The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-04-18

provisions by their associates IN the COM
mittee were with but two exceptions rep
resentatives OF what was slave terri
tory. The bill was an anachronism;
1t had no relation TO this era;
it belonged to the saddest epoch in
our national history, the period between
1924 and 1865. During that period slavery
dominated our national councils and
guided the administration OF our natioual
affairs in hostility 10 national interests,
and in the interest of free trade twice
threatened war II was in the interest OF
free trade that war was threatened in sup
port of the doctrine OF notification, and Il
was in the interest of free trade that the
country was involved for more than four
years in q fratricdal war.
AS q measure proposed for future guild
ance the bill was an anachronism, and was
illustrative Of systems of ethics and
economic philosophy against which his
tory had written in blood decrces that
were final and immutable. None OF its
provisions were in harmony with the spirit
OF the age. Its first effect would be TO ar
rest the magnificent developments OF min
eral wealth, of manufacturing power and
of the diversitications of agriculture now
taking place throughout the south. and to
paralyze the organized industries of the
north
BY putting wool on the free list il would
abolish sheep husbandry, destroy the i'm
mense capital embarked therein, and inn
poverish more than 100000 men who
own flocks and are employed in their care,
and ty working this ruin IL would diminish
the supply OF cheap and healthful animal
food now furnished by wool growers TO the
mining and manufacturing laborers Of the
country. IL would also render the pro-
duction OF American tin plates and cotton
ties impossible by placing these articles on
the free list with WOOL by the transfer OF
these and other products OF coal and iron
orc to the free list, and by reducing the
duties on steel rails, structural iron and
many other forms Of iron and steel suflici-
emily to withdraw protection from them
and permit foreign producers TO flood our
markets, IL would, though II maintained
| existing duties on coal and iron ore, close
n majority OF the bituminous coal fields
and ore banks which were now giving
profitable employment TO hundreds Of
thousands of laborcN, not only i'm
northern States, but in the south, and
turn them adriit without prospect OF other
employment elsewhere, than in cotton and
corn fields. But while protesting to have
abandoned theirpurpose and TO put coal ore
on the free list its trainers had ingenious
ly contrived 10 make the importation OF
both free by such measures OF indrection
as might enable them tosaddle the treasury
department orthe judiciary with the polii-
cal alconsequences softheirdoliberaiet tergiver-
sations. Passing on 10 the question OF duty
on sugar, Mr.. Kelley said that the world
was indebted 20 the fostering care OF gov
| I'LL II.
which enables the humbest Of our labor.
ing classes TO include II in the list OF their
daily necessities President Clevcland's
free trade message, by its assumption that
the duty was always added 10 the cost, not
only Of imported commodities, but 10 the
price OF like commodities produced In this
country, showed how profoundly ignorant
he was OF economic science. To illustrate
the pucrile absurdity OF this assumption,
hc (Eelley) invited the Presidents atten-
ton TO the fact that though the duties i'm
posed by our government ON sugar when
reduced 20 advalorcm standards were
never 40 high ~ they now are, the
price Of sugar was never 30 low in this
country as IL now is. Tho progress OF
sugar making in Louisiana since 1867
might be cited as an illustration of the
yiializing influence Of protection duties.
In spite Of the steady decline Ia the price
OF foreign sugar, the poverty Of the people
and the decentralization OF her plantations ut
the close Of the war, Louisiana, encour-
aged by protective duties had added ma
lerially 10 the worlds supply Of cane
sugar.
Coming TO the subject Of surplus, Mr..
Kelley said ! would NJ lcgislatc ON the
question Of surplus and the sources whence
Il flows as 10 increase the wealth, power
and dignity OF the country by promoting
the development Of lis natural resources
aud the diyersifcation oi its industries,
aud thus diminish its dependence upon
foreign imporiaiions upon which duties arc
collected. / would derive the national
revenues from custom duties ~ adjusted
as TO stimulate and defend home produc-
tons, while preventing combinations,
trusts and monopolics Of any kind. The
reduction OF taxation should bc effected
Immediately by the abolition oi sources OF
income, the receipts from which may be
computed month by month, II not abso-
lulcly day by day. The politics oi this
country are now dominated by the whisky
trust as absolutely as they were
by slavery before the war, and
King Alcohol IL proving that lac IL
|
. Cotton ever was. lie said that Kentucky
was the most illustrious victim oi the
"whisky trust" aud that In the midst Of
almost unparalleled wealth and general
physical advantages the mass Of her pco'
pie are stepped Ia poverty aud illitcmcy.
Concluding Mr.. Kelley said: The per.
pctuation Of internal taxes u the issue pre-
scntcd 10 the American people by the
President in hs free trade message and by
the five southern gentlemen who had
dominated In the councils Of the commit.
tee on ways and means and submitted
this blu 20 the House for consideration
As for myself will stand for tho protec
tive system and the maintenance OF sucl
. rates Of duties "a will insure the develop
, mcnt OF al the resources Of the country,
increase the number Of lis industries
, and porpcluatc lis national indepcndoncc,
commercial and industrial ~ well ~ polit
, ical. This cannot be done u the inter.
national tax system is to be maintained
for the surplus is In q condition that can
not be perpetuatcd with safety 10 our re
publican institutions.
The senate.
wAsnISoToS, April H.-Mr stowar
| Ii A. A..