Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1888-09-18

The following Is the speech OF Judge
Thurman at Port Huron, Mich Judge
Thurman was introduced by ]. G. O'Neill,
Esq, in a few complimentary words, as
the old Roman of America, which provoked
loud and ~long-continued applause. After
the crowd had Quoted down Mr.. Thurman
spoke as follows:
It is not necessary for me before 1 pro-
coed TO that subject (the tariff to speak
of the President of the United States
and his administration more than a
very few words. I defy any man who
has regard for the truth tosay that
Grover Cleveland bias not made a
good President of the United States. Zap
headed noble man, he has had a clean and
upright and a successful administration.
CAppiause, and a voice, "Hurrnh for
Clevelsnd.'l Four years ago he was
elected. In the convass that preceded his
election bis opponents predicted all man
ner of evils in case he should succeed.
He did succeed, and pray what has be-
come of their predictions? Where is the
ruin that was to follow The election of
Grover Cleveland? Where is the disgrace
that was to follow his election? On the
contrary, the country has been more quiet,
more peaceable, more prosperous than it
ua5 pGCH wi hA-y JSoAo ehAs 6oAS
By. [Applause. Now, 1 know the man;
I know him well; I tell you, my fellow
citizens, that a more upright and wise
man I do not believe dwells within the
limits of the United States. Applause.
And he has a noble band OF counselors
around him, and not least among them is
the distinguished citizen of your own
State, Mr.. Dickinson. [Great applause.
Cleveland knows not only To- to rule
himself within the limits OF the Cons.itu-
ton, but he knows full we'll how to choose
good constitutional advisers. Applause.
THE TARIFF PROBLEM.
Now, my friends, having said this much
about the administration, let me proceed
to that question to which nave alluded,
commonly called the tariff question. I
presume there is not q person within the
sound of my voice who does not know
what is meant by the tariff. And yet it
may aid us to-day if I give a clear and pre-
else definition of what a tariff is. Atarif,
my friends, is nothing in the world but a
tax; q tax levied by the general Govern
ment upon every article of commerce that
|. enters into the United States, and that
is intended for sale within her borders,
and which incidentally raises the price
and therefore becomes a tax or burden up
on every article of domestic manu-
facture of a like nature with those which
pay the tariff tax. Now, we have at this
moment according to the last advices I
lave seen, about $115, DOC, 600, called sur
plus revenue-that is, taxes collected from
the people beyond the necessities of the
Government. These dollars, Sis, GOO, 600,
are lying perfectly idle in the vault of the
Treasury of the United States-of no ser
vice to any human being, drawing no in
terest, earning no profits, but AIKEN from
the pockets of the people where they prop
erly belong, and where, if they we're now
found, thousands and tens of thousands,
and hundreds of thousands of the people of
the United States would put them to good
use and improve tpeir condition and pros
perity.
Now the Democratic party says this is a
wrong condition of affairs; that that money
ought not to be like the talents of the man
we are told of in the Scriptures, buried in
the ground; that this is a very poor use to
make of the money of the people, and
therefore, the Democratic party says that
this surplus revenue which is produced in
the main by these tariff taxes, ought to be
reduced, and that the taxes should be re-
duced so that this surplus will not continue
to accumulate. [Applause. Our oppo-
nents, on the other hand, say it is better to
let the surplus accunulate; it is better to
take the none from the pockets of the
people; it is better to pile it up in the
vaults of the Treasury although it does no
good whatsoever and it is a great harm; it
is better to do that than to touch the tariff
laws of the United States. We say, on the
contrary, to relieve an over-taxed people is
to reduce the taxes; we say that the way to
treat a people honestly, fairly and wisely
is to take no more taxes out of their pock-
cts than the government actually needs for
its expenditures. [Applause.
THE ISSUE MADE UP.
The issue then is fairly made up be.
tween us; it is between high taxation on
the one hand and reasonable taxation on
the other. 1t is between taking the money
of the people out Of their own control, out
of their own pockets, and burying it in
the cellar of the Treasury Department, OF
it Is between leaving the money where II