The Aberdeen examiner. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1866-current, 1883-03-01


it has cost Our people to produce
this result putting cut of view the
burden and obstruction to the growth
and prosperity of all the other great
industries of the country, ask is this
present relation of manufactures to
the Government, which has been
brought about by the protective -sys-
tenn, and which would not have exist
ed but for that system, a desireable
one? What is that result? A vast
organization of capital and labor and
product, dependent for its continued
existence upon the taxes of the Gov
eminent.
1t seems to me that the most SAN
guine admirer of our system of manu-
featuring industries, in reading the
accounts which the manufacturers
give of their own business, would
tremble at the enormous proportions
to which they have grown with the
slender and uncertain foundation upon
which the system rests. They will
tell you, sir, themselves, that they
have no self-sustaining vitality; that
the principal of their existence is not,
like those of agriculture and COM
merce, in the material resources and
natural conditions of our country, but
alone in the Government and its tax
ing powing.
Sir, if ! am supposed to be exag-
gerating the effect Of this | can only
answer that am simply asserting Of
the whole system what honorable
Senators have said Of each particular
branch of it. If it be true that these
industries can not exist without the
aid of taxes levied by the Govern
ment and if Congress, recognizing
this fact, levies duties for the purpose
Of maintaining them, they are not
really industries, but Government
manufactures,political establishments,
branches of the public service as
much as are the Army and Navy and
diplomatic corps or any of the de-
partments of administration.
Sir, we have had great deal to
say of late about the corruptions
growing out of the vast patronage of
the Government. The source of this
evil was held by both Mr.. Calhoun
and Mr.. Webster to be in the depen-
dence of 10000 people, who held
employment under the Government,
upon those in power for their subsis-
tence. They believed that power
so unlimited and despotic over this
numerous and powerful corps of
ollice-holders would corrupt and de-
base those who compose it into the
supple and willing instruments of
power, and at the same time work a
fearful change in the character of the
Government itself. Now, this pro-
tective system produces precisely the
same result that Mr.. Webster and
Mr., Calhoun saw in the workings Of
official patronage. 1t has obtained
control of the capital andi labor of
this entire industry, and bound it.,
through its interest, to the support
Of the party in power.
According to the declarations of
the advocates of high duties, the la
borers in these manufactures built up
by protection depend for their bread
upon the rate of taxes levied in this
bill. If what they say is true all this
vast amount of capital and the oper-
atives, amounting according to their
representations to over a million of
persons, are hanging in suspense for
their food and clothing and shelter
and supplies for their wives and chill
dren, as we'll as for employment at
all, upon vote of ayes and noes. A
policy which has established this re-
lation of the Go, eminent to so large
part Of the capital and labor Of the
country--a relation Of absolute con
troll on the one hand and of absolute
dependence and subsection on the
other-must involve many and disas-
trous changes in our political system.
| call attention to one or two. 1t is
an incubus upon the Government and
obstructs the freedom of its action in
the adoption of any policy looking to
the welfare of the whole people.
Suppose we should come to the con
clusion that commercial freedom was
the true policy of this Government ;
why, sir, a Congress of free-traders
charged with the RESPONSE ility of
forming revenue system would shrink
from putting their own theory into
operation in view of the ruin and dis
tress which it is declared would fol-
low upon these industries under a
radical change of our system of taxa
ton.
Take another view. If there is any
point on which the great body of the
people of this country are united it is
on the desire for reduction of pub
lie burdens. Both parties profess to
favor it. Suppose that we should be-
gin an earnest effort to reduce expen-
ditures to the lowest point of an
economical a administration of the Gov
eminent, SO that the taxation could
be correspondingly reduced and its
burdens appreciably lightened? 1t
could easily be done, sir. The pay
ment of the public debt will in IA few
years cease to be "A charge upon the
Treasusy; it will either be extin-
guished under the policy of those who
wish to rid the Government of its
connections with banks, or it will be-
come permanent fund at a very low
rate of interest, as the = is of our
national bank currency. In either
event it will not much longer be in
the way Of reduction of taxes. There
are many other points in respect to
which the expenses of the Govern
ment could be largely reduced, and
the people be thus proportionally re-
lieved. But, sir, the moment we
should take step in that direction
we would find ourselves hampered
and hindered by the necessity fasten-
ed upon the Government of support