Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1888-09-18

IIdQe. Eu6 IuU6L 6Lk1A1iH thIak dbOob bHC
Mills bill is that it is the most moderate
reduction of tariff duties that has ever
been attempted in this country. The
average duty levied under the present tariff
wns Al per cent. and under the Mills bill
the average would be only about 40 per
cent, a reduction of only q per cent. on all
commodities taken tagether. OF course
there are some things upon which the duty
wa reduced more. For instance, the duty
is taken off of q number of articles called
raw material, which are used by manufac-
turers in their work, in the fabrication of
their products, and as they receive this
great benefit of having their raw materials
free, or with a superlatively small duty,
the bill wisely provides that the articles
manufactured by them when brought into
the country. shall pay q lower rate of duty
thai they did before. But that is nothing
more than a compensation for taking off
the duty from the raw material
PRESIDENT oUoTK
President Garfield said in the House of
Representatives on March 10, 1871: 81
was surprised at a remark Of the distin-
guished gentleman from Michigan-Q do
not know who that distinguished gentle
man was, but he was a Miehigander.) He
asserted that there is no item in the whole
tariff that can stand alone on its merits,
but that all must be AIKEN in a lump in
order to stand; Stbat coal must take salt by
the hand and they, too, must take come
thing else by the hand; and thus all inter
ests unite with all forces before they can
make a stand before the country. If this
remark be true it strikes a blow at the
whole tariff system; a blow 1 am not will
ing to strike. 1 am unwilling to admit
that bad taxes must be tied to good enes
and thus be kept afoat. 1 think it is I'M
-;.o %o oonk;nus thfs dufy IN coal and 7
am therefore in favor of its repeal"
This M~ichigander came from a Lumber
country I expect, and he was in favor of
log-rolling. [Laughter. Log-rolling on
the largest kind of a scale; that the man
who wanted protection on one article
should leg-roll with the man who wanted
protection on another, and thus by all
combining together and making one grand
syndicate or pool force their measure
through the Congress Of the United States.
But James A. Garfield said fthis remark
tariff system and a blow 1 am not willing
to strike. I am unwilling to ADMIT that
bad taxes must be tied to good ones and
thus be kept afloat."
Now, my friends, there Is another thing
TO which 1 wish to call your attention.
They say all at once Il say all at once, for
it Is o very late doctrine), these advocates
of protection are all at once seized with
wonderful solicitude for the laboring man
of the country, and they want high pro-
~tective tariff, not to benefit the capitalist,
not to benefit the monopolist, not to bene-
fit the manufacturer, according to their
statement, but to benefit the laboring
man. He is the man they seek to protect.
And how are they going to protect him?
Why, they say a high protective tariff will
better his condition, give him more wages
better wages. I would like to know
how that can be. 1 would like to know
how taxing a laboring man on everything
from the crown of his head to the sole of
his foot is going to enrich him. Laugh
ter and applause.
HOW THE THING WORKS.
Yet this is exactly what the tariff tax
does. 1t taxes him on the hat that he
wears, on the cap that I put On my head
to keep it warm. Applause and laugh
ter. 1t taxes him on his shirt, on his
necktie, on his underclothes, on his coat,
on his vest, on his breeches, On his stock
ings, on his boots, on everything. IRE
newed ch~eering.1 It raises the price and
taxes him until the poor man can hardly
make enough money, even If he gets a few
cents more wages in the day-it taxes
him until he can hardly make enough
money to support himself and his little
! dIl1ly Ii hc LING ohos anu shS -
that this Is for the benefit of the labor
ing man. My friends, that Is a very bold
faced statement, if there ever vas one in
the world, but there is another thing about
il. How is he to get the high wagesP Why,
he is to get them because his employer, the
capitalist or %monopoiist, will make more
money, and therefore can afford to pay his
employees or hired men higher wages than
he paid them before. I agree that he could;
I agree that it increases the profits; |
agree that he might, having these increased
profits, pay his laboring men more than
they were paid before. Bat does he do is
That is the question. Applause and cries
of mo, no." Did You ever know him to
do il? Tories of tNo, no."1
The tariff has been raised again and
again and again; it was immensely raised
by the act of 1861 or 1862, 1 forget which
Of these years it was. 1t was raised in a
few years again, and again it has been
raised again and again, and yet in all that
time 1 never nave been able to find the
~anufooturo mr. caaifa1iat who uDOn