Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-12-12
MCCLELLAN ON THE TARIFF.
The Leading Question i'm the Mex
> Presidential Campaign.
The Great and Growing Sentiment in
Favor of Free Trade.

earnestness. ''The time was not MANY
months ago when il would have cost anv
Congressman his reelection to have
spoken favorably OF free trade. To-day,
while free trade is not thought of by any
politician as of immediate application,
there are many members OF Congress who
preach its doctrines as an ultimately good
thing for the United States, and many
more who are gaining political strength by
fighting for low tariff. In this connec-
ton / may quote to you hat prominent
MEMBER OF CONGRESS FROM ILLINOIS
told me last spring He said that not only
in Illinois but further northwest and west
in the last election the winning men in
both the Democratic and Republican
parties were those who preached low tariff.
These alone met with sympathy from the
people. And that sympathy ! believe is
growing"
"Where will the strength OF the low
tariff party lie?''
Mainly in the West 1t is there that
the fight will be fought, and it is there
that we shall learn shortly whether we are
to remain in existence as a Democratic
party, with all our excellent traditions, or
whether we are to be forever wiped out of
existence through our own cowardice in
failing to meet this issue. 1t is an inevita-
BILE one, and will give the victory to any
set OF men who will take it up"
''What makes you think SOP"
''Well look around and tell me what the
people are thinking about. Is it the
emancipation OF the negroes? Is it the
STRUGGLE TO DESTROY THE CoNFEDERACY ?
Is it the paying OF our obligations? Is it
the fight against the greenback craze
These things are all of the past-stuf for
the historian and matter for a Republican
back-county politician. But when you go
| among the men who are building the
| country on its real foundations, who have
stopped raking up sectional spites, and are
engaged in the work OF progress by all the
means civilization affords, our men of
business, our farmers, our produce men,
our miners, our pioneers on the new
land-what do they care for names OF par
ties? Not snap. What they do care for
is whether they are being cheated out of
share OF their earnings by amill-owner or
an iron-master a thousand miles from
where they work. Those men out West
know how much OF the tax they pay
''GoEs STRAIGHT TO UNCLE SAM
and how much to the men who get the
tariff tinkcred TO suit the infant indus
| tries"
But will not the Democrats lose great
| ly by antagonizing the protectiOnists OF
the party"
Every well. If there is any section OF
the party that calls itself Democratic and
| does not believe in the cardinal principle
| OF DemOcracy-equal taXation-let that
section of the-party seek congenial fel
| lowship with the Republicans who preach
that one class Of the community may be
taxed for the benefit OF another We
want no such support. Our position is q
sound one. The Democratic party is iden-
titled with local self-government, hard
money and revenue reform. On that plat.
form we make n square issue with the Re
pubicans, and standing uo to it honestly
we will gather
''UNDER THE DEMOCRATIC FLAG
great number of Western and Eastern
Republicans who feel the injustice of the
high tariff, but who have not in the past
been convinced that the Democrats are
sincere in their advocacy of a tariff fol
revenue only"
"ls it not likely that the infant indus.
tries of the South will, as they have in
Ohio, encourage a desire for protection
among those who have hitherto been low
tariff men,
From representative Southerners and
Westerners. too, for that matter, that
have talked to on this subject chiefly dur
ing the tariff discussion in Washington
last winter, many OF the manufacturers in
the South-notably the iron men of Bir
mingham, Ala.-are so favorably situated
that they would he able to thrive under 6
low tariff that would pinch Massachusetts
aI0 Pennsylvania badly"
What hearing do you think the ac
cumulation in the Treasury, of
"oUR PRESENT ENORMOUS SURPLUS
will have on this question ?''
"A very important one, that will be un.
derstood by men in business, perhaps, bet
ter than by others. The rapid paving of
of our national debt is, in my opinion. no.
only uncaled for, but is creating seriou.
alarm among those in positions of trus
who must invest in securities that are
standard. Our excellent national bank
system is seriously threatened by the pros
pect of having this volume of nationa
debt swept away without any immediate
provision for anything in the nature of
security to take its place. The Democrats
should collect enough revenue 10 run the
government economically. They should
not roll up millions of surplus in the
Treasury for the
"BENEFIT OF PRoTECTIoNIsTs,
Every unnecessary dollar that is moi
wrung from commerce by an outrageotlsly
high tariff would, under tariff for revenue
only, 20 to the benefit OF the whole peo
pie through cheaper commodities, cheaper
rents, cheaper household implements
cheaper transportation, cheaper clothing
The people would find under this system
that wages would be better, and that
there would be fewer of those periods oi
depression IL manufacture and trade that
form so conspicuous a feature under the
present system OF high protection"
"H0Iy will Our Shinniny ha u ofiacta,l 0''
"Cnder a low tariff admitting raw ma
terials, either free, or with very low
duty, and with the privilege granted oul
merchants of purchasing ships in the
cheapest market, | believe that our old
foreign commerce would revive, and thai
the markets ~ the world would again be
open to our manufacturers, and would bt
far more prosperous, and rest upon an in
tinitely more secure basis than they car
under the present system"
"EN-Gov. SEYMOUR WAS SEEN
at Utica. After general discussion of the
question OF taxation, Gov. Seymour said
81 do not think that the election of Mr.
Carlisle will of itself tend TO the move
ment for a marked change in our revenue
system. Some reforms will be proposed
because both parties believe that they ar,
necessary. The fierce attacks made upor
Ine party, BECAUSE OF MT. S9fllSle : elet
ton, in their nature will tend to make
Democratic Congressman hesitate in in
Producing billSwhich cannot become law
and which they have not the power tC
pass against the opposition Of the Senat,
and the E&ecutive. | think in short tim,
it will be seen and felt that the policy o
agitation by the Republican party will dc
all the great interests of our country-th,
farming, the carrying, the mechanical an,
the manufacturing interests s-great harm
EUROPEAN GOVERNMENTS Will. BE
irritated by theproposal of the Republican
party oput on duties, not for the support O
the government and for needed revenues
but for the avowed purpose of keepin:
their productions out of our country.
we put on such prohibitory duties we hav,
nothing to say il they adopt the sam,
plan with regard to us. II the Republican
party should elect a President upon tha
issue it would be declaration OF CONNER
cial war against European commerce. an,
Europe would retaliate by shutting ou
our products. That is the real meanin;
of the German action against our pro
visions. We can best supply them Will
grain, etc, but they are not dependen
upon us to the degree supposed. II tarif
is put upon our provisions they can bu,
more cheaply elsewhere.
.'BRITAIN CAN GET FOOD
from Canada, India and Australia. Ii sh,
cannot sell to us it viii be for her interes
10 build up her own colonies by givinl
them preference. Emigration will b,
turned TO them. II it is our duty to pu
taxes upon their products, then it is fhei
duty TO protect their citizens and colonist
in the same way. The Republicans ar,
aiding the land-ownsrs of other countyie
Ly their ARGUMENTS and in itheil efforts 1,
have duties put upon what we make o
raise, and we see that these landed in
terests are even now using the argument
against us OF our Republican friends