The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-09-19
JUDGE JOHN l. T. SNEED
EXPRESSES HIS VIEWS ON THE
TARIFF QUESTION.
An Able and Exhaustive Paper
Which Deserves TO Be Care
fully Read.
To the Editors Of the Appeal,

10 the Editors OF the Appeal:
The generous tender OF your col
lmns to present in this form my reply
% an inquiry by your distinguished
senior as to my views on tariff reform,
is most gratefully appreciated. As q
private citizen my opinions upon public
Questions are certainly Of no special
interest to the people; but as an aspi-
rant for a seat in the Senate Of the
United Statee, where private opinions
may assume a practical shape, either
salutary or detrimental to the popular
veal, they become public property,
and whatever may be the effect Of q
candid avowsl OF my own, am con-
tent to stand or fall by them.
A philosopher Of old divided man.
kind into tbrse classes. The first class
think for themselves; the second
think as Others do, and the third do
not think at sll. 1t is certainly true
that there are meu who never change an
opinion, never correct an error. Yet
OF all men in popular government,
the most unsafe counselor is he who
makes q sort Of pendulum OF his opin-
ions, and without invoking his own
honest re flectiop, vacillstes from right
10 left aud left to right, to follow the
popular bretzs or the theory OF some
accrt dited tribune OF the people. II
all men belonged 10 the first class re-
ferred 10 by the philosopher, it seems
to me there could be bat one opinion
in this country upon the subj sct
of thrift reform. 1t was az ob.etva.
ton OF Mr.. Clay that a perfect tariff
system is an impossibility, ard he who
is expecting il will never see 1t. But,
said be, where, upon trial 1t turns ont
that Ger ain provis ons OF the tarit
operate haishly upon certain inter-
ests, they ought 10 pe promptly modi-
fed, and no one, he continued, would
cooperate more cheerfully than myself
in readjusting it. so that absolute jus
tice shall be done.
1T Is A GREAT MISTAKE
to suppose that the old commoner
ever favored that sort OF protection
which either fosters monopoly or
builds up one industry at the expense
OF another His theory was 30 to adj
Just Gust, ms duties as to protect all
our infant industries while they were
when they have &C
quired vigor enough to stand and
walk without help, then TO let them
severely alone under such incidental
protection as Is insepa' able from every
revenue tariff. He was always afi aid
OF surplus revenues lying idle in the
IRE asury, bscause they become a per
ilous temptation to extravaganza, pee
ulation and corruption. He was
even at surplus OF SlO,0OO,.
900 in the Treasury. "The revenue"
said he, "must be reduced. The coun.
Try will not bear an annual surplus OF
BIC, 100000 or $l5 100000, when un-
Necessary. Its distribution would be
D subject OF perpetual contention" II
we have not been mis'ed by the figures
to emanate from authentic
Iources, the surplus accumu'ations in
he Treasury,for the last six years have
oucbed the enormous figures OF
1886, 1888, 104, distributed as follows
Cor 1881, $l00069, 405; 1882, $l45,643,-
IL; 1883, $l32,S79,44 1884, S04,-
1913, 1926; 1885, S63, 1853 III, and for 1886,
lp TO the close OF the fiscal year, 30tn
II June, 800, 52S,647. The present &C
,omplished Speaker Of the House OF
representatives Is regarded as
A MAN OF EXTREME VIEWS
IN the tariff question, who might be
rec trader II free trade were prac-
icable thing, aud not an impa'pable
myth so long as We have 5 800
400, 600 Of debt, and pension roll. II
vas terse and laConic utierance Of
ais before q Pennsylvania audience
hat laid bare the pith and substance
II the "tariff plank OF the Democratic
platform OF 1854, and reconciled the
llscordant elements OF the patty to
stand tremendously upon 1t through a
great and triumphant struggle, and
now to turn, periodically, to praise the
bridge that brought them over the
food. He said il means reform, but
not revolution. In those few words he
has chry stalled the idea that under
lies the somewhat involved phraseology
OF that ingenious paper, which, in
single breath, denouuee, the fostering
Of monopolies-stabs free trade 10
Observation-Disclosures the Policy OF fair and
discriminating protection to industries
that need it-but qualities the whole
by limiting customs taxation to the
exact requirements OF an economical
government He lived in the historic
Commonwealth beneath whose sod
sleeps the accredited father vi the
American system. He knew, full well,
that the post bellum Democratic party
was sort Of composite concern,
blended together by common mem
DRY Of oppression, injustice aud wrong
that the two wings constituting that
powerful party today had been edu.
Gated in diverse schools, but had
united after the war to rescue const.-
tutional liberty from
THE CLUTCHES OF THE sPoILKR-
TO bring order out of chsos--to reha-
bilitate the States aud the people in
all the sanctions Of popular govern.
ment, and bring peace and fellowship
to q distracted country. He was wise
enough TO know, what certain thought
less paftisans do not seem 10 realize
now, that the Teopening OF the old
feuds would sever in twain the bond
OF fello wship, which, like the Siamese
hgament, had for twenty years so hap
PLY bound the two wings OF Dsmoc-
Tacy together, and bring certain de-
etruetion to both; and therefore, like
the patriot and true Democrat he Is,
he accepted the Chicago tariff plat
form, not as the best exponent OF his
own peculiar y'ews, but as COM
promise OF COL ilicting opinions upon
which all might honorably frater-
nize in harmony together. ] am in ia.
vor Of the tariff reform contemplated
in that platform. The Democracy
OF Tennessee have been wise enough
10 allow the assembled wisdom OF the
national Democracy to formulate their
policy on the subject, and to reafIirm
at their late convention their unialter-
ing loyalty 10 the tariff doctrines
which have thus far triumphed at the
polls. For one, regretted the failure
OF the Morrison bill for the revision Of
the tariff, aud had / been a member
OF Congress would have supported II,
as 1t involves in my judgment no ma
ter,al departure from the principles of
the Chicago platform. The only re-
Rource the government has IN raise q