The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1892-08-27
Where the Vice Presidential Candi.
date Talks TO an Enthusiastic
Crowd.
The Tariff and Other Topics which
Mr.. Stevenson Touched
Upon.

otcteuSonb speecn WaSapptauueu lOu0Ay
at various points.
The opening portion Of the speech was
devoted to a review of President Cleve-
lands administration, which he charac-
terized as economical and able, and 3
denunciation Of the Fifty-first congress.
to whose extravaganza he attributed the
large appropriations made at the first
session Of the Fifty-second congress.
Speaking of the tariff he said:
The tariff is the all important issue Of this
campaign. Shall there be q revision or our
tariff laws and as consequence OF such leg
islation reduction Of taxation: or. shall IL
become the police of our government to mAi--
tain. permanently, high protection? Tho Re-
publican party, rs illustrated by it's recent en-.
actncnt OF the Mckinley law, stands for =
high protective-in other words, prohibitoryt
tar n. The Democratic party. as emphasized
by its utterances and its acts, is the advocate
Of tarin reform. The issue Is squarely pra-S
sented, Upon the one side are the advocates
Of high protective or prohibitory policya pol
Icy that enriches the few at the expense Of the
many. On the other the advocates OK such
reduction OF tariff duties a. will give 10 our
manufacturers the benefits OF cheap raw ma
teriaL and lessen to the consumer the cost 0f
the necessaries Of life.
Was Prosperous Then.
Tho low tariff law OF 1916. of which Robert
j. Walker, the Democratic secretary Of the
treasury was the author, provided In sub-
stance, first, that no more money should ~
collected than necessary for the wants OF The
government, economically administered; sec-
ond. that no duty be imposed upon any articles
above the lowest rate that win yield thu great
est amount Of revenue; third, that the maxis
mum tax should be imposed upon luxuries;
fourth. that the lowest tax should b upon
the necessaries Of iikes f1fth, thax the dudes
should be 20 imposed as to operate eQrally
throughout the Uni0n. discriminating nSfther
for nor against any class or section. 1t must
must not be forgotten that 50 great wete the
benefits to the people from the tariff legisla-
tion have just mentioned that, In 1851, repre-
ssntatives OF all parties concurring,
The Tarir Was Again Reduced
until the average rate OF duties was IL nor
cent. The decade and q half extending from
the passage of the low tariff OF 1876 to the he
ginning of our civi. war, has been truly called
the golden period Of our history. The cost of
the necessaries of life had reached the mini
mum and at no time in our history was IL
easier for the wage Garner 20 support his fam
lily. Our manufactures did not languish. The
fires did not go out In our furnaces. The
wheels and spindles we're not idle In ou, great
hives OF industry. The demand for labor was
not lessened. nor was its value depreciatcd
As 4 have shown. tue average tariff tax at
the beginning OF the civil war In 1861 WIS but
10 per cent. To purchase munitions II war.
to arm and equip soldiers and meet all OF The
expenses incident to the great struggle. re-
Quired large sums of money. Tariff taxes
were largely increased. Tue Morrill, tariff hill
was passed. Our government was in the
throes of war, struggling for lis existence, and
but little heed WAS given by the peop.e to the
fact that duties under the new tariff law were
not oniy high protective to manufacturers
but bnrdens0me 10 the people, But this was
not all. by subsequent Increase by successive
Republican congresses tho average rate Of
duties
Reached II Per Cent.
This was the averaxe rate Of tariff taxes
when tue Mckinley Till became the law.
The speaker then summed up the va
rious other war revenue measures and
continued:
In single year the aggregate OF internal
revenue taxes paid into the treasury exceeded
three hundred millions CT dollars. Where are
the statutes imposing these internal revenue
war taxes2 With but few exceptions swept
from the statute books while the nation was
yet groaning under the burden Of enormous
debt. One Of the reasons given at that time
for the high protection t, manufacturers was
che percentage they were required to pay out
OF their earnings as war taxes. agRrexafinr ia
3 single year the sum have mentioned.
With the war closed - Republican congress
relieved the manufacturers from this taxation
and added to their profits and to the burdens
OF the people by increased duties grant the
necessity Of repealing these Internal war
taxes when the exigencies Of war no longer
demanded their continuance. hut why ala
mt the Repu hiicsxn eonorass ro,,aal, AZ .-.-