Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-06-07

understand what the Knights OF Labor want
in regard to this question The Knights of
Labor in my own State are like all other peo-
pie. They have the same needs as other peo
pie; and simply because they are laboring
men they none the less want good food; and
it seems to me it is an insult to them and to
every class of workingmen in this country to
assume that they want the cheap and the
nasty
Indeed, it is not certain that they will get
even cheap food by the free sale of oleOmar-
garine, to say nothing of its being bad. Upon
this point gentlemen on the other side do not
agree among themselves While some of
them assert that since the invention of oleo-
margarine the price of butter has been cheap.
ened, others say that it has been all the time
growing dearer.
| was glad to hear my friend from Virginia
| Mr.. Daniel so eloquently and truthfully
state the position of the republican party upon
the tariff question in his speech this morn
ing: I'm America, each for all, all for each,
but America against the world" That. gen.
temen, 10 the doctrine of the republican par
| ty.
| 1t is grand and patriotic doctrine, grand
and patriotic as the record of this great party
which saved the Union, record which
stand here to say makes the proudest pages
in American history And, Mr.. Chairman,
we do not abate one jot or one title of that
doctrine or cast any stain upon that record in
supporting this bill. l hope the gentleman
| from Virginia himself, when the tariff ques
| ton shall come before this House to be dis
cussed, will stand by the proposition: "In
America each for all, all for each, but
America against the world"
| We shall be glad to welcome the powerful
aid Of the gentleman in favor of this good
Republican doctrine VT ich is the fundamental
principle upon which the American revenue
system rests. If he will heartily embrace
and earnestly practice, whenever it applies,
this doctrine so well stated in his own words,
for all that those words signify, he may be as
valiant and useful Republican as the best of
US, and become the chief corners stone of the
edifce of protection. | repeat. we depart
not at all from this doctrine in supporting this
bill, neither in raising revenue upon oleomar.
gariDe. compound whose reputation is as
unsavory as some of its ingredients. nor in
protecting against it the honest, hcalthful
product of the farmer
Over and over again it has been assumed
here that this is a bill to destroy one Industry
in the interest of another Indeed, this com
prises the entire argument upon the other
side, except what is said against internal
revenue taxes. If it were true | would not
support the bill, but while gentlemen assume
that oeomargarine is pure, we shun it be-
cause it is put forth under false name, and
that fact makes prima facte case against it,
Hence the burden of proof is upon its friends
to show that it is pure.
How do they undertake to do this ?
They say that some samples OF
the best manufacturers have been tested and
shown to be pure. But what of all the rest
Have we any assurance that it will be found
to be like the samples Indeed have we no,
right to assume that in this respect, as well
as in stealing a name which never belonged
to it. fraud has been practced
My friend from Indiana Mr. Browne
says that the manufacturers themselves say il
is pure and they ought to know. | have nc
doubt they do know nor have any doubt
that the tibet arraigned at the bar of Justice
for larceny, and who SAYS he is innocent,
ought to know and does know what the fact
is, but who takes his word for it :?
Mr.. Chairman, favor this bill for the
purpose of raising revenue. | would like to
have any gentleman tell me why an internal
revenue is an Internal revenue, as 1t has been
called by gentleman in this House, unless
it is so styled because it is in part laid upon
an Internal business.
1t is certainly within the jurisdiction of
Congress to levy taxes where they will bear
most lightly upon the people. 1t is patriotic
and sound policy to so levy them. Can any
taxes be less burdensome to the people than
those which are imposed upon such harmful
luxuries as whiskey and tabacco, and an arti.
Gle for food which is an UNIV holesome counter.
felt
Is an excise tax more unequal and unfair
than q tax by duties upon imports unless the
latter be so laid as to protect our home in
dustries and the wages of our workingmeni
1t il obj cted to on the ground that it neces.
sarily creates a system of espionage repulsive
to our people. So does every form of taxa
ton. The income tax did it. the tariff does
it. II the marshal and his deputies invade
the premises of the distiller. the manufactur.
err and the dealer, so do collectors of Gus
toms and their subordinates board our yes
sells, examine their csrgoes, pry into and ran
sack trunks, and even go through the appar-
ell of people suspected of having sumggled
goods concealed about their persons.
! am an incorporating protectionist.
believe that every American industry which
is honest and useful should be protected
against foreign competition until it shall have
attained such strength as to be able to stand
alone and unsided against its rivals beyond
our own country; and that he who opposes
this doctrine is, though it be unwittingly, an
10 the welfare of his country.
But l am not a protectionist run mad.
l am not so pregnant with fear that every ill
wind will blow our protective sy stem over that
desire to brace itup with fictitious props.
have so much faith in its intrinsic strength
that am sure it can stand upon its own feet.
have so much faith in the wisdom and pat
riotism of the people that believe they will
stand by the laws which protect their indus.
tries and give fair wages and dignity to labor
Protection does not lean upon crutches; it
does not require that we should allow whis-
key. tobacco, and a vicious mixture of I'M
known ingredients to go untaxed and have
free course and be glorined that it may not
fall to the ground.
1t is said upon the other side that we do
not need the revenue which this bill will give
us. l have not time to go fully into the dis
cussion ct that subject now. Ii is sufficient
for the present to say thst so long as We owe
81. 400 100000 and are paying $50, 900 900 as
annual interest upon that debt we have an
ample opportunity to make good use of all
our revenues, and government. like an in
dividnal, can never be burdeued with sur
plus income so long as all that comes into
its Golfers is not sufficient to meet it, ueces-
sary expenditures and pay its debts.