The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-08-13
TALK ON TARIFF
Col. w. r. c. Breckenridge, the Bril-
liant Keutuckian, Discusses It.
TARIFF FORMS cLAs 8 e 8
Limits tho Farmers Nsrkst, Both cfSals and
Purchase Reciprocity in iss Trus Light
TRUTHS WELL TOLD


The Position Of the Democratic Party
Clearly and Fully Explained.
Col. W. p. g. Breckenridge. congress
man from Kentucky, one Of the best
posted and most brilliant tariff ex.
ponsnts, delivered IN address at the Ores.
ton Blue Grass palace on Saturday,
August 70. In part he spoke a. follows:
FELLOW C1TIzxss: II would b uncan-
did In me TO conceal that an, on
she questions which l discuss before you
today, IN intense partisan. l am from
the bottom OF my heart . democrat. Not
only in the partisan sense Of that word, but
In the higher and nobler meaning that Go
believe IN the equality and wisdom OF the
people, In the limitations OF governmental
powers 70 the utmost limit consistent with
sAe grant of power sufficient to preserve pub
Ito order and to protect the citizen in the On
joyment OF life. liberty and happiness.
TIE demoorasic party has shaped public
opinion and formed public sentiment 20 -
20 force the issue that the taxation OF the
people shall hereafter be only for public
purposes, and that the revenue acts
ohall Do for the purpose OF honestly
s.raising revenue" and that thereby II has 20
controlled she action Of parties that the
destruction Of the republican party can only
DO accomplished through II, and that tho re-
habilitation or tho republican party can b.
accomplished only by those Who, agreeing
with the general policy Of the democracy,
viii not unite With IL. and will thereby
create divisions through which only defeat
may come. We have shaped public opinion
% = present TO the arbitrament Of the peo-
pie tho great question Of taxation, upon To-
ouss whish involve the existence Of our gov
ernmens and its structure; tho limitations
upon the powers Of congress, the purity Of
election, the preservation Of local sslf-gov-
ornment and the freedom OF the people.
No truth ID isolated. no principle 10 separ-
able from other principles; governmental
powers arc cognats and currelative.
u 10 mot strange that after 20 many thou-
sands OF years Of belief In tho divine right Of
kinso and the distinctions Of man that there
should remain some form In whioh such BE-
lief controls legislation, and one Of the last
forms 10 takes 10 il the protective tariff.
what 10 shat ssprotectionf' II u that BY
statute such imposts shall b laid upon I'm
Ports % 70 require those who need certain
articles to purchase them as prices which are
1xed mot alone By the laws OF supply and
statute.
demand, but In part by the provisions of the
II 10 necessarily founded upon the
claim that without direct compensation the
government has she right 70 require from Ger
tain OF IT. citizens bonus to certain other
citizens, with the hope that thereby the COM
munity q large may b b0ne0tted, and that
In tho end such oitisens may receive ia6i-
rectly some compensation. Il II absurd, OF
course, to urge that all citizens can DO equally
bsnentted By protective laws. II 10 impossi-
BILE that protection shall benefit alike all Per-
sons residing wtshin the Jurisdiction Of she
statute. Its based wholly upon the conoop.
tion that the community hAs - m organism
certain rights distinct from the persons who
constitute that community, and that for IL
benefit there may bs unequal exactions laid
upon its members by which SEINE will be aided
and the community - unit benefited.
Tariff Forms Glasses.
It, therefore. must inevitably cause classi-
ncston OF industries and OF individuals based
upon provisions Of statute. II IL admitted
that al taxes being burdens affect some in
dustries dinerently from what they DO others,
and must beneft some and 70 others do harm.
This ID the object Of protection, mot merely
It. necessary eject. These clsssinOations,
based upon provisions Of the statute, must
become more and more well marked ~ time
passes on. The rioh thus made rich By the
statute must grow richer, and those
from whcm something Is taken
By operation OF law must necessarily
become comparatively poorer. and this Will
grow with ssomstric progression - the sys-
Ssm continues, and we md this 10 DO IL prao-
tical eject : postiort - No anticipated .
DrioFi.
Thls country can not isolate itself from
ether countries. II can not restrict immi-
grafton, NOR 90 restrain It's productive capA.
city that the product will precisely equal the
demand. There must DO . substantial de-
ference between the supply and the
demand. and this NOS merely In the aggre-
gate, but In detail. Climatic Influences are
mot controlled BY statute, and the wants Of
mankind have relation 30 tho differences Of
climate. His necessities seem 10 require the
products Of every degree Of climate. and no
statute can change these wants OF men. So,
too. the Inventions OF human intellect will
not be limited By the sttpulasions OF legisla-
tien. We cannos prevent the wondrous
changes made In the nature and cost Of pro-
ducts BY the inventions Of mankind. 30 that
the relations which the country bears to all
foroign countries ID one beyond the reach
Of interterritoriAl legislation. We can
Fetard. ebstrlct and modify, but not
prevent the constant changes produced
laws which are beyond our influence. It
therefore follows that oil protective tariffs
mast DO infexiblo In the sense that, being
establised for given condition of Affairs at
given time, that conditions change without
the tari1 changing. II II wero possible TO
devise . nlexible protective tariff 20 that Il
could automatically change with tho changes
or International congress, fashion ana art
some OF tho evils We suffer under might bs
prevented. But this Is Impossible.
So, too, these very things to which have
SofeRfe0 produce the peace OF commerce
which our opponents continually mistake for
war. Barter 10 the necessity Of the world,
and between fair and honest traders both
parties receive benefit. The moro prosper
pay good prices. II Il, therefore, the most
sh0rtsighted and foolish policy for him who
has TO sell TO impoverish him to whom he
must sell, and protective tariffs are founded
upon the conception that foreign trade 10
hurtful, that the habitual state Of the world
10 war, and commerce simply mode Of hos
tility.
what Fixes the Price Of produces.
Today. our crop. 90 magninoently album
- being and will be shipped across the ocean.
Now that crop may have two distinct values,
one In tho amount OF money IL will bring,
the other In the amount OF goods It will pur-
chase. The first thing that strikes Us 10 that
tins surplus 10 to DO transported in foreign
bottoms under foreign flags, whore all tho In
cidental profits In handling 30 to foreigners.
Our system. whatever cleo II has done, has
destroy ed American control Of commerce.
Less than IA per cent OF what We sell aud
buy that IL shipped upon the ocean 10 con-
trOled BY us. One hundred and sixty to one
hundred and seventy millions OF dollars .
ear go Into the pockets OF foreign trans.
porting companies for carrying our eom-
merce, and NO subsidies can change this. Wc
cannot deadhead freight BY contributions
from the public treasury, and II We did We
would be compelled TO pay some one the same
freight We now pay and those subsidies In ad-
dition. Under the pretext Of fostering Alneri-
can labor. We have almost driven the Ameri-
can Tag from the seas and ports Of the world.
We then Il ID whom We get cur wheat to Liver