The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1888-05-26
THE TARIFF DEBATE.
Great speeches by Brookinridgo and Carlisle.

by MI. OarllSle, CpedhSi VI tue IhOoSS- --'
Breckenridge, of Kentucky spoke on Friday,
the 18th instant. The galleries and all avail
able space were filled with spectators. The
press throughout the country say that both
the speeches by Democrats and Republicans,
last week, exhausted the subject, with the
argument in favor of the Democrats. In
after years this will be referred to as one OF
the greatest debates that ever occurred in the
halls of Congress. Abstracts of Mr.. Brock
inridge's and Mr.. Carlisle's speeches are
given below:
SPEECH OF MR.. BRECKENRIDGE.
As Mr.. Breckenridge, of Kentucky. rose to
speak he was warmly applauded and cheered,
the Republican side of the House and the
galleries Joining in the demonstration. he
began his speech with a review of the situation
so far as the surplus in the treasury is con-
cerned, and with statement of the dangers
attendant on the further accumulation OF
surplus in the treasury. He then said "When
the committee on ways and means was an
nounced, on January the 9Th, it necessarily
had to confront this condition Of affairs and
attempt to frame a bill which would so reduce
the revenues of the government as to bring
its legitimate expenses and its revenues close
together, and this, too, in such way as to
reduce the burden oftaxation upon the people.
Rejecting the proposition to increase the
duties for the purpose of reducing the revenues
of the government and increasing the reve-
nues of the manufacturers, and the proposition
to repeal the internal revenue system, the
committee attempted to frame a bill which
would reduce the revenues by safe amount,
and would relieve, as far as moderate bill
could do, the evils of the present unequal
system, reform the inequalities of the present
tariff, and promote American industry by
giving to American labor the hope of per
nanent, stable and profitable market. L
venture to affirm that under all the circum-
stances which surrounded us-trying to per-
form an onerous public duty with an eye single
to the public good-we have reported bill
which every fair-minded man in America may
accept as wise, moderate and proper legisla-
ton. And upon this statement, for one,
am willing to go to the country and submit
to its judgment.
This bill was the result of great labor, of
an earnest desire to reach a fair and conser-
vative compromise measure, and every item
of it underwent the scrutiny of every member
of the majority of the committee. 1t leaves
the average rates of duty higher than they
were under the Morrill, tariff, and it is pro-
tective tariff bill. 1t is bill framed to meet
the present condition, not to fit any particular
theory. Its believed that this bill will enable
the home manufacturer of wooden and other
textile fabrics to so equally compete with his
foreign competitor as to supply the home
market with much of what is now supplied by
importation, and that this will continue until
the foreign goods of certain characters will be
entirely driven from the American market.
The changes proposed by this bill are designed
to give to the farmer, by whom all provisions
are raised, a market for his breadstuffs and
for raw materials, which is only profitable
when he has prosperous manufacturer for a
purchaser; to the laborer the hope of a con-
slant market, and to the manufacturer freedom
from unnecessary burdens"
Referring to the internal revenue system he
said: at was determined, in response to what
seemed to be the sentiment of large part of
the country, to propose the repeal of taxes on
manufactured tobacco. Our belief was that
10 exempt fruit brandies and alcohol used in
the arts was indirectly and hypocritcally, but
efectually, to destroy the internal revenue
system; aud if this is to be done we preferred
to do it or have it done openly, and thus fix
the responsibility for it upon those who &C.
complished it. Those who vote to exempt
alcohol thus used will do so with the knowl-
edge that it is q vote to destroy the tax on
distilled spirits.
1.-The bill is before Congress; the RESPONSE
bility of its preparation was upon us; the
responsibility of legislation is upon you. 1t
has been reported that in some savage tribes
out of the bones of the dead implements of
various sorts were made, but in this debate it
has occurred to gentlemen so eminent as to
be distinguished representatives of the people
to deliberately dig up the bones of the heroes
of the great war and out of them make dice,
and loaded dice at that, to play in this game
of politics. In such game, even with such
dice, the gentlemen using them may rest as.
sured that they will lose. | express the con-
fdent belief that the day has gone by when
either the passions of the war, denunciations
of the whiskey ring, abuse of the South,
identification OF revenue reformers with the
Confederate army, or any other of the skilled
arts which those interestedin the maintenance
of this system have heretofore so successfully
used, can prevent some action which will be
the beginning of a system which is based on
the great principle that all tariff legislation
should be for the public good and not for
private interest. The day has passed when,
under the old flag, and in the name of loyalty,
the sweat of the farmer and the laborer, coined
into hard money, can be taken without con-
sideration under the pretense of tariff protec-
ton to American labor"
A protective tariff does not, he argued, and
in the nature of the case cannot, fix the wages
of labor. Labor, like all commodities, will,
under the operation of the law of supply and
demand, command It's worth in the market
where it is for sale. Our present system re.
stricts the market to be supplied by our labor,
and it enables the manufacturers to fix the
price they will pay to labor. Whenever the
duty is high enough to prevent foreign COM
petition, then the operative making and the
consumer purchasing those protected"
fabrics are in the power of the manufacturer.
No organization of labor, no Knights of
Labor can break such shackles; the ''strikes"
give only assistance to the trust" who own
the market. The only relief is in Congress
by the reduction of duty to the competitive
point.
Turning to a consideration of the bill he
said ''The bill now reported is incomplete
in that it does not remove all burdens. The
whole extent to which it does relieve by put.
ting upon the free list the articles which are
on the dutiable list is So, 100000. 1t does,
however, reduce the burdens as to the other
seventeen millions SO far as the committee
felt that it could do so at present. for some
of these articles which are imported and are
put under the classification ] have indicated
come in competition with articles manufac-
tured in America. And the committee has
left duties in some cases altered and in some
unaltered, as in its best judgment the interests
of each individual case required, giving the
doubt always to the industry which claimed
that it could not survive unless duty was left.
The clamor against free wool which has
frightened some is absolutely without justif-
cation. The proportion that the wool inter-
est bears to the agricultural interests Of
America is so small, and the difference even
If all that our opponents say could be true
between its value now and IFS value under
free wool is SO inappreciable when compared
to the aggregate of the vast wealth of Amer
lea, and of all the investments which the
farmer holds, that the clamor lorits protection
demonstrates what sGilllul organization.
backed with the aggressiveness of private
gain, and urged with constituencies audacity,
can do"
Discussing the protective system be said :;
''Unequal distribution of the wondrous wealth
which has been produced by American toll
and accumulated by American economy has
given to certain individuals fortunes greater
than the world has ever seen under any
other sky or any other system. The law
of primogeniture, operating through the
centuries, together with the vast growth
of wealth in Great Britain, has not been
able to give to any human being such
fortune as the protective tariff of America has
anohlad n fau oentleman tn secure within a