Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-08-13
Senator Zeb Vance, Of North Carolina, on
the Tariff

Senator Zeb Vance, of North Carolina, ON
the Tariff.
When the tariff was taken up in the
Senate last Saturday, the 9th inst, the
question was on Mr.. Buffers amendment
to reduce the duty on cotton ties to 35 per
cent. ad valorem.
MIR. Vance made an amusing speech in
ridicule of the claim that the farmer de-
rived any benefit from the tariff. The
manufacturer of wooden goods, he said,
who got rs per cent. protection on his
goods, said to the farmer: "If you give me
70 per cent. protection on my wooden goods
against English and French manufacturers,
will give you cents per bushel pro-
lection on your wheat aud 10 cents per
bushel protection on your corn against
England" that does not grow a bushel of
corn and does not grow one. fifth of the
wheat that her people eat. The one got
cash and the other promises. The cash
was s'the short run" and the promises were
"the long rum" Whenever the manufac-
turer got tired of reaping the benefit of the
bargain on his side he agreed to let the
farmer get his "innings" So far the
manufacturer had proved remarkably long
winded. He had not shown the slightest
evidence of being tired. The nature of the
bargain between the farmer and the manu-
facturer was wei! illustrated by the offer of
one urchin to another, "Jim, if you give
me bite of your big red apple 1 will show
you my sore too" Laughter. If Sena
tors insisted on TRIPPING the existing tax on
cotton ties, might not Che asked), when
some of them were on the hastings talking
about protection to American labor, some
man in the audience say, with great pro.
p1iety, "That is a lie. You know that you
for the seven million bales of cotton are
oppressed, when prepared in the foreign
market, by tax three times higher than
that imposed upon many other articles. -
He confessed that he hated to see new
industry rise in this country, because it
was sure to be pauper saddled on the
treasury.
Mr.. Hoar inquired whether that feeling
applied to industries already existing.
Mr.. Vance replied that it did not. He
hoped to see, before he died, American
manufacturers flourish just as American
agriculturists fourished.
Prophets and Kings desired it long.
But QleO WITHOUT Inc sight,.
He hoped to see American manufacturers
flourish by the sweat of their brows and by
their own honest industry instead of by
the sweat of the brows of his people, and
of their honest industry. Every time that
new mine was discovered, or a new in
dustry established, it was Immediately
fastened upon the public treasury. And
now, for fear lest there might come s'a
~rhn IN, al
words Democratic majority which did
know the people-it had been thought
necessary to provide by the last will and
testament of Republican Congress for
such paupers as might hereafter be born in
lawful wedlock to that community or in un-
lawful wedlock either. So there was to be
an opening made for some manufacturer of
cotton ties to be established, and it was
said to be the duty Of Senators, not to pro-
vide for the infant when it came, but to
provide for it before it came. Who Che
asked) was to be the recipient of the taxa
top on cotton ties before that infant was
born and baptized? There was no way Che
declared) in which the proposed increase of
duty on cotton ties could be looked at that
was defensible-not sin gle, solitary one.
The most deserving (because the most use
full in commercial point of view of all
the agricultural products of the United
States was taxed to death in all the pro-
cesses of its growth and production, and
was then taxed "a farewell shot) as the bolt
left the gin house 1O3 per cent on the ties
that enveloped it, and this not for the bene
fit of the American manufacturers of COT
ton ties (fOr there were money and not for
the benefit of the treasury (for the bill was
one to reduce revenue) but out of pure
sscussedness" and because the Republican
party had got SO used to taxing things that
they could not stop And yet braids,
plaits and laces for making hats were to be
placed on the free list. Mr.. Vance said he
could see the coming storm, and he warned
his Republican friends to get under shelter
while they could. He warned them to take
off the duty on cotton ties, to reduce the
duties on the iron schedule, to reduce the
the farmer chance that, when he shipped
his produce abroad, he could obtain
reasonable price for it. The farmer had
acted as the scapegoat long enough. He
had been the ultimate payee and the COM
mon vouchee in the protective system
which had enabled the manufacturers to
make their profits. Republican Senators
had better Che said) revise the tariff them
selves and revise it justly. If they did not
it would be like the waters that accumulate
above the dam. Instead of flowing over in
quantities sufficient to carry off the excess
without damage, they might gather
strength and height until they swept away
the whole dam, and everything standing
within it's reach below. It was time that
something was done to equalize the bur-
dens of the people and to shift taxation so
that all should have a part, and all should
be exempt alike.
Mr.. Daniel made an able speech in oppo-
sition to the bill.