St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-04-16

lQg.
Ours is very free country of very free
men, and both are very freely taxed. In the
same sense that We are free men in free
country, freely taxed we may be correctly
named free traders when we insist that the
trade and commerce Of the country and the
necessities of comfortable living shall be
freed from all taxes not essential to the gov
eminent for public uses.
The amount required from customs is de
pendent upon what may be received from
the internal revenue. The abolition of the
internal revenue, means free and cheaper
liquors, but with heavier taxed and higher
priced sugar and other articles essential in
every household. | am not called upon TO de-
fend a system which has many abuses Ofthess
two systems, however, it is cheaper in the
administration, immensely cheaper in its re-
suits. Repeal of the internal revenue, means
more than additional cost of living and pro-
lection to the poor 1t means permanent
public debt, which a few owe and many pay,
and which corrupts the administration. While
we cannot doubt the existence
of great wrongs in the eX-
ecution of the internal revenue laws,
especially in the south Atlantic states, many
of these may be cured neither is it because
OF those abuses in this administration, that
the abolition of the liquor and tobacco taxes
is demanded in the states far north and sub
stantiallv free from these fragrant abuses.
Mr.. Morrison said, during more than half
OF the last ten years, wages have been lower
than before the adoption of the taxing
policy as a pretended means Of making
wages higher, and continued; There is but
one horizontal reduction for which our op-
ponents are willing to legislate the reduction
of wages, and this is their favorite with or
without regard to the legislation they are
now executive day by day, with cruel regl-
larity.
In the opinion of the minority of.the mem
beers ofthe committee, representing as thew
do the friends of the prevailing policy cures
for whatever national ills exist, as far aS
they result from taxation, are TO be found in
higher priced clothing and other articles
useful in the fields, mines and homes, for
that is what is meant by higher priced wool,
fence rods, cotton bands, and tin plates
Some of our friends here would cure the ills
of over taxation with declaration of pur
pose, the execution of which they would care
fully avoid. And here is the declaration, it
is called the Ohio platform:
''We favor tariff for revenue
limited to the necessities of the government,
economically administered, and adjusted in
its application as to prevent an unequal bur-
den, encourage productive industries at
home, afford just compensation TO labor, but
not TO create or foster monopoly" \ tariff
for revenue limited to the necessities of tho
government is demanded by this plan of re-
lief. Is the tariff now so limited: If not,
then why refuse to limit it! Who among the
representatives Of the goodly people of that
state who made this declaration believe ii is
so limitedI Who among them believes the
pending bill will reduce the revenue below
the necessities of the gOyernment3 These
are questions to which the plain people
of the country want an answer. They viii
demand to know why the tariff taXations are
not removed in part, if they are beyond the
revenue limit. Do gentlemen expect to- es-
cape the responsibility because the rates
are not rightly adjusted. The adjust
ment will be the same when the reduction is
made, but whatever monopoly belongs to it
will be fostered by 90 per cent. less than it
now is. If this platform has an honest
meaning, it is that the tariff shall be lowered
to a revenue basis, and gentlemen deceive
themselves who expect people will be de-
ceived by a refusal to legislate in accordance
with this declared purpose.
If the protection policy is to be continued
the policy of the government, it will be, and
ought to be, entrusted TO its friends, the Re-
publican party. Every argument in support
of protective policy is based on the assump-
ton that any considerable tariff modification,
especially the modification TO n revenue
basis, will destroy manufacturing industries,
compel the abandonment of shops and mills,
and force those now engaged in them into
other employments. This is the Old old
story. 1t was told Of the manufacturing in
dustries in their infancy. 1t will be told
when protection brings them TO decay.
Eight years ago l introduced the first bill
for free quinine, and providing for untaxcd
alcohol for use in making it. At once it was
insisted that quinine making would become
lost art among us, if such bill should pass,
and it did not then pass. Later on, when
the story of free quinine got among the peo-
pie, another placed bill before the house,
emitting the free alcohol provision, and the
bill became law, the protectionists them
selves feeling obliged to vote for it. The
great Philadelphia house did not 90 into
declines but continued its business of quiz
nine making successfully, as the second
largest quinine establishment in the world.
So every legitimate industry would 90 on
with revenue tariff.
1t is insisted that wages are so much high
er here than in countries seeking our mar
kets, that the revenue duties will not equaiZe
the difference in the cost of production.
Conceding the truth Of what is not true, that
the foreign rival must pay for the privilege
of selling in our markets, a sum equal to the
difference in wages, to enable the home pro-
Queer to sell with a reasonable profit, let
us see if the revenue rates will compensate
for that difference. The census value fox
manufactures for 1880 was s., 1863, $40, 1911.
Wages paid in making them were S947, $685.
795 The difference in the cost Of the goods
is said to be the difference
in the cost Of wages. But suppose
the difference between the coast here ana the
cost abroad amounts to all the wages paid
here, then these manufactures would cost
abroad 81, 421, G25,, 1896. Suppose the aver
age rate Of duty which the bill before the
house leaves at SO per cent, was reduced to
25 per cent, and at that rate this 81, 42l ,G25,-
1896, in value Of goods was imported II
would cost the importer at that rate, at %
per cent 1912, 757, 5S7, which not only makes
up for the difference in wages, but exceeds
all the wages paid for making all the goods.
If those who claim especial friendship for the
manufacturing industries will insist on their
going into decay, and then dying, some
other apology must be found for their taxi
ing off, than the removal of unnecessary
taxes.
Mr.. Kelly made the opening speech in OPP
position to the bill. He did not believe that
any cheapening of goods could relieve any Of
the American Industries. The evil was not
that the goods we're not cheap enough, or that
America could not produce them. The truth
to be considered by all men was, that the
power of production the world over had out
run the power of consumption, and that the
markets were oyerstocked, and in every land
skilled and industrious people had been idle
for large portion ofall recent years. Mill
ism in Russia, socialism in Germany, social
ism and nihlism in Austria, communism in