The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-01-25
Tie Issues Of the Day Discussed st Diner
Given by the New York Cub.
Kr. Breckenridge Dies Net Hesitate to Oppose
Tobacco Tsx Reduction.
CeIsressm2n Ford Considers Tauff RSisrm
tue Qges!isn tho H:ur.
Henry wattersOn Attain Announces His
Unalterable Opposition to War
Taxes-Views of Other Speakers.


guests at the Metropolitan Opera House.
After the dinner half score OF the gu ests
discussed The issues Of tariff reform. Arson
Phelps Stokes presided. The speakers
were Hon. w. @. P. Breckjnridge, OF Ken
lucky, Hon. Melbourne II. Ford, OF Mich
igan, Hon. Henry Wattsrson, of Kentuc KY,
Hon. NJ. ID. HaTter, of Ohio, and number
of local speakers.
PRECEDENT Stokes was the first speaker.
He said that never before had the people
shown such 4 general and intellectual in
terest liz the discussion Of economic ques-
tions. The great Presidential election of
this year turned upon tariff reform. The
large surplus in the Treasury had alarmed
all honest people. The wise, prudent,
practical, patriotic message had sounded
The note Of warning. Tee coal miners in
Pennsylvania, the wool msnufac turers of
New England, the farmers in the South
and West had come to doubt at least the
advantages of protection. The tariff re-
form club welcomed tariff reformers gen.
eaally, including those who would lessen
the duty on q single raw material, and
those who would lift some tariff burdens
from consumers, those who would do away
with protection and those who would
abolish all custom houses.
Mr.. J, P. Townsend, President OF the
Maritime Exchange, offered the following:
We, The members Of the Reform Club,
Cleyelsnd to Congress concerning the re-
duetion of the tariff tatatiOn."
1t was unanimously adopted.
Mr., BRECKENRIDGE SPEARS.
Hon. w. c. P. Breckenridge then re
sponded TO the toast, Tariff Reform"
Mr.. Breckenridge, in opening, paid trib-
nte 10 Henry Watterson, who sat at his
right, snd said Mr.. Watterson was a leader
whose follower he was. Referring to his
own recorded stand against the abolition
of the tax on tobacco, he said he would
rather have it reduced than that no action
should be taken in the matter OF taHtf
reform. The question of protection,
he said, WAS one which might
have temporary triumph in
the lower courts, bat, when carried up 70
the court Of last resort, was sure of SEN
teuce Of condemnation. Every provision
of the present tariff was made in the inter
est Of private parties. Everything on the
schedule, il it could talk, would tell tale
Of secret lobby work for private interest.
Mr.. Breckenridge spoke in scathing terms
Of the concessions to railways, and said the
public credit had been so handled by pc
culiar banking privileges so that it was
lent for private emolument. This very
month wool manufacturers and So
called wool-growers met to determine
the wool tariff to be adopted by the Con-
gress of the United States, for their bene-
TT II had never occurred m them that
there were sixty million people who might
be concerned in the matter. Mr.. Brecken-
ridge asked how long the people would al
low the wool to be over their eyes IN this
matter. The solution Of the country s
shipping interests, he claimed, lay in
tariff reform. The Reading strike
he attributed to the bad working of
the present ubiquitous system.
Referring to the recent message OF the
President, the speaker said that with rare
courage the President submitted to the
people the issue as to which should be the
system of the future. The issue had been
put into concise form, The speaker closed
with praise for President Cleveland. the
mention Of whose name was londly
cheeTed.
THE FARMER AND THE TARIFF.
''Tbe Farmer and the Tariff was the sub
Ject assigned to Hon. Melbourne II. Ford
member of Congress from Michigan. Mr.
Ford said that he was informed that thi:
club was Of recent organization, He con
graduated the members upon the success
of the affair. 1t bad deep meaning. II
signifed that the Reform Club of the city
OF New York had come to stay. Located
as you are, said the speaker, Gin the me
tropOlis Of this country the influence which
you will exert on this question is to be
greater than many Of you suppose.
believe that no more important
that Of the reduction of the taxation
The accumulation Of late years has re
suited in a colossal surplus in the treasury
whichiwas something appalling. Ia 1850 tht
National taxation averaged 81 o. pei
capita. To-day it was over S. 1t was
matter of wonder that the people submit
ted to this state of things. The situation
ing Of the increased taxation
Did the Government need money
No, it was accommodating a surplus a
the rate of one hundred million
dollars year.. Nor was thh'
surplus accumulated for the pur
so that the few manufacturers might bt
paid q premium for earning their living
Why had the people submitted?-fnr or
their shoulders the burden rested. 1t wa
very simple. Tney had paid the taxes in
directly and had not realized the effect i
had upon them. 1t had come to them IL
the shape OF increased prices OF necessa
ries of life. Suppose the money had beer
collected by direct taxation? The people
would never have submitted to It. Their,
would have been revolution in less thar
thirty days. The tariff advocates would
never dare to change the system to direct
taxation. The reduction of taxation
should be largely upon the pecessaries o.
life. Is il not strange that as soon as thu
message for free trade came out that thu
newspapers very soon called the attention
of the farmers to the fact that the wa
tariff was the great bulwark of their pros
perity, and the mails were loaded dovI
with circulars and documents showing tn
great improvement to be derived from tn
tariff This wool tariff is the piece
resistance of the tariff question
They say that the tariff must be reduced
The farmer may be saved from utter des
truction By the reduction of the tariff OF
wool 4 doubt the sincerity of these mel
from the farmers interests.
Mr.. wATTKRsoE's SPEECH.
Mr.. Watterson, in his remarks upon tn
subject, said:
rise with difidence and trepidation
9oriehow the impression has been con
veyed TO me that am expected to stl
your enthusiasm with O great array of sta
tistical information, and to amuse yol
with facetious and horid burst of figures
not Of speech, but Of schedules and class
ihcation. In these lines of the rhetori
art, believe me, / am powerless. My mis-
sion Is to deal with matters OF fact and I,
tackle truth