St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-08-30
The TARIFF
Hon. William Mckinley
Speaks at Atlanta.
AN TRANSFERABLE
ARGUMENT FOR
PROTECTION.
FOREIGN PRODUCERS MUST
PAY TRIBUTE TO Us.
WHAT PROTECTION HAS
DONE FOR THE COUNTRY.
A Plain, Common-sense, Bust
ness Speech.
The Greatest Argument Of the
Canvass---Read 1t.
WHAT PROTECTION HAS
DONE FOR THE COUNTRY.
A Plain, Common-sense, Bust
ness Speech.
The Greatest Argument Of the
Canvass---Read 1t.

The great speech on Protection by Con-
gresham Mckinley, of Ohio, was deliver
ed before the Georgia Chautauqua on
Tuesday, August 21st. Mr.. Mckinley was
introduced by Judge Howard Van Epps.
We give his argument to our readers in
full, as follows:
Fellow Citizens: I make my acknowl-
Judgments to the Piedmont Society for the
courtesy and cordiality of its invitation,
which has given me the opportunity to
meet for the first time an assemblage Of
the citizens Of Georgia. I have come upon
the suggestion of the committee to address
you upon public question of great ma
tional import, which concerns not only the
prosperity of one section, but of all sections
Of our common country, and which is of
commanding interest TO our CO. 000, 600 OF
people. It is no new subject I propose to
consider. 1t is as old as governments by
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 thought
of the statesmen of the time, and in vary
ing degrees it has been prominently before
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 citi-
zen is investigating for himself. Frank
discussion and thoughtful consideration
of the two conflicting theories are, there
fore, 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
collected as to bear most lightly upon the
people, and at the same time promote
rather than retard national prosperity, is
the scope of the theme which I propose to
discuss before you to-day.
There are some things upon which all
are in accord, and which are so manifest
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 a political society, is without
assets, without money, and has no income,
except what it secures by taxes collected
from its people. It must collect its money,
whatever 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 governmental
expenses-that is, taxing the people, their
property, real and personal, their profess
sions and employments. The American
sentiment is practically unanimous in
favor of raising at least a large share of
the revenue for the government by levy
ing
DUTIES UPON FOREIGN DlPORTATIONS.
1t requires nearly $3.50, OOO, 900 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 1 believe honestly divide,
and to these lines OF division, and upon the
principles upon which they respectively
rest, invite your respectful consideration.
Free traders, so-called, or, to be more eX
act, the advocates of a revenue tariff, be-
IieVing with the other school of political
economists in import duties, insist that
duties shall be levied upon that class OF
foreign products which are not produced
in the United States, the principal being
that revenue is the sole and only object of
such taxation, and that d duty levied upon
such foreign products as have little or no
home competition will secure the largest
revenue with the smallest rate of duty.