The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-04-09
THE RIFF ISSUE.
Extracts from the Speech of Hon. Jo-
seph e. Brown.

further resolutions, concurrent or other, the
morning business is closed.
Mr. Brown. gave notice the other day that
7 should move at this hour to take up the reso-
,ions introduced by me at an early day of the
assio, in reference to the collection of the reve-
nues of the government ana the repeal OF the
internal-revenue laws. move TO take up the
resolutions nv
The President pro tempore. The resolutions
will be read.
Ted bv MIR. Brown January 4, 1858, as follows:
RESOLVED That the practice of the govern
ment of the United States was correct, for the
first threequarters of century of its existence,
when il collected the revenues necessary to its
s,,nnort at the ports or other boundaries of our
territory by tariff, except in cases of war or
other great emergency, when internal revenue
laws or laws Imposing direct taxes were passed,
which were repealed as soon as the emergency
which called them forth ceased to exist.
ResO{red That the present Internal revenue
laws which were exacted as war measures in
time of a great emergency, which are onerOuS
oppressive, and undemocratic, have existed for
almost a quarter of century after the emer-
.yencv has passed, and there being very large
Surplus in the Treasury, which it is the duty of
The government to provide against by a reduc-
tion of the revenues, it becomes the imperative
duUy Of Congress to enact appropriate legisla-
lion for the repeal of said internal revenue laws
at the earliest day practicable.
The President pro tempOre--If there be no
objection the resolutions are before the Senate
and the Senator from Georgia is entitled to the
floor
Mr. Brown--Mr. President, it is important to
inquire what is the true issue now before the
people of this country IN reference TO the cOllec
ton of our revenues, and to those of us who are
Democrats it is important that we view it from
a Democratic standpoint.
Thomas jefferson. the great apostle and
founder of the Democratic party, denounced the
excise system of collecting taxes except in
cases Of great emergency. and secured the re-
lnfal mob DO.
The Democratic party for great many years.
and during long succession of Democratic ad-
miniStrationS, collected the money necessary to
support the government by tariff taxation, so
adjusted as to afford encouragement and pro-
lection to domestic manufactures
Andrew Jackson, the next greatest leader of
the Democratic party, held to the same doctrine.
in his message of Dec. Z, 1890 he says:
"The power to impose duties on imports orig
inally belonged to the several States; the right
TO adjust those duties with view to the encOur-
agement of domestic branches of industry is so
completely identical with that power that it is
dfficultto suppose the existence of the one with
out the other''
Again, in the same message, he says:
while the chief object of duties should be
revenue, they may be so adjusted as to encour-
age manufactures"
In another part of the message again he says:
I'm this conclusion am confirmed, as well by
the opinions of Presidents Washington, Jeffer-
son, Madison and Monroe, who have each re-
peatedly recommended the exercise of this right
under the constitution, as by the uniform prac-
lice of Congress- the continued acquiescence of
the States, and the general understanding of
the people"
Again, in his letter to Dr. Coleman, of North
Carolina, Gen. Jackson wrote
IF we omit or refuse to use the gifts which
Providence has extended to us, we deserve not
the continuation Of His blessing He has filed
our mountains and our plains with minerals
with lead, iron, and copper, and given us a eli
mate and soil for the growing of hemp and
These hRinr m faria lie of ,,,,r-
national defense, they ought to have extended
to them adequate protection; that our manu-
facturers and laborers may be placed in fair
competition with those OF Europe, and that we
have within our country supply of those lead
ing and important articles 50 essential to war
Will ask, what is the real situation of the agri-
culturlst? Where has the American farmer
market for his surplus produce: Except for
cotton he has neither foreign nor a home mar
ket Common sense at once points out the
remedy. Take from agriculture in the United
States 100000 men, women, and children and
you viii at once give market for more bread
stutfs than all Europe now furnishes us In
short, sir, we have been too long subject to the
policy of British merchants. 1t is time we
should become little more Americanized, and
instead of feeding the paupers and laborers of
England, feed our own, or else in a short time
by continuing our present policy, we shall be
rendered paupers ourselves"
THE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM OF 1884 ON TARIFF
ABUSES.
The Democratic convention of 1884. which
nominated President Cleveland, characterized
the system of direct taxation known as the
Internal revenue as war tax, " and declared
that sufficient revenue to pay all the expenses
Of the Federal government economically admin
jstered, including pensions, interest and prin-
Cipal of the public debt, can be got under our
present system of taxation from custom house
taxes. on fewer imported articles, bearing
heaviest on articles of luxury, and bearing
lightest on articles of necessity The conven-
ton then denounces; not the tariff system, but
the abuses of the tariff
What is the plain purport of the language of
the founders of the Democratic party, and the
traditions and precepts of former administra-
tions, and the language of the platform of the
party in its last national convention? Simply
as there is now no emergency, and we have an
overlooking Treasury, that the internal revenue
system, which is only temporary, should be re-
pealed without unnecessary delay and that there
should be a revision OF the tariff, and that
under our present system of custom house
taxes, the revenue should be raised on fewer
imported articles bearing heaviest on articles of
luxury, and bearing lightest on articles of
necessity. ...-.
A FALSE ISSUE
The issue that some persons have attempted
30 raise, whether il would be better to repeal
the internal revenue law and give the people
Tree whisky ana tobacco, or whether it would
be better to reduce the tax on the necessares of
life, is a false issue. Neither the fathers of the
Democratic party nor the practice of Demo
cratic administrations for nearly half century
cratic party in convention, submits or juStifies
any such issue. The obvious plain duty of the
Democratic party under the authority and
precepts above mentioned is to abolish the in
ternal revenue system as early as possible, and
leave the States to tax whisky and
tobacco; and in good faith to revise the tariff,
putting the heaviest burdens on arti-
cles of luxury consumed by the rich, and the
lightest burdens on articles of necessity con.
sumed by the poor. There is no room for an
Issue between the repeal of the internal revenue
and the revision of the tariff. The Democratic
party is pledged to do both, and it is an impera-
tive duty which the party owes to the country
party does not redeem the pledge by carrying
out one of these measures, but it is bound to
carry them both into effect.
THE TRUE ISSUE.
The only issue is, will the party in good faith
redeem its pledges. and sweep from the statute
hook the system of direct taxation known as
internal revenue. and 'revise the tariff in a
spirit of fairness to all interests" Both must
be done. This is the plain meaning of the pledge
Of the party, and it Is the duty of every Demo
crat to aid in redeeming that pledge. His DEM
ocracy may be justly questioned who refuses to
aid in redeeming the solemn pledges Of the Ma
tonal Democratic Convention.
NOT A PRoTEcTroNIsT PER Sc.
believe the true position is to collect all the
money necessary to the support of the govern
1nent economically administered by tariff, except
IN cases of great emergency, / am not a pro-
dollar more than Is absolutely necessary to the
economical support OF the government, for any
purpose or to protect any industry of any
character. In adjusting the tariff, would as
general rule put on the free list such articles
are produced abroad and not in this country,