The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1888-06-30

THE TARIFF.
Under the tariff men take heed, unless they oon-
sent r9tional and oousderate diuStm ent of the
tariff, SUCH as only can be made by the full light
That careful statistical study of the subject will
source q reaction which will bring US by and by
into free trade and all its consequences of evil to
the manufacturing interests of the country.
desire TO say that, in my Judgment it is not thu
best mode of defending tariff to denounce every
man who does not pronounce the shibboleth after
our fashion as an enemy of the tarif.-Jdmes H. Gar
teld, July IS, 1865.
The House, being in Committee of the Whole on
the state of the Union, and having under consider
alton the bill (H. Il. 905) to reduce taxation and
simplify the laws in relation 10 the collection of the
revenue
Mr.. Fitch said:
Mr.. Chairman In the brief remarks
which I desire to make on the bill under
consideration, in the spirit of the words
which have just read, do not propose
10 discuss at length the arguments which
gentlemen on both sides of the House have
already fully presented, nor shall | attempt
to review or to put new meaning into the
great mass of customs figures which have
been SO carefully prepared and explained
by the gentlemen who have preceded me.
l do not intend to debate the question
whether or not we shall have tariff, or
whether that tariff shall be one for protec-
tion or not.
/ assume that, whether this bill passes
or not, we shall continue to have in this
country protective tariff, and that pro-
tective tariff, if it be fairly adjusted, if its
burdens be distributed with justice so far
as interests of my constituents are concern
ed, expect to defend and advocate as long
as | live And as long as | live, whenever
l find in the tariff laws or in any other of
the laws which affect the people whom l
represent anything which seems to me in
any degree Npfais or unjust, | shall not
hesitate to advocate their revision and
amendment [Applause.] Ipropose here
to discuss at this time only what seems to
me to be the question before the House,
whether or not the present tariff and the
free list WHICH accompanies it should re-
main unchanged during the existence of
the Fiftieth Congress.
In the discussion of this question shall
not attempt to initiate the gentlemen who
have with such wonderful patience and
industry examined the views Of the earlier
Presidents and the construction of the tariff
of 1879, and who have so carefully re-
viewed the whole course of legislation on
this subject since the foundation of the
Republic They have analyzed for you
every fuctuation in the prices of our man
ufactures, and they have accounted salts
factorily for each financial crisis in the
history of the country, Every statesman
Who has in any way identified himself with
this question has been quoted by them, and
every text book and essay on the subject
has been examined Each gentleman has
found in the same material the most con-
yincing proof that his particular theory was
correct and that of his opponent mistaken.
| For my part, and with the utmost defer
eace to the leaFning aud ability Of gentle
men who have spoken, lam forced to be-
lieve that, owing to the changes in trans
portation, invention of new machinery, the
growth and development of the country,
and Improvements which have accomplished
modern civilization here and all over the
world, the problem presented to us is en-
tirely different from that considered by the
earlier contestants over these questions. 1t
seems to me that no two countries in Eu-
rope are to-day more strikingly different in
the manner in which their inhabitants live,
their means of communication, and their
business customs than are the United States
of fifty years ago and the country and
people whose interests We are considering
here
| desire therefore to leave to other
gentlemen who have done it so well the
consideration of all the earlier precedents,
and to speak only of what the Republican
party in our day aHd generation has prom
ised to do, aud to consider what duties are
incumbent on US here and now in connec-
ton with that promise. | propose also to
speak of what | consider to be the interest
Of the people in my own district, whose
condition and whose wants are naturally
better known to me than those of others
It can hardly be denied that the present
tariff was largely made up in this way =
Different interests in special districts sent
information and delegations to Washington,
urging the enactment of duties specially
favorable to them, and sometimes elected
Congressman especially with view to OBJ
tanning a protection which they deemed
necessary for their district. tits not prob
able that the views Of the persons repre-
sented in this way were always unselfshl
and it is possible that theadvocates Of these
particular interests were not unwilling tc
profit by taxes which bore unequally upon
other sections of the country.