, 1884-02-17
A RIGHTEOUS REFORM.
Tariff and the Democracy. Thomns
Jefferson and Andrew Jackson
for Protection.

Jefferson and Jackson
for Protection.
In q recent interview of a c~orrespon-
dent with Congressman Foran of Cleve-
land, Ohio, that gentleman forcibly re-
marked:
"Our Tariff Producing brethren claim
that no man can be a high-tariff advo-
cate and a good democrat at the same
time. They put it much as Watterson
did last November, that IL democracy
doesn't tariff REFORM as they
call 1t, it doesn't mean anything. Now
l claim right to the contrary. 1 say
true democracy is better defined by a
protective tariff than by tariff for
revenue only and IIl prove It. l
have been looking this matter up, and
l think 1t would be well for those dem
ocrats who are declaring that the Gov
eminent has 40 constitutional right to
levy taxes except for revenue, to go
back to the fathers Of democracy, JEFF
erson and jackson, and see what they
say about 1t. Thomas Jefferson in 1905
found an overlooking Treasury, with
both internal and external taxing sys-
TENS at work, and what did he recon-
mend Listen while l read from his
inaugural address:
"The suppression Of unnecessary
offices, Of useless establishments and
expenses. enabled us to discontinue
our internal taxes. These covering
our land with officers, and opening our
doors to their intrusions, had already
begun that process of domiciliary vex-
alton, which, once entered, is scarcely
to be restrained from reaching success
lively every article of produce and prop
erty. The remaining revenue, on the
consumption of foreign articles, is paid
chiefly by those who can afford to add
foreign luxuries to domestic comforts
being collected on our seaboard and
frontiers only, and incorporated with
the transactions of our mercantile cit
liens, 1t may be the pleasure aud the
pride OF an American TO ask, what
farmer, what mechanic, what laborer
ever sees a taxgatherer Of the United
Statesp These contributions enable us
to support the current expenses of the
Government, to fulfill contracts with
foreign nations, to e%xtinguish the ma
tive right of soil within our limits, to
extend those limits, and to apply such
a surplus to Jul public debts as places
at a short day their 6nal redemption,
and that redemption once effected the
revenue thereby liberated may, by a
just repartition among the States, and
by a corresponding amendment of the
Constitution, be applied to rivers, "a
nails, roads. arts, manufactures, ieduca-
ton, and other great objects within
each State.
I'm his message to Congress in De-
cember, 1906, President Jefferson, after
recommending the abolition of some
special taxes, says:
There will still, ere long, be an ac-
cumulatlon Of monies in the Treasury
beyond the installments of public debt
which we are permitted by contract to
pay. They cannot, then, without a
modification assentej to by the public
creditors, be applied to the extinguish-
ment OF this debt; nor, II our peace
continues, will they be wanted for any
other existing purpose. The question,
therefore, now comes forward, to what
other objects shall these SURPRISES be
appropriated, and the whole surplus OF
impost, after the entire discharge Of the
OF the public debt2 Shall we suppress
the impost, and give that advantage to
foreign over domestic manufactured
On a few articles of more general and
necessary use, the suppression, in due
season, will doubtless be right but
the great mass OF the articles on which
impost is paid are foreign luxuries. pur.
| chased by those only who are rich
enough to afford themselves the use Of
them. Their patriotism would certain.
ly prefer its continuance and applica'
ton to the great purposes Of the public
education, roads. rivers, canals, and
other objects Of public improvement.
Jefferson then goes on to describe
the advantages to the people to be gainet
by public improvements. Notice how
well he states the case, that sven wher
we do not absolutely need the none,
J 1t is better to levy the tax. for the ad