The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-10-28
SENATOR JOHN SHERMAN
SPEAKS AT PHILADELPHIA ON
THE TARIFF
And Claims, as Usual, Everything
Good and Just In Legislation for
the Republican Party.

audience at the Acad 9my OF Music to.
night under the auspices of the Young
Republican Club. He said: There
are at this moment two,great controll-
ing facts in American politics. One
Is the imminent danger that now
threatens the overthrow Of the eco
nomic and industrial policy built up
by the Republican party, which, as
has been shown, hes doubled the
wealth of our country within twenty
years and rebled its produc.
ton; and second, the complete
success of what is known as the
Mississippi plan, by which more than
100000 OF the legal voters Of this
country have been deprived of all
the rights conferred upon them by the
Constitution and the law, especially
the right to vote. In regard to the
industrial policy, that not ly..relates
to what is kuown as the tariff ques.
ton, the rates Of duty on imported
goods, but also relates to the establish
ment Of sound currency in this
country and to ths reduction of the
public debt Of the United States. The
people OF the United States from the
earlCst period OF government had
their attention called to the nects-
sity of protecting American industry,
and every administration from the
day of George Washington to this has
called the attention of Congress 10
that financial policy. Before the war
no protective policy had been fixed in
this country. The question was the
subject of party politics aud the dis
sension and strife OF parties, some-
times avowed by one party and dis
avowed by the other, but never put
in force. 1t was not until the war
C c1mmenc I'd, until the necessities of
the war made the protective policy
an absolute and complete sue
ce s, that we have this policy in
full force in this county. By this
act OF 1851, we had for the first time
a real protective tariff. That pslicy
was not in force very long In conss-
quenCe of the neCe ssities OF the war, it
became necessary not only to impose
tariff duties on imported goods, but
also 10 impose duties on internal pro.
and, therefore, from the be-
ginning of the war until i 8 close, Oon-
eress was very busily engaged in tax
ing every system of indus ry that was
devised by man. We taxed income
we taxed everything, 1t wss the
spirit Of Congress to tax everything
that could bear taxation to the last
cent in order 10 provide the
means to maintain the BOYS in blue in
presence OF the enemy. But after the
war this system of internal taxes
gradually disappeared. One by one
they were repealed by the Republi-
can party, so that under the policy OF |
that party today there is no tax
levied by the United States OF Ameri- |
ca on any article made in this coun-
try, on any property existing in this
country, or on any man living in this
country, for there is no internal tax
except upon whisky, tobacco and
beer, and whenever there is public |
demand and a public necessity for re- |
Lieving those taxes | am willing to
oin my Democratic friends in repeal
ing them. II the people OF this ccun- |
Try can get along without any system
Of internal taxation / will be very
willing to admit, but the reason why
hose taxes are maintained is very
plain. First, as to the taxes on whisky,
tobacco and beer, the people who con-
,ume those articles feel so good that
hey do not care anything at all about
he taxation. Then another reason is
hat they sre so easily collected. 1t
costs very little to collect them, and
he extent of consumption of these
lrticles brings to the government a
srge revenue. II the people
Who consume those articles do
lot wish to pay taxes on them to
he national government, all they
lave to do is to lei whisky, tobacco
md beer alone. The other taxes lev
ed by the Congress OF the United
states are the taxes on imported goods.
Why not on domestic goods as we'll as
N imported goods? is asked. The
nswer is that the taxes on imported
'o1ds coming into large ports like
Philadelphia and New Yolk are easily
objected and probably with less
rsud than would exist under any
ther form OF taxation that could be
evissd and not only that, but
8 this tax is on imported goods, On
be work Of people in foreign Coun-
ries, to the extent that tax is imposed
encourages our own people to man
fscture all these art cles in this coun-
~. 1t is raid by Dsmocla atic orators
hat the bsst way 10 tax imported
oods is to tax them all alike, in other
lords, to tax tea and coffee like silks,
atins and liquors. But that would
9 unjust. Some mode of disCrimina-
on of taxation is necessary. The Re-
ublican party, that has framed all
le tariff acis for the last twenty
We yeara, has adopted certain !
eneral rules which are plain and ,
mple, and they have applied these !
1ies to all the tariff bills which have !
cen passed during that time. First !
all, they have ascertained how 9
luch taxes were wanted. Duties are {
ever levied for the mere purpose Of
rotecting American Industries. a
uties are laid for the purpose of
Using revenue, but when we come to
wy taxes we lay down certain rules,
1u tno nIeJ rue OF the RepuDuCan
arty is to levy the highest duty on
le articles consumed by the rich.
he second rule that applies to
nties on imported goods is
lat all articles which cannot
3 produced in this county, which a
70 produced in tropical climates, 3
lch as tea and coffee, which are in I
'mmon use in our broad county, 8
Q put no duty on at all, or else the a
,ry lowest rate of duty. OF such g
,ods $3.50, 100000 of articles are ad- 8
tilted duty free. The third rule is
at on all those articles which we
N manufacture in this country we ,
i'll put such a protective duty
will induce and encourage our own
,ople to manufacture them.
1is is the rule we 20 by,
i'd the rule we stand by. So wonder A
| has been the effect Of the applica. G
IN OF these simple rules that out of o
o $3.50, 100000 of imported goods, 1,
obably but $500, ,0OO, 900 or $4O0, ,000,- a
0 are articles that could be produced d
this country, for which we have the b
M unatoNfaN