The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-08-22
The Benefits of the Former Plainly Illustrated
and the Fallacies of the Latter Held
Up for Inspection BY the Voters.
Convincing Argumentin Favor ofa Sys-
tenn That Has Made This Nation Great,
And an Earnest Appeal TO Americans to Actss
Such in the Present COntest-Hon. Vim.
Mckinley at GeOrgia's Chautauqus.


day at the Chautauqua Assembly. The grounds
were filed with people. the majority of them
representing agricultural interests. The event
was the speech of Representative Mckinley.
who had come from Washington to address the
people on the advantages of a protective policy
Among the large audience were some Of the
most distinguished citizens of Georgia Major
Mckinley was introduced by Judge Howard
Van Epps and was warmly received
DIR. Mckinley began by returning thanh for
the cordiality of the invitation extended him,
and stating the topic upon which he should
speak. He then said
There are some things upon which ali are in
accord. and which are manifest 40 to require
no argument or amplifcation. They are ad
mitted facts. Among them that the United
States must have sufficient money to meet ito
current expenses and maturing obligations; that
the Uoited States political society 10 with
out assets, without money, and has no income,
except what il 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 importa 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 personal. their profes-
sions ana employments. The American senti-
ment is practically unanimous In favor OF rails
government by levyine duties upon foreign i'm
portatons.
After stating that the government required
annually about $3.50 600 900 for its expenses. ane
outlining the plan by which revenue tariff
advocates propose to raise this money. Mr
Mckinley proceeded as follows
Hon. ]. Randolph Tucker, of Virginia. an en-
inent lawyer and experienced statesmen. in .
speech delivered in the House of Representa-
tives, Msy Is, l87S defined revenue duty as fol-
lows:
Therefore no higher duty ought to te laid thsns
needed to raise the required revenue any psrtcu-
lar Article, it follows that the duty s
the lowest duty which will bring tie requ
This definition is a fair and frank one. and
. accept il. a. revenue tariff is. therefore. snch
a one viii produce the largest revenue from
the lowest duty. The loves, rate cf duty
will encourage importations, diminish home
production, and inevitably increase ihe revenu';
1t will of necessity check competition at hornc,
and send our merchants abroad 70 buy; u Affords
no protection, not even incidental. tor the very
instant you discover that such duty fayors the
home producer that instant You discover thht
importations and revenue are checked. and that
our own prod ucers are able to control thu home
market, or part OF it. Then at once the adyo-
cate of . revenue tariff reduces the Gat-. brings
1t down to the true revenue standsrn; for &c
must not be overlooked according 10 that free
trade maxim. where protection begins revenue
ends" and the question Of revenue is always
controlling revenue tariff is inconsistent
with protection: il is intended for wholly diff
ferent purpose. Ir loses it's force and character
IS a genuine revenue tariff when IL becomes 20
any extent protective. 1t has but one object
1t can have out one effect-that of opening up
our markets TO the foreign prodncer-impover.
ishing the home producer and enrichipg his
foreign rival.
England is moro nearly' free trade country
than any other. and b, system OF taxation
furnishes IN uumis,aksble example of the
practice and principle of revenue tariff. Her
I'M port duties imposed almost exclusively
upon articles which cannot oe produced vy ter
own people upon her own sc' Tobacco. snuff.
cigars, chicory. cocoa, y figs. raisins.
rum, brandy, wine. tea a. .ee--these are the
articles from which here ms srevenue is de-
rived. articles, in the main. not produced in
England but which must be supplied from
abroad; while practically all competing products
Of foreign make and production are admitted
through her custom houses free of duty.
A brief statement Of the dutiable imports Of
Great Britain will not be without interest
1t will be observed that her duties are more
largely imposed upon peculiarly American prod
ucts than upon any others. The duty upon
tobacco is. according to moisture, from 81 TO 90
cents per pound for the raw unmanufaetured
article, and if manufactured it pays q duty OF
from SLO4 to $l.16 per pound. The manu-
factured article is made dutiable at 20 cents q
pound greater than the product which,
with all of Englsnd's boasted free trade, is in-
tended o protection to those engaged in the
manipulation of tobacco. II 10 almost prohibit
tive to Americans who would export msnufact-
ured tobacco. The ad valorem equivalent OF
the duty on tobacco is nearly 1000 per cent
Cigars pay duty of .32 per pound, and from
tobacco and snuff over s43, 0O0. OO0 of duties are
collected annually. The duty on tea is II cents .
pound. How would the Am ericau enjoy paying
such q duty upon this article OF very'dsy useI
The duty collected from this source is over sl6,-
OO0. 600 annually. Coffee pays o duty Of 3 cents
pound, but If ground. prepared. or in any way
mi 1faQf f1po pod 4 yaau drfU NJ Il ant
pounc-another example Of where England pro-
tects those engaged in manufacture Cocoa
pays a duty of cents q pound, but il Ii IL in any
form subjected to manufacture it pays cents
pound, the duty the Manufactured article
being double that on the raw material
Besides the articles / have named there are
about ninety . hundred others. chiefly OF
American production. patented and other medi-
cines, which arc dutiable at So. So per gallon
More than s96 000. 600, nearly one-fourth Of
the British revenues are raised from customs
duties.
You will note the character Of taxation to
which the revenue reformer invites the people
of the United States. Both the breakfast table
and the sick-room made to bear large part
OF the burden under the British system of taxa
tion. 1t is not without Significance that the
nearer we approach this system the more gener-
ous the bestowal of British commendatioo.
Every step We take in that direction, every en-
largement of the free list Of competing foreign
products. every reduction of duty upon such
and a benefcence TO British interests Ii isiu
vain for the British statesman to assure Us that
their system is best for 10. We are not
accustomed to look commercial rivals
for disnterested favors "It is folly" said
Washington in his farewell address, ''in one ma
sion to look for disnterested fAvors from anoth-
or; that it must pay. with portion of its ipce-
pendenco. for whatever it may accept under that
character There can be greater error than
to expect or calculate upon real favors from ma
ton TO nation. 1t is illusion which expert
eucs must cure snd which just pride ought TO
discard" We are not. Mr.. President, insensble
to the good opinion Of mankind and Of the EDg-
lishspeakinR race, but when it is to be had only
at the expense Of our industrial Independence.
at the sacrifice of the dignity and independence
of labor and the destruction OF national pros
perity, We must regard it with supreme suspi-
cion and turn from il as the eulogy Of selfish
interest aud the commendation Of interested
greed.
The other theory of taxation, and the one
which believe to be essential to American de-
veiopmsnS and national prosperity. 10 based up
on an exactly opposite principle. II permits oil
articles Of foreign production, whether of the
| field, the factory, the mine, except luxuries
onls. which we cannot produce in the Untied
l State to enter ports free and unburdened
/ by custom mouse exsctions The duty 10 20 be-
| imposed upon the foreign competing product,
! that is the product which. If brought into this
| country, wonld contend with the products Of our
own SOIL our own labor. aud our own factories,
| In our own markets. Under this system IL the
| foreign producer would enter our market with