Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1886-07-22

The il"use being in Committee 0, the
hnl' on the state OF the Union, and having
under consideration the amendments of the
senate Ia the bill III X. i>s1) making appro-
lriailon> for the service of the Post-Officr De
lsS1-
The gentleman from Texas SAID the other
day that the difference between him ana m.
upon this question. the method Of raising
revenue was that he Was in favor Of a tariff
ioI revenue only. with such incidental pro-
lection ss II might give, but tha, was in
favor Of "a protective tarlff-that is, rob.
bet 'arlf. desire to say in the firs, place
that tariff for revenue only. with inciden
tai protection. Is an impossibllity. |, can
not exist. A tariff for revenue only i, a
tariff levied upon such articles a. will pro
duee the largest revenue with the least tax
alton, and Of course tina, revenue mus, be
raised entirely upon articles that are pro-
cuced abroad, so that such tariff can not
give single dollar. worth Of protection.
~ 10 the robbery Of which gentlemen so
bitterly complain, where. prav, does il
come IN : lie who would rob the people is
not the proiectlve-tariff man who would so
levy dunes upon imports as 10 sustain the
industries by which our workingmen live,
but Il Is he VITO desires "a tariff for revenue
only. tariff that would tax the mouths
and backs Of the people and give them moth
irg m return. And why do gentlemen COM
plain Of our thrift Why do they no, rather
emulate II ? Can not they understand that
4 they "ill apply the advantages Of pro,ec-
ton 10 their own states thev NAV thereby
achieve a. muSh good to themselve. as We
~. l..
10 Try 10 get even with US by building them
selves up than by tearing Us down. Have
they not tie enterprise 10 make such an
effort How can they become richer by de-
strolIng our prosperity They seem to
think they can. The manufactures Of the
North appear TO be their especial sbhor.
renee. Take notice with what a ruthless
hand the leader Of their party in ihi. House
would crush the industries of nv own State.
OF this will speak more at length here
sitter. but | wish now TO refer to the fact
'ha; the tariff bill which they have reported
would relegate our numbering interests to
Canada, our fisheries 10 the maritime PROV
lnces Of foreign power, would destroy the
avocstiun Of our wool-growers, stop our
cotton and woolen manufactures that leg
is!a'ion introduced by the Democratic
friends Of this measure would annlhilate
our ship-buiding industry, while they have
defeated legislation intended to prevent our
foreign carrying trade from entirely disap-
peaTing.
Indeed. If gentlemen had endeavored to
legislate for the sole purpose Of Furnishing
the people Of Maine, they could hardly have
framed bills better calculated 10 accomplish
that result
When the Roman senators said to their
northern conqueror, whose hard terms of
capitulation they felt to be too grievous to
bear, "lf We submit TO these things, what,
Oh king, do you leave US ?" the grim, lacon-
ic reply was, '.your lives" Well may the
people Of Maine repeat this question to the
freetrade Democracy, and well may the lat
ter repeat the reply Of the barbarian king
You do. indeed, gentlemen. leave US our
lives, out how many of our avoca,ions do
you leave US by which We may support our
lives? | think our people will owe you
small thanks for what will remain to them
II YOU succeed in enactng your proposed
legislation. But it is not alone because this
legislation strikes fatal blow at the indus
tries Of my own State that oppose ii.
Gentlemen would abolish duties to the
amount of our surplus revenue so as TO re-
duce taxation TO that extent. Well, | am AS
ready to reduce taxation upon the people as
any tariff reformer in the land when it can
be done really for the peoples benefit. But
there it more humbug and demagogism
mixed with some grains Of deluded honesty
concealed under the mask of this phrase,
reduce taxation" than most any other in
the English language. And the curious
fact is that it is scarcely used by the people
on whom the burdens of taxation bear hard
est, but it is shbboleth in the mouths of
our British cousins, who, while they feign
TO be so anxious that we should not be op-
pressed by taxation, scruple not to oppress
their own people with rags and hunger by
some Ct our capitalists in the great cities,
our docirinaire professors, and lot of dudes
who never felt the pressure of taxation nor
anything else, save that of tight pants and
pinching shoes.
bnt have We any surplus revenue? Have
We had any in the last twenty years? How
can man be said TO have q surplus income
when by the use of all be can get be- can not
support himself and pay his debts? How
can that country be said to have surplus
OF revenue, when, after providing for its
necessary expenditures, it has enough left to
pay but small part Of what it owesp
What has been done in the past with
what gentlemen please to call the surplus
income OF the Government? will tell YOU.
1t has been applied to the reduction of our
great war debt Of $4,000, ,OOO, 600 in 1865 to
81 ,4O0. 900, 900 now; to the reduction of the
Sl50,O0O.O00 Of interest upon that debt,
which the people paid in taxes in 1865, 10
less than fifty millions which they paid for
the year when this administration came into
power and hope it will continue to be so
applied until the last dollar of the public
debt shall have been paid.
Such applications Of it has raised the
credit of the nation, which borrowed money
in 1860 at IL per cent. interest, to plane