Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1888-09-01
THE SOUTH INVADED.
CONGRESSMA MCKINLEY TALAS
PROTECTIVE TARIFF IN GEORGIA.
The Growth of the United States Under
Protective Tariff Contrasted With
Its Growth Under
Revenue Tariff.
The South and the Tariff-Its Interests
With Protection-Bow Protection Ben
efits Farmers and Laboring Men-A
Plain and Convincing Address.

A dispatch from Atlanta, Ga, says: A heavy
rain storm deferred many people from golne
to the Georgia Chautauqua to hear Hon
William Mckinley speak upon the subject
of protection, consequently the assemblage
was not IS large as it otherwise would have
been. Mr.. Mckinley was introduced by
Judge Howard Van Epps. and stepping for
ward be spoke as follows:
FE1Low-c1r1zENs:-I make my acknowl
edcements to the Piedmot society for the
courtesy and cordia ity Of its invitation.
which has given me the opportunity to meet
for the first time an assemb!age OF the cltI-
Zens of Georgia
have come upon the suggestion of the
committee to address you upon q PUBIC
question of great national import, which
concerns not only the prosperity of one Sec
ton, but of all sections OF our common
country, and which is of commanding IN
terest to our sixty millions of people. 1t il
no new subject l propose to consider. 1t Is
as cd as governments to men. Taxation
with few exceptions has been the chief and
absorbing issue for more than century OF
the republic.
The government was scarcely launched
before its discussion commanded the best
varying degrees it has been prominently be.
fore the public ever since. The different
theories of taxation have an interest now
which they have never possessed before.
Public thought is awakened and the citizen
is investigating for himself. Frank discus
sion and thoughtful consideration OF the
two conflicting theories are therefore
demanded in the present state OF the public
mind, as well as the condition OF our
national treasury, How taxes are to be
raised to support the government, and by
what method can they be levied and col
lected as to bear most lightly upon the peo-
pie, and at the same time promote rather
than retard national prosperity, is the scope
of the theme which propose to discuss be-
fore you to-day.
There are some things upon which all are
in accord, and which are SO manifest as as, to
require no argument or amplifcation. They
are admitted facts. Among them are that
the United States must have sufficient
money to meet its current expenses and
maturing obligations; that the United
States as political society is without as
sets, without money, and has no income, ex-
cept what it secures by taxes collected from
its people. 1t must collect its money what
ever may be its actual requirements,
either by direct taxes or by duties
upon imports. There are few people to be
found in the country who seriously favor
the system of direct taxation for govern
mental expenses, that is, taxing the people,
their property, real and personal, their pro-
LESSONS and employments. The American
sentiment is practically unanimous in favor
of raising at least large share of the reve-
nue. for the government by levying duties
upon foreign importations.
1t requires nearly S35N0,0O0 every year
to meet the necessary wants of the public
service, and there is general assent to the
proposition that the bulk of this vast sum
shall be raised from customs sources. Up
to this point there is substantial concur
renee, and here individual and party senti-
ment divide, and believe honestly divide,
and to these lines of division, and the prin-
ciples upon which they respectively rest, I
invite your respectful consideration.
After defining the two systems, the pro-
tective system and the tariff for revenue
system, a. length, Mr.. Mckinley said:
The revenue tariff periods of our history
have been periods of greatest financial re-
WILSON'S and industrial decadence, want and
poverty among the people, private enter
prises checked. and public works retarded.
From 1888 to 1912, under the low tariff leg
isiatiou then prevailing, business was at
standstill, and our merchants and traders
were bankrupted; our industries were par
alyZed, our labor remained idle, and our
capital was unemployed. Foreign products
crowded our markets, destroyed domestic
competition, and, as invariably follows, the
price of commodities to consumers were
sppreciably raised. 1t is an instructive fact
that every panic this country has ever ex-
perienced has been preceded by enormous
importations. From 1916 to 1861 similar
situation was presented under the low tariff
of that period.
Contrast this period with the period from
1860 to 1880, the former under a revenue
tariff, the latter under protective tariff. In
1860 we had 163, 10000 acres of improved
land, while in 1880 We Lad 2S7, COO, 900, an in
crease of IS per cent: In 1850 our farms
value had leaped to $40, 197, O0O 900, an in
crease of over 800 per cent. In 1860 We
raised La, 600 900 bushels of wheat, in 1880
49S. OOO, 600. In 1860 we raised S3S, OOO, 900
bushels of corn,i in 1880 LII ,OOO, 900 bushels.
In 1860 we produced 100000 bales of cot
ton, in 1880 100000 bales, an increase of
40 per cent In 1850 we manufactured cot
ton goods to the value of $l15.6S1, ia, in
1880 the value reached S211 ,OOO, 900, an in
we manufactured of wooden goods SCI, OOO,-
600, in 1880 S267, 900, 600, an increase of 3S3
per cent. In 1850 we produced 60,OOO,OOO
pounds of wool, in 1850 24O,.
nearly 800 per cent. In 1860 We mined To-
OO0,OOO tons OF coal; IN 1851 I9,OUU,UUU tons.
an increase of nearly 400 per cent. In 1860
we made 9S1, 900 tons of pig iron; in 1880
{, 1886, 900 tons. In 1860 we manufactured
235, 600 tons of railroad iron, and in 1880
i ,2OS, 600 tons. In 1860 our aggregate of
national wealth was SIG, 159, Co., 600; in 1880
it was $43, 00O, oOO, 900.
From 1S4S to 1860, during the low tariff
period, there was but q single year in which
we exported in excess of what we imported.
The balance of trade during the twelve of
the thirteen years was against Us. Our peo-
pie were drained of their money to pay for
foreign purchases. We sent abroad over
and above our sales $396, PIC, 161. This vast
sum was drawn from the United States,
from its business, from the channels of
trade, which would have been
better employed in productive en-
terprises and thus supplied our
wants for which we were compelled to 20
abroad. During the last thirteen years,
under protective tariff, there vas but one
year that the balance of trade was against
us. For twelve years we sold to our foreign
customers in excess of what we bought from
them the sum of S1,6l2, 659, 755.
This contrast makes an interesting ex-
hibit of the work under the two systems,
You need not be told that the government
and the people are more prosperous whose
balance of trade is in their favor. The gov
eminent Is like the citizen, indeed it lie but
an AGGREGATION of citizens: md vhen tho