Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-08-29
AN EARLY GUN
OF the Campaign Of 1889.
A TARIFF FOR LABOR oNLY-THE
PRODUCTS OF NATURE FREE.
Everything EIseto Pay a Duty OF 81
Per Cent. Ad Valorem.
The Mastery Speech of Joshua seney
At KaIIda, Ohio, wednesday, Aug. II


Judge Seney, Of Toledo, accepted an
invitation to address meeting Of
Democratic farmers at Kalida, Putnam
county, last week, and spoke substanti-
ally as follows:
Whatever God makes should enter
every port free Of duty; whatever man
makes should be excluded from every
port where 1t ought to be made by man.
The products of nature are of the land
and the sea, the air, the light, the heat,
and why should man pay tribute for
that which would exist II there were
not a man on the face of the earth?-
The products OF art are wrought by
human labor, and that nation is un-
mindful Of herown that does not foster,
protect and encourage such labor
Whatever is In the earth, or on the
earth, Is gathered by rude and simple
labor, and in such labor God made
every man, of every cline, q compet-
flor. II the material that may be
gathered by all is to be fashioned into
a thing of beauty or utility, it must he
done by those who, through education
in the art, rise above the common herd.
maintain tariff for labor only.
Nearly every Democrat and nearly
every Republican will tell you that he
is in favor of tariff, and yet nearly
every Democrat and nearly every Re-
publican will argue against a tariff.
The argument of the one leads to free
trade, and the argument of the other
leads to no trade; and with free trade
or with no trade, there can he no tariff
for tariff is the payment Of a duty.
Our country is so vast, and has grown
so great, that she can choose between
free trade with all nations and no trade
with any nation, and the adoption of
either policy would not destroy the
prosperity of our people. Such is the
virtue, intelligence and industry of our
people that they can hold their own
with or against the people Of other ma
tions. To US tariff may yet have its
advantages, but is no longer necessity.
America, to-day, is vantage ground!
No trade with the people of any other
nation will hurt that people more than
our own. Free trade cannot be one
sided, and so long as every nation
levies duties on our exports, the law OF
retaliation is self defense, and compelG
levy Of duties on imports. 1t is idle
to talk free. trade with q nation that
will not trade free with US. .Es
Without law there would be free
trade between nations, and by law all
trade between nations may be prohibit.
ed. A tariff law may interfere with
trade, but does not prohibit it. Every
civilized nation must have money in
order to defray the expenses of govern
ment, and from time immemOrial thai
money has been furnished in whole OF
in part by duty on imports, and un'
til the wit of man can devise some
other plan whereby men may pay take.
without knowing It, it may be that il
will so continue. The original purpose
of every tariff law is revenue only
Every tariff enacted by Congress- hal
yielded revenue, and so will every tar
iff law that Congress may hereafter en-
act. And yet I am bold to assert tha
no man can justify q law enacted II
this country, &C this time, for no othel
purpose than revenue only. Wefav0r {
tariff, but would have that tariff con
structed on general principle that may
be just and equitable.
Go to the Revised Statutes Of thu
United States, one Of the biggest book
ever published In America, and reat
the innunnerable pages Of the tariff law
and tell me, If you can, upon wha
principle it Is constructed. Pause, i
YOU will, and examine but a singl,
page, and if you have read the who'll
you will know that from one page yol
may Judge all. That it may be a sam
pie page, take the very first schedule
imposing duties. 1t is entitled
"Scheds,ie A - Cotton and Cotto'
Goods" and will be found in section
1854, on page 46O. Tell me why yol
should be compelled to count every
thread in every square inch of cottor
cloth, and see whether the cloth il
bIeached, colored, stained, painted o.
printed before you can ascertain tn,
duty you ought to pay, and why yo,
are to measure that thread when it i
on a spool and weigh it when it is off
On or off the spool, is 1t not the sam,
thread. BY this law the duty is i'm
posed on some articles by weight alone
as so much on every pound-on somt
articles by measure alone, "a so mucl
on every yard-and on some articles by
value alone. On many articles duty
is imposed of 50 much by weight ant
also so much by value-so much b,
measure and also so much by value
Tell me why on cotton cloth duty il
imposed of so much by the yard, anl
also an additional duty of so much OF
the value. Nearly whole page Of thu
biz book is occupied In order to impos,
different duties sotl different kinds o
cotton cloth.8 by the Mills bilIthe ONLY
duty imposed ION al cotton cloth'' 4
'forty per centunn advaloruna,n ana
the words imposing the duty wOulC
not occupy a line. BY this law an ex
pert is required to inform an ordinary
man the amount of duty he must pay
on most articles.
A law imposing duties ought to be IL
few words, and In plain, simple Ian
guage, that all may understand. Cali
gula wrote his laws in very small
character, and hung them upon higf
pillars, the more effectually to ensnar,
the people. The motive of the Roman
tyrant does not actuate most member
OF Congress- -fOrs they know not ,wfa
they do+ they are influenced and con
trofled by the few tyraEts, who have
mastered the art of promoting theil
own selfish interests. The existing tar
ifflaw written in language that plain
people could understand, would retire
every member of Congress who woul6
not vote for its repeal.
The rule underlying this bewilderinl
v,o0ao of WOrtio iUnnnainU On ms n W III flor