National Republican., 1886-08-09
A posTuuMous OFFSPRING
OF the Confederacy of Insurgent States
Representative Kelley's Dissection
and Definition OF the Tariff Bill.

--heprcbeutUttNc heileyb DibsoNtiOh
and Definition OF the Tariff Bill.
Hon. William d. Kelley obtained leave to
print In the Congressional Record a very
able, complete, and forcible address upon
the tariff, which he had announced his in-
tention to deliver during the present ses-
sion.
MIR. Kelley, addressing his remarks to the
ways and means committee's proposed sub
stitute for the 80 called Morrison tariff
bill, said:
1t is posthumous offspring of the confeder-
acy OF insurgent states, the ascendency OF
whose spirit in this House and the admins.
trative departments OF our government Jener.
son Davis recently celebrated in the midst OF
displays OF popular enthusiasm. which elected
from him the significant exclamation, You are
coniCderates. and | love you for It,"
The constitution of the insurgent confederacy
contained this prohibition; Nor shall any
duties or taxes on importations from foreign
nations be laid to promote or foster any branch
In submitting these remarks am not enter.
ing the field of partisan political discussion or
seeking to revive memories that are painful TO
me, and which since the close OF the war
have iratcrnally and persistently labored TO
extinguish No, sir; am combining myself
strictly to the consideration of the bill before
the committee, every clause and proylso
of which has, l believe, been prepared In
rigorous obedience TO the spirit, provisions,
and restrictions of what posterity Will know as
the constitution OF the confederate states or
America, and consequently have no adapta-
ton to the existing condition the industries
of our country. Its promoters cannot have
been Ignorant OF the iact that II enacted into
law It's practical application Of the doctrineof
absolute free trade, though confined to but few
commanding industries. will overthrow the
general welfare, deprive labor of employment,
close factories, fOrges, furnaces, rolling mills,
Quarries ore banks, and coal mines In every
part of the country, and render the labor and
capital that have been expended in their crea:
ton or develop ment unptoductive; that 1t will
nggravate a thousand fold the discomfort now
pervadng the land and reduce TO bankruptcy
hosts Of the men whose energy has during the
last quarter OF century advanced our coun..
try TO the foremost position in the family OF
pations and invested 1t with power to defy the
world in arms. It's adoption would proiule
pane that would paralyze trade as well as
production,
Yes, sir, ns a substitute for the MorrlsonbIll
we have one prepared, so far as II relates to
customs duties, by five representatives OF con-
iederate states referring TO Messrs Mills, Of
Texas; McMillin, of Tennessee; Harris, Of
Georgia; Breckinridge, OF Arkansas, and Breck-
inridge of Kentucky, four of whom served
faithfully in the confederate army, and to the
flith Of whom the fact that he was so young
that he could give but his sympathy to the
| cause for which his senior colleagues fought Is
| a cross which he will doubtless bear through
lief After dillgent investigation and
patient consideration i have been unable to
| discover any other reason for their appoint
| ment TO the committee ofways and means than
| the known devotion of each Of them TO eco
nomic dogmas the attempt to give constitu-
| tional sanction TO which invoked the war for
| the Union and oil its bloody consequences.
appreciate the gravity Of this conclusion, aud
| in Its support beg leave to submit a few OF the
| many facts which have compelled me to ac.
cept II.
| Mr.. Kelley then proceeded TO present
some startling industrial contrasts demon.
| strating these facts That the combined
| districts represented by these five members
Of the committee OF ways and means em.
| ploy in all their workshops less than one
third Of ] per cent. Of the capital involved
| In the diversified manufactures Of the coun-
| try, and that they employ still smaller per
centage OF one-third of ! per cent. OF thu
number of laborers engaged therein. Ap
plying another test, Mr.. Kelley said:
There are three hundred and twenty.fy,
congressional districts. Dividing the nationa
totals by that number we find what, by com
mon average, should be the amount of capita
and the number of operatives employed Il
each district. This gives 10 single dlstrlc
ss,5s5,4d of capital and s,427 of laborers, i
thus appears that II the combined districts
whose representatives have fashioned this bill
for the government of our industries, had thei
average proportion OF the grand totals thei
capital would not be as II Is, SD,09O,550, bu
Si3, ,g27 go, and their operatives would numbe
not as they do, SOP, hut AZ, 1885, or very nearl
five times each number. Is not this exhibit /
| Hnu Onei ana is IL HOT buulY ODlOrnlhtOfy OF IN
figures that show that five members OF the com
mittee of ways and means. who determine tn
conclusions on tariff and tax questions, repre-
sent less than one'third Of per cent. OF tn
capital and less than one.thlrd OF per cent @
| the laborers employed In the manufacturer
industries of our country, and that the averag
for each district Is less than one-hlteenth of
per cent, of both capital and labor.
He stated that the manufacturing powe
OF each OF sixteen cities Philadelphll
| (hiaann
st. Louis, Cincinnati, Boston, Baltimore
San Francisco, Providence, Buffalo, New
ark, Louisville, Cleveland, and Milwaukee
exceeds that Of the combined districts q
these five members OF the ways and mean
committee. 0.
In view of these facts am 1 not justified 1
charging, upon the Democratic caucus whic
organized this House deliberate assault upo
the vested rights and interests Of the laborin
classes OF our country II may be whispere
that this combination was not deliberate thu
non manufacturing districts was Academia
Sir, this will be an afterthought; the free
traders boasted of their triumph In the organ
manufacturing interests OF the country IS
legitimate result of their triumph Such elat
orate and complex coincide noes arc not wltbi
Lar am itfivins 70 Bq Bfins 10 the m attention of m
countrymen, south and north facts WhiC
cannot be gainsaid, and which are full OF slj
| niUchuCt ana Ol bpeclhl import 10 every SOuti
EN- owner of coal mine or deposit OF col
pGr, zinc, nickel, lead, tin, antimony, mang
nese, emery, corundnm, plnmbagO, ohrOm
kaolin, gypsum, or other metallic or mlnerf
substance; of n furnace, forge, rolling mill,
, steel works; OF a manufacture OF textile
whether of cotton, tiax hemp, wool, or sill
| Of chemical works, or any other form OF maj
| uincturlng industry, ....
Nor are these invidlous facts less signlhcal
| 10 the farmers of the south who own hemp
! flax fields. or whose acres may be enhance
in value by the creation near them OF indu
trial centers like Roanoke, Va, ChattanoOg
Tenn, or Birmingham or Anniston Ala, Il
inbabitanta Of which will enable them TO prt
duce successive crops OF fruit aud spring veg,
tables, furnish neighboring market f
poultry and eggs veal and lamb, and sa,
, Them from the Overwhelming Aslatio comp
titon which the farmer who depends on II
| export of cereal crops must now endure.
, Sir do not assall the people of the snutl
specially address myself The facts exDoi
demand their consideration, and should COZ
vince them that an attempt Is being made
again subject them to the ruthless dominate
, of men OF their own section whom they d
scribe as incapable of either forgetting
learning anything. To the hopeful aud a
piTing men Of the south appeal in their oW
behalf and that of the country at large II b
, longs to them TO see 10 II that In future organ
cations OF this House care shall be taken tn
In the room OF the committee 20 which a
questions of revenue are submitted the yoiC
ofthe present and the future OF the south,
well as that OF Its past, may be heard.