The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1888-08-31
Judge Thurman on the Tariff.

MIR. Thurman, the Democratic candidate
for Vice President in his speech at Port HUI
ron, Michigan, last week, laid down in plain
language the Democratic position on the tar
iii question, explaining what the tariff means.
He said:
tariff, my friends, is nothing in the world
but tax, tax levied by the Government
upon every article of commerce that comes
into the United States and that is intended for
sale within her borders, and which inciden-
tally raises the price and therefore becomes q
tax or burden upon every article of domes-
tic manufacture of a like nature with those
which pay tariff tax.
Now, we have at this moment, according to
the last advices l have seen, about $115, 0OO,-
700 called surplus revenue-that is, taxes coll
lected from the people beyond the necessi-
lies OF the Government. These dollars,
$ll5,OO0OOO, are lying perfectly idle in the
vault of the Treasury of the United States
OF no service to any human being, drawing
no interest, earning no profits, but taken
from the pockets OF the people, where they
properly belong, and where, if they were now
found, thousands and tens of thousands and
hundreds ofthousands of people of the United
States would put them to good use and i'm
prove their condition and prosperity
Now the Democratic party says that this
is a wrong condition of affairs that that
money.onght not to, be like thetalents of the
man we are told of in the Scriptures, buried
in the ground that is very poor use to
make the money of the people, and there
fore the Democratic party says that this sur
plus revenue, which is produced In the main
by these tariff taxes, ought to be reduced,
so that this surplus will not continue to &C.
cumulate Our opponents, on the other
hand, say 1t is better to take the money from
the pockets of the people; it is better to pile
it up in the vaults Of the Treasury Depart
ment. Although it does no good whatsoever
and it lisa great harm, it is better to do that
than touch the tariff laws ofthe 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 people honestly, fair
ly and wisely is to take no more taxes out of
their pockets than the Government actually
needs for its expenditures.
The issue then is fairly made up 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 ofther own pockets and bury
ing it in the cellar of the Treasury Depart
ment, or 1t is between leaving the money
where 1t belongs, In the pockets of the peo-
pie, TO be used by them as their wants re-
quire and their intelligence and honesty d.
reefs.
With the foregoing as foundation of his
speech, Mr.. Thurman proceeded to make an
argument for low tariff. He charged that
the Republicans had gone before the people
with false pretenses, and said that in his
long political career he had never before
seen such audacity and deceit as he had no.
ticed on the part of the advocates of high
protection.
The speech was listened to with the
closest attention, and the good points were
promptly recognized and applauded. Judge
Thurman spoke easily his voice being clear
and strong, and his carriage erect and firm.
He was easily heard throughout the entire
speech at the outermost edge ofthe crowd,
as well as close to the stand. He spoke off.
hand, using notes simply for greater accu-
racy in giving figures, and making quota
tsions.
Early in his speech the speaker had occa-
sion to use his handkerchief, and the appear.
ance of the now famous bandanna called forth
a hearty cheer, which was echoed and re-echo-
ed by the crowd. The speech lasted for one
hour and twenty-five minutes.