Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1884-09-18

honor and respect, and held mp by him
as due to 6 high protective tariff.
Ga the contrary l make bold in direct
/ opposition to the statements and claims
| OF Mr.. Blaine, to aver, aud call the record
| OF history as my Witness that . sense OF
Injustice created by an unjust system OF
laying tariff taxes has produced more
local jealousy, more sectional feeling,
/ more estrAngments between our country
men than any other single osuse. That
| II has caused labor 10 organizs In dlscon.
tent for laok OF steady employment and
compensatory wages, has filled the land
with violence and threa.s OF violence, has
strained the iuls Of Law, and promises to
bring In the militsry arm OF forcs "a
customary resort to obtain order.
THE CHAMPION DEMAoooUB
This It is whicn has emboldsned and
induced tha dernAsogus to appear in our
midst. Bat for the socsrtsncs OF such
dcctfioas as Mr.. Baine aivloatea and
his party approves, in rsspeo. t. the nsr
Of the taxing power, bat inr tns tons OF
| public Thought aud feeling, gradually
generated by such q merctnary spirit
and abuse Of a great pubio trult, d.
not bslieve auch spectacle c0uid bs wis
messed IN thu Ulitsd States as Ia now,
that candidate who has fattened upon
every abuse that our laws ooutsln, and
yet has strangely gone uuwhipped Of
| public Justice, should nov be running
up aud down the land offsriug himself as
the special friend OF the lAborinR man,
whose scaut earnings have gone largely
TO swell his vast fortune-and the foe Of
monopolIes which have only added 10 his
weAlth-iu cynical disregard OF all that
right minded men value and respect
affecting, specially to represent the In.
tsrests OF labor and yet seeking to array
classes of society against each other,
| hoping thereby ont Of the general ruin
to feed fat his grudEes agsinst decenoy
and good order at the cost Of the public
peace and welfare.
THRY ARE DYING HARD.
Mr.. BAyArd said he was fully aware Of
| the combined power which this "meroe
nary idea" has built mp Of the powerful
90 animation Of privileged interests ready
and willing to sustain by the corrupiipg
power of money any candidate or any
party, no matter how stained the record,
which will continue our present tariff
system. Mr.. Blaine has selected for the
| chairman Of his executive committee a
wealthy manufacturer whose check book
is supposed to bs his best recommends
tiou for the plAos. This system Of tax.
alton which, while producing a revenue
Of over 5000, 900, 900 incidentally entails
upon the American lsborer aud consumer
an enhanced cost OF living Of at least Eve
times that amount, and which has sealed
up the products Of our manufacturers
within their home market, cannot be for
the public benefit, but solely for class and
individual profit; an outgrowth OF the
''meroenary idea" which ia wholly de.
structive Of the American idea. Continu-
ing he said:
BLAINE's DISTRIBUTION SCHEME.
With an enormous load Of obstructive
and unnecessary taxes increasing the
cost OF the living and Of the neosssariss
and common comforts Of life, there is left
in the treasury an annual surplus
q eatly exceeding 300, 100000. WHAT
Is the plan Of Mr.. Blaine in relation TO
this burden Of taxation, as set forth in
public letter. Is 1t to reform the tariff, to
reduce its exoesses, and leave the money
Of tine people in the pockets OF its ownersH
Not At all, but TO perpetuate the burden,
indeed to increase 1t, and this by a GEN.
tralization Of power infinitely danger ui,
and wholly unwArranted by the Consti
tion.
The Republican party Of Pennsylvania
proposed to divide the annual susplus,
whatever it might be, among the States.
Mr.. Blaine proposes to 'by hill Of ten
lines" to direct the Secretary Of the
Treasury to pay the whole OF the excise
! taxes, less the cost Of collection, over ia
the states aud territories In proportion tc
their population.
Thus perpstuAting all the inquisitoriaI
powers and machinery of the Fedora
= government for the collection of the
money and reducing the State govern
ments and their people to the condition
Of mere stipsndiaries, devoid OF discre,
tion in 80 important q function in self
government.
Nothing could more strongly illustrat,
= Mr.. Blaine's disregard OF the Constitution
y in his anxiety to catch votes.
FREEDOM OF THR RIGHT TO CONTRACT.
i There were two lights, the speaker CON
II tinued, In which this question Of taxa
e tion Is 10 be oonsidered-the light Q
y political economy and the light Of politi
!, cal morality. He regarded the two as in
Ie separAble and distrusted the statesman
10 shiI which undertakes to destroy thei
y connection. In the constitution til
/. power to tax imports as also the power t
tax exports was prohibited to the states
This WAS done to prevent local interest
>. from over.reaohing national interests, /
= prevent confusion and conflict OF law
y aud Jurisdictions, and he could also Sc
10 in thia and nthar nrautotona ~ A. .n.
stitution the design to give uuhampere
= freedom Of contract to American citizens
. q view emphasized by the provision ths
Is expressly prohibits any state to impai
y the obligation OF contracts. Bat th
y power to tax imports was granted 9,
- pressly to Congress and the DO yer to Ia
y exports expressly prohibited. That th
offsets for which this power OF taxatio
. upon Imports was given are clearl
70 enumerated 10 the constitution, Ia a oles
y inhibition to lay those taxes for i,
~ !. other object. Mr.. Bayard continued:
y, submit to the intelligence OF nv fe
" low oountrymen whether au exercise
20 the power TO lay taxes upon imports ca
ie be juhtifiAble under the Constitution
20 such an extent as shall substantially II
~ terfsre with the right Of free expectation
~ 10 other words as all commerce oonsIs
% of exchanges, not mere sales OF merchsr
disc for money but exchange OF me
- ohandise for merchandise without whic
~ commercial Intercourse could not long |
VI maintained between two countries
70 whether 4 system Of import duties whic
y prevents and prohibits the importation
40 merchandise does not in fact violat
% II not the letter, certainly Il
~ spirit and the intent Of the oonstitutio
al which was to secure 10 the America
!. citizen as much freedom of commerce. an
VI as much freedom of the right to contra,
~ as was consistent with the necessities
~ the country, which we're to bs provide
10 for by taxations And, therefore, do
~ aver that nothing but the necessities
= the government Of the United States os
", Justly the imposition OF tax upon In
W ported merchandise,
ae While | hold 1t clear that there
90 plenary power in the Con ,ress to la
~ taxes and duties upon imported merohaI
- disc to such an extent rs the exieencit
70 Of the government shall seem to them
y require, and when laying those taxes (
u select such articles SIS they bslieve al
"a. more properly taxable, such az luxurit
- rather than the neoessaries Of life, yet th
fact OF all taxes being a burden, th.
should be 80 laid as to adjust them to tn
requirements OF the people at large.
- naturally follows that large enoourse,
Us ment to American manufacture must r,
% suit with every duty laid upon the in
=, portation Of articles which are also manr
y featured In this country by which