Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1888-08-30
DIGNITY OF AMERICAN LABOR
A Strong Plea for Protection.
SPEECH OF HON. WILLIAM MCKINLEY

address on lu6 dIllls Ou TIC -Aot lliol'
Piedmont Chautauqua is at salt Springs,
twenty miles from Atlanta, and to hear
the address cost the four thousand list
eners a goodly sum, for the vicinity is
but sparsely settled. and therefore the
most of the audience came from dis
tance of many miles. The audience
was representative one of that section,
and was made up largely of the leading
people of all parties. The distinguish
ed speaker was treated most Hospitality.
He was introduced in an eloquent speech
by Judge Van Epps, and as he stepped
forward on the platform the ladies
waved their handkerchiefs and clapped
their hands, while their male compan-
ions rose to their feet, waved their hats
and cheered as if in political conven-
ton. Throughout the speech, which
lasted nearly two hours, there were fire.
quent outbursts of applause, and at the
close there were rousing cheers, and the
men and women crowded forward to the
platform to grasp the hand of the ora
tor. The speech cannot fail to have a
beneficial effect.
Mr. Mckinley said, in part, as follows:
Free Traders, or, to be more exact, the
advocates of a revenue tariff, insist that
duties shall be levied upon that class OF
foreign products which are not produced
in the United States, the principle being
that revenue is the sole and only object
of such taxation, and that duty levied
upon such foreign products as have little
or no competition will secure the largest
revenue with the smallest rate of duty,
An illustration familiar to all of you is
the products of tea and coffee. Neither
of these great staple articles is produced
in the United States. The demands OF
our people for those products, and they
extend to every home and tireside in the
land, are supplied from abroad. Now,
any tax thereon, however slight and in
significant, would produce very con-
siderable revenue to the Government;
and this illustrates what is commonly
understood as a revenue tariff" If,
however, the duty is levied upon the for
eign competing product, it is made SO
low, having revenue only in view, that
the effect is to destroy home competition
and increase the revenue therefrom by
increasing ImportatiOns. A revenue tar
iff is, therefore, such one as will pro-
duce the largest revenue from the low
est duty. The lowest rate of duty will
encourage importationS, diminish home
production, and inevitably increase the
revenue; it will of necessity check COM
petition at home and send our merchants
abroad to buy; and affords no protection
not even incidental, for the very instant
you discover that such duty favors the
home producer, that instant you discov-
er that importation and revenue are
checked, and that our own producers are
able to control the home market, or a
part of it. Then at once the advocate
of revenue tariff reduces the duty,
brings it down to the true revenue stand
ard; for it must not be overlooked, ac-
W bildG lICC llloA1lll3
protection begins revenue ends, and the
question of revenue is always controll-
ing. A revenue tariff is inconsistent
with protection; it is intended for a
wholly different purpose. 1t loses its
force and character as a genuine revenue
tariff when it becomes to any extent pro-
tective. 1t has but one object. 1t can
hrrfn affanf thof of Ornnniuor
our markets to the foreign producer
impoverishing the home producer and
enriching his foreign rival.
A GLANCE AT THE BRITISH SYSTEM.
England is more nearly free trade
country than any other, and her system
of taxation furnishes an unmistakable
example of the practice and principle of
a revenue tariff. Her import duties are
imposed almost exclusively upon articles
which cannot be produced by her own
people upon her own soil. Tobacco, ci-
gars, chicory, cocoa, currents, figs, raj
sins, rum, brandy, wine, tea and coffee,
these are the articles from which her
customs revenue is derived articles, in
the main, not produced in England, but
which must be supplied from abroad;
while practically all competing products
of foreign make and production are ad-
mitted through her custom houses free
of duty. The ad valorem equivalent of
the duty on tobacco is nearly 1000 per
cent. Cigars pay a duty of S1.32 per
pound, and from tobacco and snuff over
$43,000,000 of duties are collected annu-
ally. The duty on tea is II cents pound.
How would the American enjoy paying
such duty upon this article of every
day use? The duty collected from this
source is over S18,000000 annually
There are about ninety or hundred other
articles, chiefly of American production,
patented and other medicines, which are
dutiable at 1896 per gallon. More than
500, 100000, or nearly one-fourth of the
British revenues, are raised from Gus
toms duties.
You will note the character of taxa
tion to which the revenue reformer in
vites the people of the United States.
Both the breakfast table and the sick
room are made to bear large part of
the burden under the British system of
taxation. 1t is not without significance
that the nearer we approach this system
the more generous the bestowal of Brit
ish commendation. Every step we take
in that direction, every enlargement
of the free list of competing foreign
products, every reduction of duty upon
such products is hailed as a vindication
of Golden and benelicence to British
interests. 1t is in vain for the British
statesmen to assure us that their system
is best for us. We are not accustomed
to look to our commercial rivals for dis
interested favors. at is folly" said
Washington in his farewell address, ''in
one nation to look for disinterested fa-
vors from another; that it must pay, with
a portion of its independence, for what
ever it may accept under that character.
There can be no greater error than to
expect or calculate upon real favors from
nation to nation 1t is an illusion which
experience must cure and which a Just