The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-11-03

PORT JERvIs, N. Y, Nov. 2.-lSpe-
cial l-Senator David 3. Hill spoke at
the opera house here this afternoon to
a large audience. He said: THE ques-
ton of Federal taxation is the domi-
nant issue of the campaign; the power
to levy taxes is a despotic but necess-
airy power in every we'll organized gov
ernmont. The difference between the
two parties may be briefly defined as
follows: The Democratic party believes
in the strict construction of the Federal
constitution; the Republican party be-
lieves in loose construction of that in
strument. The Republicans are willing
to confer every possible power upon the
government. The Democrats are for
combining the government to it's strict
constitutional limits. The Republic ans
say that taxes should be levied for nee.
essary expenses Of the government.
There we agree with them. They con-
tend further that the taxing power
should be used to foster private indus.
tries
"The tariff of 1883 put a surplus of
one hundred millions in the treasury.
The Democratic party, holding this to
BIO menace to liberty and temptation
to corruption, said tho tariff must be
revised and the revenue limited to nee
essary expenses. We believe in tariff
for revenue, with incidental protection
This has always been the position of
the Democratic party. Tariffs which
create unnecessary revenue are uncon-
stitutional.
II admit that tho first Congress
enacted q revenue bill with protec-
ton preamble. Let the Republicans
make the most of it. Congress was
coerced into the passage of this bill by
the opportunities of selfish Pennsyl
vania, always on the lookout for her
own interests. The succeeding Con-
gress, however, recognizing the danger
of this precedent, and to guard against
future violations OF tho constitution of
the same kind, enacted an amendment
providing that all powers not expressly
granted to the general government
were reserved to the States. AS the
federation has triumphed in the
bill under discussion the Democracy
triumphed in the amendment.
"All the tariff bills passed since that
time have been passed as revenue bills
without the recital of the protective in
tent. Let the Rer ublicans be candid
and throw of all disguise and pass a
bill solely and expressly for protection
something like this:
Whereas no revenue is needed, and
whereas, cereain private industries
need protection, therefore, we author
ize such and such duties
such a bill would put the constitu-
tionality of prote ction, pure and simple,
to the test. Is there any doubt that the
United States Supreme Court would pro-
nounoe it unconstitut ional?
This cry for protection is growing
evil. Until of late it has always been
deemed temporary necessity to encour-
age infant industries. 1t is now time
for this to cease. In all my travels
have not found that monstrosity, that
man whose wages have been increased
by the Mckinley bill. Wages are higher
here than in Europe because of the SUI
perior skill and intelligence of our arti-
sans and OF our trade organizations. I
challenge our Republican friends to show
one single manufactured article on which
duty enough was not left by the Mills
bill to represent the difference between
American and foreign labor. What
more can Reasonable protectionist
ask?"
The Senator read from the free list of
the Mckinley bill and argued that the
placing on the free list of articles men
toned did not benefit tho masses. He
said that tariff on farm products is a
mockery. 1t does the farmer no good.
The Democrats propose not FREQ trade,
but moderate tariff revision. The Sena-
tor made onlv a brief allusion to the
force bill He left on the $50 train for
Binghamton.
OLD papers for the next week at 10
cents per hundred.