The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-11-17

stood. as of course, that the law-making
power would do this without being re-
stricted; but it is shown how great n
peryersion of that authority it is a use
such power to regulate domes dc of.
fairs, by assessing the mass s for the
benefit of the few. In the W AZ of iilustra-
ton, the gifted writer remarks at this
point that Congress is. also invested with
the power of declar ing war, and that the
condition OF w 4r, interrupting importa-
lions, would lave tendency to stimulate
the home reduction of many articles usu-
ally I'D ported; but would any class have
the t.emerity to insist that it is proper or
| irdicious to make use of the war-declarlng
power to protect domestic manufactures by
diminishing competition in such manner!
This is strong point and one that slngu-
larly enough, the whole aggregation OF
modern statesmen have entirely overlooked
or purposely avoided.
Another good point is made by reference
to the tenth amendment to the Constltu-
ton, in which it is provided that powers
not delegated to the United States are re-
served Mr. DAVIS calls attention to the
d ~
the power to the national government Ito
establish public institutions, rewards and
immunities for the promotion of agriculture,
commerce, trades and manufactures" but
no such grant having been made, it would
seem to be conclusively presumed that no
such power exists. A reference is made to
ALEXANDER HAMILTON, the author of the
protective system in this country, who
pointed out in the FedcrdList that the states
would need revenue for various purposes,
among them being the encouragement of
agriculture and manufactures, the former
having the priority in the order of mention
in this and every other case being especi-
ally noteworthy in view of the fact that
this ''most useful, most honorable and
most healthful occupation of mankind" is
so greatly lost sight of in the recent politi-
cal affairs of the nation that the farmers in
some of the states have found it necessary
to form an alliance for their mutual
well being through the attainment of
better recognition from the law-making
powers of the country The Republicans
of Iowa-which state they thought they
had mortgage on-know how true this is
and what power the grangers in their
united capacity can WELD when driven to
the wall by a robber tariff and its consist
ent evils.
Mr.. DAVIS notes the fact that prior to
1916 the demand was for tariff for revenue
with incidental protection; then the order
was changed, protection becoming the OBJ
ject and revenue the incident. 1t first as
sumed political and then a sectional as
pect; this latter, the writer believes, is
gradually in process of humiliation thu ough
the growth and spread of manufacturing
Industries in the southern states.
Just what Mr.. DAVIS thinks should be
adopted as tariff law, in a few words, is
shown in the following extract:
A primary object in levying authorized taxes,
should be to limit them to the necessities of the
government, and to impose them so as to be
least burdensome and most equal. To this end,
duties should be collected on all imports that
will bear them, in order that such duties by
wide distribution, may be rendered least onerouS
to anyand ghtest to all. An article not produced
in the United States, but of general consump-
ton, would therefore be most proper object on
which to lay revenue duty. When
duty is charged upon an imported article which
completes in the market with the home product,
it enhances the price of both and becomes an
incidental prOJecLIOn 10 Guc lAIttT. ~ lHlS tI-
feet provided it be fair revenue duty, there
can be no just objection; but prohibitory duty
would be "a fraud on the revenue.
These views, coming from man who has
no political desires or personal aspirations
beyond the hope of doing good within the
brief span that may yet be left him, and
one who thus writes without bias, favor or
the hope of reward, are valuable, not
merely for those reasons but also because
of the mans thorough training in the school
of statecraft and his vast and recognized
ability to discuss such subjects. A tariff
for revenue only is the golden mean be
tween the extremes of protection aud free
trade, and it is this that Mr.. DAVIS advo-
Gates and the nation will finally uphold.