The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-08-28

20
terunces and its acts. is the advocate
Of farin reform. The issue Is sqnarely
presented. Upon one side are the advo-
cafes Of a high protective or prOhlDit0ry
policy-a policy that enriches the Few at
the expense Of the many. On the other
tho advocates OF such reduction OF tarln
duties as will give 10 our manufacturers
the benefit Of cheap raw material, ana
loosen 10 Che consumer the cost OF the
noceSsaries OF Hfe The argument adj
yanced b. the early advocates 81 pro
tcctiye system was the necessity cf Pr
tecting our infant industries Yet
Mr.. Clay, the author of the famous
tariff bill with which his name is infepa-
rably associated, declared such Irotec-
ton 10 be Ouly temporary, and sat so
soon as such industries were able 10
stand alone, tariff duties should be re-
duced The compromise tariff law OF
1893. Of which Mr.. Clay was the author,
provided that at the end OF ten years
there should begin Il rapid reduction OF
duties. until the average rate should not
exceed 20 per cent. In view OF the TACT
that protection 10 the Infant Industries
has more than trcbled since the passage
Of the bin OF which Mr.. Clay was the
author Clay would himself, If living, be
now denounced as a free trader by the
protectiouists. Instead of being lessened,
protection has, year by year under Re
publican rule, increased. In proportion
MS these industries have grown stronger
and more powerful they have demanded
yet greater protection.
The low tariff law Of 1S36, Of which
Robert j. Walker. the Democratic See
Rotary of the Treasury, was the author,
provided in substance, first. that no
more money should be collected than Is
necessary for the wants Of the Govern
ment, economically administered; second,
that no duty be imposed upon any aru-
cles above the lowest rate that VIII yield
the greatest amount Of revenue tmrd,
that the maximum tax should be i'm
posed upon Injuries; fourth, that the
lowest tax should be upon tie necessa-
ries Of life: fifth, that the duties
should be so imposed as 10 operate
equally throughout the Union, discrlmi-
mating neither for nor against any class
or section. &c must not be forgotten that
so great were the benefits TO the people
from the tariff legislation / have just
mentioned that in S5repFesentatlycs OF
all parties concurring, the tarh was
again reduced until the average rae OF
duties was 10 per cent The decade ana
q half extending from the passage Of the
low tariff law Of 1916 to the beginning
Of our civil war has been truly called
the golden period of our history. The
cost Of the neCcSsaTies of life had reach
ed the minimum. and at no time in our
history was it easier for the wage-carner
to support his family. The farmer, the
the day-laborer alike realized
the benefit of low taxation. \ benefit
why! Simply for the reason that 1t less
ened the cost Of food, of clothing, of
every article that cOnduced to his COM
fort. Our manufactures did not Ian
guiSh. The fires did not go out in our
furnaces. The wheels and spindles were
not idle in our great hives of industry.
The demand for labor was not lessened
nor was its value deprecated
As ! have shown, the average tariff
tax at the beginning of the civil war in
1861 was but 10 per cent. To purchase
munitions Of war 10 arm and equip sol
ders and meet all Of the expenses incl
dent to the great struggle, required large
sums of money. Tariff taxes were large
~ increased The MOrrell Tariff bill was
passed. Our Government was in the
throes Of war, struggling for its exist
ence. and but little heed was given 10y the
people 10 tie fact that duties under the
new tariff law were not only highly pro-
tective TO manufacturers, but burden
some 10 the people. But this was not ALL
BY subsequent increase by successive
Congresses the average rate
of duties reached II per cent This was
The average rate Of tariff taxes when the
Mckinley bin became law.
Let US refer for q moment 10 other
sources of revenue provided in the early
days of. the war. a new system Of taxa
ton was devised by Congress known as
the internal revenue system, 10y which
enormous sums flowed into the Treasury.
Under this system taxes were imposed
upon manufacturers, upon railroads,
express companies, upon banks and bank
A large part of these taxes
fell heavily upOn those who were best
able 10 bear them The strong arm of
the law was, in the hour of the Govern
mcnt's need. laid heavily upon the great
corporations, upon the wealth Of the
country. In n single year seventy-twO
millions of dollars were collected from
incomes alone. in many Instances this
tax was paid 10y those who had amassed
large fortunes out Of the war I'm q sin
Gle year one hundred and tWenty-seycn
millions were collected from manufac-
turers alone. This was the very es-
sence of justice, for the reason that the
had in many instances
grown enormously rich, because of the
high tariff which protected them against
In a single year the agare-
gate of internal revenue taxes paid into
the Treasury exceeded three hundred mil
lions of dollars.
Where are the statutes imposing these
internal revenue war taxes? With hut
few exceptions swept from the statute
books while the nation was yet grOaning
inder the burden of enormous debt One
Of the reasons given mt that time for the
nigh protection TO manufacturers was the
they were required TO pay out
of their earnings rs war taxes, aggre-
eating in a single year the sum / have
mentioned. With the war closed q Re
publican Congress relieved the manufac-
turerS from this taxation, and added 10
their profits and to the burdens Of the
people by increased duties. / grant the
necessity of repeating these internal war
taxes when the eXigcncies of war no
longer demanded their continuance. But
why did not the Republican Congress
repeal the war taXes--tariff taxes
which bore so heavily upon the farmer,
upon the mechanic, upon the lab0rer.
upon the great mass of our people? Why
was not the war tax reduced upon the
Of lifey Why wholly remove
the tax upon corporations and allow il
TO remain upon the tools of the mechanic.
the implements of the farmer. upon the
food and clothing Of the poor? Why re-
move from the manufacturer the tax of
less than D per cent. and leave him the
power TO tax the consumer A.. 60. 80
per cent upon hats, upon shoes, upon
blankets, upon clOthing2
But this is not ALL The protected
classes growing year 10y year stronger
and more powerful with The protection
afforded them, demanded OF the Fifty
first Congress yet higher duties. As
Infant industries" they had been for
the time content with the moderate
protection given by Mr.. Clay. Later.
they had demanded the higher duties i'm
posed by the Morrill, tariff, and that Of