Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-04-22
Morrison ON the Tariff.

On Tuesday last the Morrison bill was
taken up in the House of Representatives
by vote of 140 to 1873, and in introducing
it Mr.. Morrison made carefully prepared
speech, in the course of which he said:
Gin 1860 the laborer for wages was at
least as well and the grower of grain better
paid than they are in this year, 1854, and
in that year Q86O of bounteous plenty
our importations of foreign goods were less
to the person, or in proportion to popula-
ton, than in the year 1080-'82. Census
statistics show that of the 10, 000, 900 of our
population engaged in some form of labor
the average earnings of 16,0O0,0 600 do not
much exceed $500 per annum. 1t is upon
these 16, 600, 900 that the burden of tariff
taxation rests, and it is from his percentage
in the selling price of the articles he buys
that the protected" manufacturer gains his
wealth. The fact that the average earnings
of $500 a year are consumed under the
present tax laws in obtaining the necessa-
ries of life, rendering saving impossible,
explains why it is that the poor are getting
poorer in this country, and the fact that
each of these $16,00O,0O0 wage-earners is
compelled to pay tribute for the tariff lords
in every article he buys, explains how it
is that a high tariff creates monopolies,
which grow richer and richer year by year.
Those who profit by the tariff are few in
number and reside in a few favored locali-
ties, but those who suffer are the great
mass of the workers scattered over the
entire country. The repeal of the internal
revenue taxes, which is urged by protec-
tionists as a means of preserving the high
tariff, means free whisky and free tobacco,
hut of tho birbor 70
on sugar and other household articles
whose price is governed by the tariff rates.
The internal revenue system has its defects
and irritating features, but these admit of
remedy. The Ohio platform, Mr.. Morrison
shows, admits the necessity for a limita-
ton and new adjustment of tariff rates.
1t calls for ga tariff for revenue limited to
the necessities of government" Mr.. Nor
rison asks: SIS the tariff now SO imited?"
The revenue limit has yet to be reached.
The Ohio tariff must be $50 adjusted in its
application as to prevent unequal burdens,
but not to create or foster monopolies."
A horizontal reduction of 20 per cent, Mr..
Morrison tartly points out, does not alter
the present adjustment of the tariff, and
diminishes by 90 per cent. the tendency of
the present law to ''create or foster mo-
nopolies." Every argument in support of
the present high tariff is based on the as
sumption that any considerable tariff re-
duction will destroy manufacturing indus
tries. Mr.. Morrison is able to adduce in
disposing of that argument the fact that
the large reduction Of duty on quinine Sc
cured by him few years ago did not by
any means result in the ruin of the great
quinine manufacturing establishment in
Philadelphia. But the inutility of high
tariff to prevent the decline of 'manufac-
turing establishments, after certain in
terval, is abundantly shown by the fact
that to-day all over the country, mills, shops,
and furnaces are closed and their operatives
thrown out of employment. wages are
low, and when the American workmen are
indisposed to take them foreign labor is
imported by the protected manufacturer to
take the native workman's place. These
evils the present high tariff does not rem
edy, though it has for years been promis
ing to do SO. Its burdens, therefore, are
without compensation.