The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1882-03-03
A GRAND EFFORT.
Abstract of Senator Coke's Speech ON the
Tariff, and Comments Of the indianapolis
SanfIual Theraan

To the Editor Of the Herald:
WASHINGTON, ID. c., February %, 1857
In common with all TEXANS who feel pride
in their members of congress who take &
stand that places them among the leading
men OF the nation, feel ii but just to Sen
ator Coke, as well as source of pride tC
our people, to send you the inclosed edito
rial from the indianapolis Sentinel, which
Is very commendatory, but not more thar
deserved Will you therefore give it a plac,
in your columns. with such an editorial no
tice Us it deserves. This speech Of Senate
Coke's is very highly spoken of here, and il
in great demand throughout the country
so much SO, indeed, that it has been stereo
typed at the government printing office 81
as TO supply the demand.
Very truly yours,
OLIY WELLBORN,
We publish below an abstract, and com
ment thereon, of the effort OF Senator Coke
which appeared as an editorial in the In
dianapois Sentinel a few days since
TARIrF sPEKcH OF SENATOR COKE, OF TEXAS
The tariff discussion in congress has been
fruitful of speeches of great ability on both
sides OF the question:, but so iar no speech
has been made exhibiting such familiarity
of the wants of the country, rs that del;v-
cred by Hon. Richard Coke, of Texas, in
the United States senate on .hc 9TH instant.
For historical research, exhaustive analysis,
profound thought and mastery logic,
Senator Coke's speech must be accorded the
first rank, and will be found unanswerable.
An honest and an earnest purpose to divest
ME subject of sophistry and mystery is
prominently apparent in every statement
and in every sentence. Planting himself
on the constitutional doctrine that tariff
revenue, he demonstrates by comparison
of the present tariff with past legislation on
the subject, that the people are paying I'M
der its operation millions in the form of
protection TO the manufacturers of the
country not required for protection, and is,
therefore, a bounty extorted from the peo-
pie to enrich the favored few, in violation
of the spirit and meaning of the con-
stitution. The present tariff is char
acterlzed by Senator Coke as "the
most monstrous system of taxation
in its burden upon the great body of the
people and its bounties to small per cent.
OF the whole that this country, in all its his
tory, or any other country has ever known"
1t was enacted as a war measure, and has
been perpetuated AS a war measure, not to
raise revenue, but to wiring from the toll of
people money to be put into the pockets of
mon0polists. The present tariff, enacted as
war measure, was never intended rs q per-
manent policy, and has been maintained in
defiance of every principle of justice. SEN
ator Coke, in giving historical resume of
tariff duties states that in 1859, when the
first tariff law was passed. the average ad
yalorem duty. was only 81 per cent, and
this duty was levied to give our infant in
dustries start. Subsequently duties were
raised to an average of II per cent, and in
l7e2 to 13i per cent. In 1916 the average
rate OF duties was 80 per cent. In 1894 the
average was 81 per cent, and under the act
of 1873, just forty years after the first tariff
law had administered an aliment of 81 per
cent. as purely temporary expedient to
our Infant industries, 1.-THE rations of that
infant were increased to an average of
IL per cent. In 1888 the compromise tariff
bill went into effect, gradually reduced the
duties until 1912, when they were not to ex-
coed 70 per cent, and In 1857 the duties
were only 10 per cent Mr.. Coke says:
From 1916 until 1861, when the first of the
series OF acts raising ultimately impost du-
tiesto the present high protective average
OF do per cent, known as the Morri tariff,
was passed, u period of sixteen or seventeen
years, is the only period in the history of
our government when we had strictly
revenue tariff II is the only period when
high protection has not prevailed, when "in-
FAINT industries" have not been fed with
government bounties, except that incidental
protection which of necessity follows reve.
nue. tariff. During this period two great
iacts were demonstrated to be true First,
that protection is not necessary to healthy
growth OF manufacturing industries; and
second, that low duties produce greater
revenue for the government than high pro-
tcctive rates. While manufacturers did not
become enormously rich, as before and
since under high protection, they were
prosperous, their business was'healthy, and
their progress solid, as the history Of that
time abundantly shows.
The cry for protecting bounties from tho
government In these sixteen years, after the
Infant industries" had been gradually
weaned oiffrom the public, teat, was hushed
in the presence, of the palpable and notori-
GUS iact that the country has never been
moro prosperous, that the manufacturing
interest had never rested on more solid
basis, and revenues Tor the government had
never been more abundant. A more COM
plete reiutation OF the sophistry on which
for nearly seventy'fi five years the people of
this country had been taxed to build up and
enrich manufacturing class could dot be
desired than this simple recital of well-au.
thenticated facts But the civil war came.
great revenues were needed, the country
thought OF nothing but war and armies and
nayies, and how to raise the immense rcye.
nues necessary TO maintain them. Here
was the opportunity to increase tariff
duties to the highest possible figure and
well and thoroughly IL was embraced and
utilized. Tho war tariff acts were pass.
ed in rapid succession, each going beyond
the other In piing up duties, until every
conceivable article that could minister
to human necessity, desire, con
vehience or luxury was placed
on the dutiable fist. The object
then was ostensibly revenue; nothing was
heard ofprotection. The debates ON these
various acts discussed only the best
methods OF raising revenue so much needed
II was not until 1870, when n slight rcduc.
ton was made on few immaterial items
oil the tariil list, that we hear again of pro.
lection, The manufacturing enterprises
which, under the revenue tariff of lSi6, had
been made hardy and vigorous and sell.
reliant and self-sustaining, by being turned
out 10 the same competition that all other
enterprises IN this country have always had
70 contend with, after being pampered with
bounties under the war tariflh with its
enormous duties, again nut in their nm.
pearancc rs "our infant industriesn neal
and successfully resisted anv
material or important reduction, lust