The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-11-28
REVENUE REFORM.
Meeting at COOper's Institute
New York City.
Mr.. David A. Wells's Speech on the Re-
dHotlOn Of Tariff Tax
alton.

NEW YORK, Nov. %, 1s83.-There was
grand meeting at COOper's Institute
this evening to consider the subject of
revenue reform, with a special reference
to reduction and revision of the tariff.
Many OF the prominent advocates of
free trade in the country were present.
Mr.. David A. Wells was introduced and
spoke in substance as follows:
MR.. wELLss SPEECH.
do not propose to occupy any time
this evening in discussing the tariff
from the standpoint of theory or abstract
principle. The time has now fully
come when the friends of free or freer
trade in this country may boldly and
prOtitably challenge and meet the pro-
tectiOnists on their own ground, and
discarding for the time being all refer
ence to political economy and philOsO-
phical theories, discuss before the
American people the question Of the
tariff and its reform from the exclusive
standpoint of our experiences and the
actual and prospective industrial and
financial condition and necessities of
the country. The speaker claimed that,
owing to our great national resources,
our rapidly increasing population, the
increased use and power of machinery
and the energy of the people, the pow
OF of domestic production continually
tends to be, and in most departments of
industry is, far in excess of the power
of domestic consumption, and referred,
In support of his position, to the enOrm-
GUS surplus of food and cotton which we
now export to other countries, and to
the circumstance that these exports dur
ing the last 10 years have increased out
or all proportion to any increase of
home population, and to the general
complaint of dullness of manufacturing
Industries. He claims that American
manufacturers cannot export their sur
plus products for three reasons. First
from 80 to 80 per cent. of all our manu-
factures exist because they must as a
condition of our civilization, and be-
cause no foreign product of like kind
can be imported; secondly, out of our
entire manufactures possibly 20 per
cent, but probably not more than 10 per
cent, reckoning both numbers and
quantities, are in greater or less de-
gree subject to foreign competition, and
third and finally, in the effort to pro-
tect this 10 to 20 per cent. through the
agency of taxation and restrictions on
exchanges, the cost Of all the product of
our entire industry Is enhanced to such
an extent that exports only exist in
cases where our national advantages for
production are so great as to overcome
the increase of cost thus artificial and
unnatuTally created. The speaker then
called attention to few facts which he
thought high tariff men would find hard
to digest. know of nothing, he said,
which more conclusiyely proves the cor
rectness of my proposition, that no COM
munity can exist without supplying
itself with its own manufactures In the
largest measure, than the past and
present southern states. Slavery was
fully consistent with the protective idea
in fact, 1t was the logical outcome
Of protection. Capital protected labor
wholly by owning the labOrer, and did
directly what the system of protection
attempts to do indirectly-that is, 1t
eOeTces the growth Of industry in certain
grooves. Under this system we had an
imperial section of land-endOwed with
the greatest abundance of varied re-
sources and capable of sustaining home
manufactures in endless variety-al-
most wholly devoted to agricultural
pursuits, conducted by intelligent own
ers, yet under the necessity OF the sys-
tenn, by the Tudest and most wasteful
methods. But now what do we seep
This same section Is exposed to absO
lutely unrestrained competition of the
long established industries of the North
and West; and the South can erect no
tariff defences along its boundaries for
protection; and, according to our
friends, the prOtectiOnists, no profitable
occupations could, under the circum-
stances, be opened to its people but those
pertaining to agriculture; gi; tS sotS But what
first time breads herself" and exports
grain, and has doubled her crop of cot
ton,
SOUTHERN MANUFACTURES.
are being established everywhere. Cot
ton manufacture Is more profitable at
the South than in any other country in
the world; and the number of southern
spindles has increased 80 per cent. with
in the last three years. Iron Is being
produced under such conditions in Al
ALBANIA, Tennessee and West Virginia
that foreign competition Is impossible,
and the furnaces of Pennsylvania are
being blown out and abandoned; while
wood working in Kentucky, tanning in
Tennessee, oil making in Mississippi,
Arkansas and Louisiana, and "A thousand
lesser southern Industries are in q state
of intense activity and progression;
and, as an accompaniment, villages are
being established where before were
only slave cabins, towns are growing
where formerly were only villages and
great cities are amieably cOntending as
to which is the most prosperous. And
to-day IL Is not they who have anything
to fear from the competition of the
manufacturing states OF the east; but
it Is rather New England, which has
cause to tremble, lest being cut off by
our vicious tariff from the commerce OF
the world, she should also lose her home
market.
Walking down Broadway only a few
days ago, met gentleman, whom II
knew to be large stakeholder and di-
rector In one of our largest, Oldest and
most successful establishments, manu-
featuring chemical product, which is
In constant and most extensive use, not
only In this, but in all other civilized
countries. He told me he had just come
from meeting of his board of directors,
In which the question under discussion
was whether they had not better tenn
porarily close up their works and stop
manufacturing; for. he continued, we
are certainly through excessive compe
tition and market supply, making no
profit, and are probably mourning loss
on every day that we now keep in
operation. bring up this case because
1t Is fair sample Of what is occurring
ut this moment all over the country.