The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-03-28
Frank Hurd on the Traiff.

| Representative elect Hurd of Ohio
was interviewed in New York YESTERDAY
on the subject of the tariff. In answer
TO the question, THE tariff fight ism
ended YETI" Mr. Hurd said:
"Endedf It's hardly begun. The I'M
ineligible bill thai came from the CON
ference committee itself is worthless, oil
course-wo e than worthless in fact
for it promises to unsettle business tc
some extent, and to do no good in the
way of relieving the people But It has
at least two good and significant meaning
First, il is o concession made by the
protecsionists themselves that the tariff
needs revision; and <Asecondly. il makes
the beginning of such popular agitation
of the subject as must brig about, nd
hope very speedily. aeomplete overthrow
of the protective Aystem- It Is good
augury when the protectionists quarrel
among themselves. Indeed, am sur
prised that they have not quarrelled be
fore. The protected manufacturers in
the country are the stupitest people alive.
How in the name of common sense are
the manufacturers of England to prosper
much longer if they cannot get free raw
materials9 And yen free raw materials
will not save them. Every year their
domestic market becomes smaller, for
rival manufactures are springing up in
the Western and Southern states that
continue to cut off their market west of
the Alleghanies- What they need, and
whatsthey are bound to have, is the for
eign market. Las. night happened 70
meet an English manufacturer who de-
clared, when the conversation turned up
zon freetrade, that ft would be bad day
fnr En- rla xuha TTnffad l.o
came ffeeztrade country. Why9 Be
cause, said he, we English now have a
practical monopoly of the markets of
manufacturing countries, and it cannot
long be so after the United States be-
comes our rival Under the wide
heavens there no men stupider than our
manufacturers. The more I think of ii
the more / am amazedi"
s'You think, then, that the next con-
gress will make reductionsf'
What congress will do / have no
means of knowing; but the people have
demanded reductions, and how can con-
gress honorably refuse to do what IL was
elected to dor / can answer for myself.
propose to introduce bill on the very
first day of the session to reduce the
duties to revenue basis. A revenue
tariff is tariff that will admit of the
greatest possible amount of importations
and at the same time raise q sufficient
revenue. The importation of any duty
of course, tends to diminish the amount
OF importations; but q revenue tariff
diminishes the amount of as little as
possible in order To collect the necessary
amount of revenue. When the amount
OF Fevenue becomes TO large the method
OF reducing it under a revenue tariff Is TO
enlarge the free list The basis of the
bill that shall introduce is these prog
O sitions: - = s~#
First "A duty for revenue only ought
to be levied on articles that are not pro
duced In this count v. such as tea, coffee
an spices.
e.Second-Ailsraw materials ought to
be admitted free of duty, such as copper,
iron ore, wool and humber. A sufficient
ly explicit definition of raw material is
all su distances to be used in manufacture
ers upon which skilled labor has not been
expended
Third -ho article should be dutiahle
the like of which Is produced or mannf- |
actured here and sent from our country
and sold in foreign markets This in |
cludes all our agricultural products. |
butter, hidess stock and animals Of all
kinds, as well az watches. jewelrv. cutlery
and the like, which we already export.
- 'Fourth-An drugs and most chemi
Gals should be on the free list 1855
sFJfh-In levying duties regard |
should be had to the difference between
Injuries and necessities. The latter J