The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-03-15
SOUNDS LIKE M00NSHINE
SENATOR BROWN SPEAKS ON TEE
INTERNAL REVENUE.

Duties.
WASHINGTON, March 14-In the Senate
to-day Mr., Brown, of Georgia, called up
the resolution offered by him Jan. 4, de-
claring it the imperative duty of Congress
to repeal the internal revenue laws at the
earliest day practicable, and he proceeded
to address the Senate in advocacy of it, oc-
cupying his seat while he read his speech
from manuscript.
Mr. Brown was not, he said, protection
list per Sc, but he would raise the money
needed for the economical support Of the
government by "A tariff so adjusted as to
give American capital and labor all possible
incidental protection, and so that the
heaviest burdens should be put on articles
of luxury, and the lighte't on articles of ne
ces5ity. He was opposed to the practice of
direct taxtation by the general government
and to run ing two systems of the collec-
ton of revenue, especially when of them
was marked by expressions and domiciliary
vexations.
SPEAKING FOR GEORGIA.
Speaking for the people of Georgia, he
said that while they desired Just revision of
the tariff and abolition of the revenue svs-
tenn, they did not wish to crush American
or to reduce the compensa-
ton OF American la or. He quotet from
the Democratic national platform of 1884,
and said lat he and his State stood on that
squareiy. Under it the tariff reduction must
be carried ont so as not TO in
jure home industry Bv the census of 1880.
the whole value of dutiable manufactured
articles imported in 1880, was $l91 0S5, ,63S,
while the value of manufactured products
in the United States that year was al, ,36D,-
519, 1911, or n times as much as the dutiable
'ln Fnr arsR It,tf
therefore, on only l-27 part of the manufac-
tured goods he used, while he got as much
tariff protection on what he raised as he
paid on the goods he bought.
PLENTY OF FARMERS.
II those now employed in manufacturing
wel thrown back upon farming the fact
would dl arrange the whole system, increas-
ing farm products unremuneratively and
adding to the cost of manufactures The
capital and labor employed in the manu-
facture of wool, silk, iron and
steel, cotton, chemicals, jute and hemp,
china, glass, leather, paper and TO.
bacco, (which articles produced over $9S,-
100000 Of revenue), would be ruined by
taking protection away from these INDUS
tries; while to abolish the internal revenue
was only to affect $50 registered distillers,
with their few employees The Democratic
platform settled the line of duty in such a
garing antithisis of interest as that The
crash of insolvency entailed on crushing
these manufactures would create wide ruin
and suffering.
HIS IDEA OF THE ISSUE.
How then should the reduction comet
The issue was one between 3,000,000 and
4, 900, 900 Of laboring people and 800 whisky
barons." The effect of the tariff in stimu-
lating manufactures was shown. he said, in
the case of Bessemer steel. Fourteen years
ago the price of steel rails was $I3S a ton.
A tariff of $2S "A ton had caused large
American production and had reduced the
price to S33 ton. The tariff was now Sl7
IA ton, and ruls nad been offered at S3l ton.
The English manufacturer had to get $50
a ton to save himself in this market, or elsa
lose $6 a ton at present prices Before the
war rice had sold for 80 per 100 pounds.
During the war Southern rice being cut off,
rice had gone t,n to Sl4 per 100 pounds. He
the idea that the tariff hurt the
farmers. During the low tariff, from 1853
10 1860. refined sugar, he said, was worth
lGc. a pound. 1t was now, under a high
tariff, worth from SC. to 611c.
CALICo's LrMPNEss.
Calico had been l2c. per yard and was
now &C.
The prices Of necessaries had fallen, and
those of labor had gone up. The farmer
mad tariff on live stock, bread stuffs, fax,
fruits, hay, hops, grain, provisions, dairy
products, rice, sugar, tobacco, vegetables,
wool, and others. OF these articles there
had been last year $l5,00O,000 worth i'm
ported. II the tariff on these
goods raised the prices on home-raised
products of the same kind by the amount of
duty, as was claimed in the case of manu-
factured articles, then the farmers got
tremendous benefit in protection. The corn
imported last year was 30, ,536 bushels, and
the duty 10c. a bushel. The total corn pro-
iuctIon in this country was 81 1896, 1888. 900
bushels. Ten cents n bushel, the tariff
profit on corn alone, would make $193, ,6l7,-
900 protection profit to the farmers-a
greater bonanza than the whisky ring en-
ioyed.
FREE TRADE FIGURING.
Under this fallacious rule, as applied by
the free traders to manufacturers, farmers
On the above productions would get a net
Increase of price Of 81 200, 100000, which
was an absurdity. Home competitor fixed
.he price, and small importations did not
increase 1t. He argued that man
establishments furnished con-
iumers to farmers, and afforded
4 market for their products. While the
farmer paid but little tariff duties, for he
bought few luxuries, he was largely bene-
ited by the tariff that built up manufac-
5urers and afforded him customers. What
he Southern farmer suffered from was not
he tariff, but the practice of an all-cotton
;rop and the purchase OF supplies from the
W est with inability to borrow money from
banks on real estate security.
ILLUSTRATED BY THE NORTH.
He concluded by discussing with con-
siderable Ella Grafton the lesson afforded by
.he growth in the North, with fewer natural
advantages than the South, under wide
md successful system of manufactures
fostcred by the plan OF tariff protection;
and he urged the South TO weigh well the
and 10 consider carefully before
ch cking the present prosperous advance OF
SOuthern manufactures by lnj Idicious in
reference with the tariff system. The
South raised cotton and had coal
and iron. To manufacture them at home
was the best way to utilize her natural re-
sources Eet the South, he said, adopt the
policy that had enriched the North. Let
the inqnitous internal revenue system be
repealed a ID the tariff revised 50 as to i'm
pose higher rates on luxuries and lower
rates on necessities, as demanded by the
Democratic platform OF 1884, upon which
yhe only Democratic President had been
elected in twenty-five years.