The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1888-08-23
A PUBLIC QUESTION.
Msjor Mckinley Champions PrOtsc-
;Icn Below Mason and DIXIE.
The Gii,ieFlng F. llacies Of Free Trade
ElOqusntly Exposed.
The Splendid Progress IN the Golden
Period of Development.
The Subject Discussed from Principle.
Statistics and Experience.


in answer to an Invitation from the
Georgia Chautauqua Society, appeared
before that association to-day upon its
grounds near this city, and in the pres
ence of a conc0urse of people number
ing many thousands delivered an adj
dress upon the tariff, as viewed from
both revenue and a protective stand
point. The full text of the address is
as follows:
FELLOW CITIZENS: make my ac-
acknowledgements to the Piedmont Socie-
ty for the courtesy and cOrdiality of its
invitation, which has given me the OPP
portunity to meet tor the first time an
assemblage of the citizens of GeOr
gia.
have come upon the suggestion of
the committee to address you upon a
public question of great national i'm
port, which concerns not only the pros
perity of one section but of all sections
OF our common country, and which is
of commanding interest to our sixty
millions of people. It is no new sub
ject propose to consider. 1t is as old
as the 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 COM
manded the best thought of the states
men of TIE time. and in varying de-
greeS 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 citizen is Investigating for
himself. Frank discussion and
thoughtful consideration of the two
conflicting theories are therefore de-
manded in the present state of the
public mind, as well as the conditions
of our national treasury. How taxes
are to be raised to support the govern
ment, 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 l 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
application. They are admitted facts.
Among them are that the United
| States must have sufficient money to
meet its current expenses and matuIr-
| ing obligations; that the United
States as IA political society is without
assets, without money, and has no in
come, except what it secures by taxes
collected from its people. 1t must col
! lect its money, whatever may be its
actual requirements, either by direct
taxes or by dutirs 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 il, taxing the
| people, their property, real and per-
/ Sonal, their professions and employ
| mentS. The American sentiment is
| practically unanimous in favor of rails
| ing at least n large share of the revenue
for the government by levying duties
upon foreign importatiOns.
| 1t requires nearly $3.50 GOO 600 every
year to meet the necessary wants Oi
the public service, and there is gener-
al assent to the proposition that the
bulk of this vast sum shall be raised
from customs sources. Up to this
| point there is substantial concurrence
and here individual and party Senti
mont DIVIDE. and L believe honestly di
vide, and TO these lines of division
and the principles upon which they re
spectfully rest, invite your respectful
consideration.
Free-traders. so called, or, to be more
exact, the advocates of a revenue tariff
believing with the other school of poll
tical economists in import duties, in
sist that duties shall be levied upoI
that class of foreign products which AR
not produced in the United States, thu
principle being that revenue is the sol,
and only object of such taxation. ant
that a duty levied upon such fOreigl
products as have little or no home com
petition will secure the largest revenu
with the smallest rate of duty. AM
this is altogether true, for wheneve
you can find a foreign article which tn
| people of this country require AM
which of necessity they must import
any duty, however low, indeed the YER
minimum, will produce revenue; fO
inasmuch as there is no home produces
article to contend for any part of tn
home market, impOrtatiOns will go o.
unchecked. and the revenue derive
} therefrom will be only limited by tn
extent of the impOrtatiOns influence
by the necessities of our people an
their capacity to buy. An illustratiO
familiar to ali of you are the product
of tea and coffee. Neither of thes
great staple articles are produced i
the United States. The demands @
our people for these products, and the
extend to every home and fireSide in til
land. are supplied from abroad. Nov
} | any tax thereon, however slight and il
significant, would produce very Col
, siderable revenue TO the government
| and this illustrates what Is eommonl
understood AS revenue tariff
If however, the duty is levied upon til
Ell foreign competing product. il is mad
: SO low, having revenue only in view
that the effect is to destroy home CON
petition and increase the revenue there
from by increasing importations.
J: Hon. j. Randolph Tucker, of Vii
d ginia, an eminent lawyer and expel
{ fenced statesman. in speech deliver
o ed in the house of representatives Ma
q Is, 1878, defined a revenue duty as fU
i. lows:
d to be laid than is needed to raise th
s article, it follows that the true rev
4 nue. duty is the lowest duty which wi
~ bring the REQUIRED revenue
This definition is fair and fran
= one, and accept it. A revenue tari
II is, therefore, such one as will pr
q duce the largest revenue from the loy
q est duty. The lowest rate of duty wi
: encourage impOItations, diminiE
o home production, and inevitably Il
= crease the revenue; it will of necessii
q check competition at home and ser
y our merchants abroad to buy; it afforG
no protection. not even incidental. Fl
. the very instant you discover that SUI
!. duty favDrS the home producer, tn
instant you discover that importation
.. and revenue are checked, and that d
% producers are able TO control the hon
= market. or part of it. Then at on
the advocate of revenue tariff Teduc
the duty, brings it down to the trJ
g revenue standard; for it must MT
q overlooked. according to that fl
4 trade maxim. where protection begil
10 revenue ends. aud the question
%. revenue is always controlling. a re
Ut enue tariff is Inconsistent with prute
IS ton; it is Intended for wholly diffe
de ent purpose. 1t Loses its force n
= character as genuine revenue tar
= when it becomes to any extent prote
tive. It has but one object. It G.
a. have but one effect-that of openil
up our markets TO the foreign produc
u -impoverishing the home produc