The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-04-18
WEDNESDAY, APRIL Is, 1883.
Senator Morrill, on the Tariff.


Senator Morrill, made another of his
able and vigorous speeches on the
tariff last week, in reply to the presi-
dents free-trade message. He began
by contrasting this message with the
list annual message of President Wash
ington-the latter giving encourage
ment to protection of home indus
tries. He regards d" a tariff for revenue
only" as a synonym for free-trade, and
said that Henry George, an ultra free
trade propaganda, had characterized
Cleveland's message and the Mills
tariff bill as a deadly blow at protec-
ton. In the face of the doctrines pro-
mulgated in the message of the presi-
dent, what encouragement for the
future, he asked, had those farmers
guilty of having made investments in
sheep husbandry and of having labored
for years to acquire the knowledge and
skill of good shepherds i'll the manage
ment of their flocks? What encour-
agement did the message offer to any
new, or even old, enterprise? Was
there any growing city or town, any
nook or corner in the country, which
would have any hope of advancing its
prosperity upon the radical changes of
the tariff as urged by the message of
the president What new fields of la
Dor would be opened, or what old
ones show increased activity? Rather,
which one among them all would not be
slaughtered With their occupations
gone, where were the many thousands
of discharged laborers to go? The
president demanded free wool. De-
Quoting the protective duty imposed for
the benefit of American wool of ten
cents per pound, the value of Texas
wool in New York and Boston markets
would suddenly drop to four or six
cents per pound. Neither Texas nor
any other state would continue to raise
wool at that price, and wool-growing
even in the Lone Star State, with an
area greater than that of Germany,
France, Spain or Italy, would only be
known as one of the lost arts. The
democratic programme is to perpetuate
war taxes and make custom-house rev.
enues insufficient. When it was re-
membered, said the senator, that the
nation still owed public debt of
81 200, 100000, any part of which the
secretary of the treasury was author
lied by law to purchase and pay at any
time, the artificial alarm about idly
holding money from the channels of
trade, or about financial commissions,
was parade of the drapery of mourn
ing where there are no tears visible.
No overstrained or congested condition
of the treasury could occur, unless
brought about by the willful refusal to
diminish the public debt by the dis
bursement of the surplus in payment
of the public debt as now provided for
by law. If, however, the opportunity
of reduction came it would be gladly
hailed, and there would be no opposi-
ton on this side of the senate to any
reduction of revenue that would not
PROSTATE or ruin great industrial inter
ests. In regard to the benefits of the
policy of protection to the country, the
senator said:
at can not be doubted that protective
tariff has vastly increased and diversified
American manufactures and made theil
economical and multiform production pro
found study among the people of every state
in the Union. 1t has excited the brain
power of not merely the men of science
but the Unborn inventive faculties of a grea
multitude of practical working-men, an(
has promoted their happiness and thrift
There is hardly state now without tn,
name of some prominent inventor deserv
ing public gratitude and honorable remem
brance. The new inventions relating t,
manufactures and to agricultural machiner,
in all their majo and minor aspects ar,
identified with American industrial life
they are the discoveries of genius-not onl,
for the benefit of the present, but of futur
ages, and destined to give perennial fam
to America as the most prolific land of thei
birth. They have diminished the hours o
labor Of working-men and increased thei
wages They have been, and deserve to be
encouraged by proper protective tariff
as their encouragement is impossible
where such protection finds no favor. Tn
busy race of American inventors shoul
not perish for lack of friendly care or b.
neglect To deduct the intellectual fore
of the authors of these many useful labor
saving inventions from American histor
would leave the position and civilization c
the American people on the poor level {
many inferior nations. They are not tn
least of the great levers of the country
rosperity-necessary in time of peace an
indispensable to its dignity and defence /
time of war"
Republicans and Revenue
Reduction.
Soma of tba laodino fraa fro do ion,