The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-04-19

Mrs BOuC0llo
Mr.. Watson. Yes, sir.
Mr.. Hopkins, of Illinois. Now T
want the gentleman to state if it is q
fact that these custom expenses that
have been noted by him would exist
precisely the same under the Demo-
cratic idea of a tariff for ue onlv
as under the Republican doctrine Of
prote ction?
Mr.. Watson. They most surely
would. You may scale the tariff schei-
ules until you get them down to a
merely nominal point, but as long az
you adhere to the principle of tariff
taxation, either for tax or for prOtnc-
ton, those evils are bound to remain.
n that Il the reason why I take issue
with my Democratic friends and saw
you ought to stand by your logic and
go where Your logic carries YOU. YOu
ought not to ride your horse in thio
magnificent steeple chase across the
country, using free trade whins at
every gtllOp you make. and the mo.
mem you reach the wall, instead 0f
lifting your steed for the leap. inn
him around and walk him back to the
stable door. Applause and laughter.
Mr.. Chairman, | say, as a govern
mental principle there must be two
sides to 1t, and great men, wise men.
and honest men have sincerely fought
upon both sides. But [ contend that
no Democrat can base himself on the
protective principle as a governmental
principle. [ contend that no man who
claims that he follows the doctrines of
Jefferson, instead of the doctrines of
Hamilton, can for n moment stand
by the tariff system as a permanent
| CK-GFnoO nTTOr # T1T -0I,,1o - - $500
cent.
SchOOl-and gentlemen, while nv par
ty affiliations are different from yOurs
today, | say here what [ have said
everywhere, that there is no better
Democrat upon this floor than I am,
a Democrat who believes that the prin-
ciples of Democracy ought to be reas-
serted that the principles of the jeff
ersOn school are more valuable to us
than any mere name-I say nc Demo
crat can defend the principle of pro-
lection for this reason. 1t is the old
protective idea which we fought when
it laid It's hand upon religion, when it
laid it's hand upon vOCatIOns of men.
We said to the State, You have got
10 right to decide what we shall write,
or how we shall be rewarded for it, and
you shall put nc embargo upon our
freedom OF speech"
We said to the. nation, You shall
not choose our business for us. You
shall not say that because | am a sol
dier shall always be a soldier, or that
my children shall be soldiers; that be-
cause lam a merchant and belong to
that guild that I shall always belong
to that guild"
We said chat such a doctrine would
lead us back to the old caste system of
the ancient countries, where those prin-
ciples have destroyed the greatest ma
tiOns of antiquity. The interference
with the free action of the citizen al
ways resulted in a centralized govern
ment in a monopoly of riches, in the
concentration Of capital, of privilege
and Of power, which destroyed those
countries.
We say, Mr.. Chairman. that it has
got no place in religion; that the State
has got no right to prescribe the reIig-
ion or forms Of worship. That every
citizen shall be left without this inter
enee Of the protective principle to wOr-
ship GOd-as he chooses.
1t is the same as to trade. We say
it is a natural right to trade; without
material restriction, to interchange
with a neighbOr or a stranger, with a
fellow patriot 0 r a foreigner; that it is
the natural right of the citizen to per
feet the exchanges of his commodity
for another mans commodity without
any unreasonable favOritism given to
n man owe another, and without I'M
reasonable interference with the
natural right of interchange; and thus
we say, MI. Chairman, that the princi-
pie Of protection, which has DESTROYED
so many nations, which we founded
this government to escape, when ap-
piled to trade, is no less full Of the. old
gers, and has already led to the old
dangers. The only way to escape its
peril is to retrace our steps, u~nfetter
the hands of men, unshackle the ex-
changes of producers, and let every
man exchange his commodities with
his fellow men upon the terms which
his W good judgment dictates.
Mr.. Johnson, of Ohio. Will the gen
tleman from Georgia yield for a ques-
ton?
Mr.. Watson. Certainly.
Mr.. johnson, of Ohio. How would
you raise your revenue?
Mr.. Watson. [ heard the gentle
mans speech yesterday, and it was a
good spec IN; and he presented his side
OF the case well; and 1 will say that I
agree with him fully as to the question
OF an income tax, and believe that the
income tax, which the last year it was
applied in this country produced $73,-
600, 600, would to day, with the enor-
NOUS aggregation of fortunes since that
time, supply enough revenue to run
this government upon honest, econom-
zeal principles. The st. Louis platform
demands the income tax, and that svs-
tenn taking the place of the tariff taxa
ton would necessarily bring free
trade.
Mr.. Chairman, we have an illustra-
ton of the working of these principles
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