The Ottawa free trader., 1884-12-06
SECRETARY McOULLOCH's REPORT.


SECRETARY McCULLOCH'S REPORT.
Next in rank and importance to the Pre-
sident's Message, among the documents
sent to congress at the opening of the. ses
sion, is the report of the Secretary of the
Treasury. To him pertain the great ques
tions of tariff revenue, trade, currency, &c,
topics which always occupy the leading
place in party platforms and are the prin-
cipal themes of discussion In all our great
political campaigns.
Yet it is not little curious that while in
the late presidential campaign the Repub,
lican party took high protection ground ON
the tariff question, the finance secretary OF
the same party, in his first communication
to congress after the campaign Is over, un-
tremendously steps down from that stilted
platform and virtually takes his place on
that of the opposite party. Whereas all
good republicans who believe in the gospel
of Pennsylvania as preached by Blaine re-
gard home industry, home markets and
home consumption as the prime objects
to strive after and believe that the Atlantic
should have been made an ocean of fire and
not of water, Mr.. McCulloch places before
the country as the great question to be con-
sidered the finding of foreign markets for
our manufactured goods and the restoration
of our balance of trade with Brazil and the
South American republics.
Instead OF wanting more protection, he
says our manufactures are suffering be-
cause, pampered by extreme protection,
they have grown and multiplied until they
make more goods of every description than
our home demand warrants, and on account
of irrational impositions on raw materials
and obstructive shipping regulations, they
are debarred from competition with Eng
land and other countries in foreign mar.
kets If the duties on raw materials are
an obstruction, they should he removed"
he says. IF the duties on other articles
(by unnecessarily raising their price, are an
obstruction, they should be modified" The
great points to be aimed at, he holds, are, 1.
That the public revenues shall not be in
excess of what is required for the support
of the government; and, I'd, that our man.
ufactures which under the fostering care
of the government have attained such 81.
gantic proportions, should not be put in
jeopardy by radical changes in the tariff,
but that reductions of import duties should
be made with view to their ultimate ad-
vantage by opening to them markets from
which they are now in large degree ex-
cluded" Why, is not this copying with a
closeness bordering on plagiarism the very
words of Speaker Carlisle in his speech at
the free trade dinner in New York last
winter? Like Speaker Carlisle, he holds
that free trade is impossible because of
the necessity which exists for levying i'm,
port duties to meet the wants of the gov.
ernment, but though such duties should be
Levied for recenue only, they must necessa-
r.ly he largely protective"
For revenue only" Well, no one will
think Of looking for that phrase In repub-
lican platform, though 1t may not be found
in every democratic platform.
As cotemporary observes, it was thought
when President Arthur had such Sc rious
struggle to find a man for Secretary of the
Treasury that he might have gone so far as
to appoint a republican, but he seems to
have been seeking man Of genius, and he
certainly found one who has opinions
in abundance, boundless information and
the courage of his convictions, however
dangerous they may be to the maintenance
Of the harmony of the republican party.