Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-11-27
PLUMB ON THE TARIFF.


found in the Congressional Record, and
the following extract from the speech
of Senator Plumb, of Kansas. is choice
bit, especially after the late political
cyclone has so completely swept out of
existence all the force of the Mckinley
tariff argument Senator Vest had
introduced an amendment to the Nc
Kinley tariff bill, to reduce the tariff
on china ware, and Plumb took up the
defense of the amendment. We repro
duce his argument:
''Then Mr.. Plumb took a prominent
and remarkable part in the discussion,
demands of the high protectionists.
He produced a letter from a merchant
doing business in st. Joseph, Mo-, and
Atchlson, Kan. stating that on an
invoice of crOckery he had paid that
day customs duty of Sl6.40 and that
under the pending bill the duty on the
same Einvoice would be S31. 80 and
under the Mckinley bill S57.12. The
whole tendency of civilization, Mr..
Plumb said, was toward the reduction
of prices of all products of humanlabor.
To claim that the tariff had been the
sole or the main factor in the reduction
of the prices of manufactured goods
was to ignore all the forces of civiliza-
tion. The American people were enti-
tied to have cheap goods, if competition
could bring that about. When, he
asked. was the time coming when the
people of the United States would get
some benefit from the establishment of
home industries? But just as fast as
the point was arrived at when lower
prices might be expected the manufac-
turers went to congress and said that
they wanted more duties whereby the
downward progress of prices might be
arrested. The people of the United
| States ought to have their Inning
some time and he thought the time had
come. He had no idea that what he
might say was going to effect the vote
of the senate. He could conceive and
he could see that the cohorts of protec-
tiOn were so organized that the bill was
to go through substantially as it came
manufacturers had had from congress
precisely what they had asked and yet
so far from being satisfied, bill fol
their benefit was to be put through
without debate tif that could be
brought abOutl on the theory that the
country was hungering and thirstins
for more tariff legislation. He believed
in distributing the duties that wefs
necessary for the purpose of raising
revenue for the support of the govern
ment in snch way as to eQualize the
conditions existing between the manu-
facturerS of this country and those
abroad. 1t he were in doubt he would
resolve that doubt in favor of the
American manufacturers, but if hs
knew what the exact conditions were
he would put the home and the foreign
manufacturer on the same footing pre-
cisely. He ;should be recreant to hi:
duty if he gave his support to such +;
proposition as the chinaware schedule
The senate. Mr. Plumb continued
owed some duty to the American peo
pie as we'll as to the manufacturers
There was d point where political sym
pathies ended, and where business
interests began. The democratic part,
had its full share of responsibility fO
the iniquities of the present tariff Law
; and of that which is now proposed
opportunity of correcting the error
and wIckednesS Of the Mckinley bill
but they had sought to eyade tn
responsibility of their votes, when b.
joining with the republicans who wer
\ opposed to that bill they might hav
eliminated many of its errors. He coul
see the game of battledore and shuttle
cock between free trade and protection
1 constantly going on for political advan
tage on the one side and for pei
: sOnal advantage on the other, an
l between the two extremes the grea
1 body of the American people were bein
crushed and ground. He would appl
? the rule that whoever demanded a ia
4 for his own benefit should be ready t
l show conelusiveiy that his interest wa
also the public interest. The demon
stration should be made that ever
{ single penny of tax proposed was abse
lutely necessary.
''Mr. Sherman replied to Mr.. Plumt
He concurred with that senator in th
3 statement that no proposition mad
to tax the people should be supporte
u unless there was good ground for il
= either for the collection of revenue G
= for some purpose of ipublic policy. "a
protection to American industry. II
went on to speak of the growth of th
crOckery industry in the United State.
and said that such industry was not t
9 be ignored and not to be refused an
: reasonable demand 1t never eoul
. have been established in this countr
! without protectiou STRANGE as it ma