1t as 1t is vexng and tempting to those who un
uer II are compelled to carry the importing busi-
ness of the country. 'N'-
:, The existing tariff which is substantially the Nor
~ or war tariff Of 1861 and 1864, needs immediate re-
vision ana we'll in the sense of art-
cles to be free OF duty and of rates of duties on the
rcles to be duabe at the ports for the purpose of
us III the sense OF rules and regulations for
levied o"'ie' W pe
The war legislation, which ATTEMPTED To ,mnro,o
NJ ola tarid, derived or adapted from England by
ork was hasty adoption of the fiscal policy of the
tederasts, and has much of 1t turned out to be anv
.nihg oat an Improvement, II D model had to be
sougnt ~ Woula nave been infinitely better to have
ADOPTED the principles OF the tariff of Robert J. Wal
ker, of 1S46. u "@i-
Itshoud be made plain that duties are tn be bero.
liter levied On imports for purpose of revenue and
my revision of the tariff should distinctlv onnnunc
hat salutatary rule for the uture
AT present the necessities Of providing for the in
crest on the public debt and for other preatNton
expenditures seem to make it i'm
,eratve that duties be levied at the port of entry on
portion Of the articles brought to this countrv from,
broad; but can not the number of these articles be
argely and safely reduced, and cannot the number
y articles e pc added to the free list especially of
aW materlals used by American manufactures be ma |
argey ana safely increased, without materially re-
ucing, ia the end, the total sum of money TO he
altered I, In from duties on arriving merchandise?
40 not ialito appreciate, hope, the persistence
not the force, of the cry that high tariff has py
n, and will continue to give, permantly higher
ate OF remuneration to those American laborers who
Oil Tor daily or weekly, or monthly wages Certain
0 tne constantly recurring ''Strikes" which have
cen so prevalent throughout the country in spite of
wenty years of high tariff have not been Of charac
y 20 show that even such legislation has been able
Dring comfort and contentment to all such Ameri-
an la6orers. high tariff in increasing SO enorm.
nsiy the price which those laborers must nav for
leir Clothing, food and shelter necessary for them
ewes ana Families, compelling them to buy articles
icy need from dearer instead Of cheaper makers.
lay possibly make anominay high rate Of wages 4
slusion and a snare for such day laborers, flow
,er that may be, the true test of the aborers con-
a1n nos tne amount he receives, but the sum he
,ar. - '"' VI
have here to illustrate this fact, some tip,res
ON the official report ofstatistlcs OF labor In Mass
husetts for 1882. - ,-su"eso 1u"so-
Take the industry of manufacturing carpetng pro-