Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-13
TALKING OF TARIFF.
Senator Morrill, Makes a Vigorous
Speech for Protection.
CRIFICINING DEMOCRATIC POLICY.
Comparing Free Trade England
With Protection America.
BRITISH REVENUE SCHEMES.

dr. Morrin spoke In the Senate today ON
mittee all those parts of the message re-
ferring to revenue measures.
The title prefxed to the speech was IAN
American tariff should not be swapped for
British free trade" 1t might have been
wiser, he said, to have allowed some re-
marks made by him on the general subject
Of the tariff a dozen years ago, to stand as
his completed record. But some contribu-
ton from him to the campaign Of educa-
ton" might be due. and he hoped not to
make 1t SO long or ponderous as to seem
the tired wisdom of the ages"
During all the present generation modern
democracy had been prolific in queer tariff
platforms. never right even by mistake.
and each one dying unloved before the birth
Of its quadrennial successor. 1t gave him
pleasure to rescue from oblivion. as a speci-
men. their platform of 1872. decorated with
the champion Of protection, Horace Greeley,
as their presidential candidate, which de-
clared on account of honest differences Of
opinion with regard to the systems of pro-
lection and free trade that I'VE remit the
discussion of the subject to the people in
their congressional districts and the deci-
sion of Congress thereon, wholly free from
executive Interference or dictation." The
tariff platform bantling of 1892. whether to
be nurSed or strangled by executive inter-
ference, seemed fated to become not less
moribund and unsavory in 1896 than any
other of the democratic platforms now
moldering in the tomb of the Capulets.
The democratic party in its platform of
lS92 had denounced protection, with from
bone epithets, as fraud and robbery, as
Well as IAN atrocity." and louder yet. as
sede and reform it by "a tariff for revenue
only" or a tariff wholly based on the Brit
fsh example of free trade, with protection
utterly emaSculated. Such message would
not be leap in the dark from which any
party could shirk its responsibilities. The
example of a protective tariff in America
for many years presented an indellible pic
ture before the world of the great American
industrial age, and in figures SO large as to
make it memorable forever. British free
trade had also been on trial long enough to
minimize the profits of agriculture in their
whole united kingdom. Their silk indus
tries had also vanished; those of iron were
bending and groaning under repeated an
tagon1stic invasions from Germany and
Belgium; and the frequent cry for fair
trade exhibited the popular discomfort with
free trade.
The practical merits of the respective sys-
tens of raising revenue, therefore, invited
critical examination by Congress, which
must speedily determine whether not the
free trade policy. directly imported from
England. had such unmpeachable goodness
as would justify its hurried acceptance. or
the total abandonment Of protection to all
labor here employed and to the great multi
tude OF fixed investments.
These were some of the salient points to
which he should invite considerats atten-
tion.
would like to be little better than his
party on the tariff. as well on silver, and
mat he ought to abide by his early and SOL
ernn declaration that I'VE wage no exter-
mlnating war against any American inter-
ests; but even those more anxious to speak
well OF the President than some of the high
y valued members of his party were de-
plorably weak in the faith touching any
revelation of an executive veto against
tariff bills when tipped with revenue re-
form" and triumphantly enacted by a dem
ocratic Congress.
Those who were prolific In panegyrics on
tariff for revenue only" the name now
gwen to sweeten free trade, could not OBJ
pect to having the question of it's excellence
brought to the test of facts from the only
place where such a tariff had been on trial,
and which, he believed, conclusively
proved that the democratic architects had
pulit their platform on a sandy and most
unsatisfactory foundation.
Comparisons With EnRland
MT. morrill, then went on to compare the
result OF free trade in Great Britain with
the results of a protective tariff in the
United States and showed the great deteri-
oration In British agriculture and he ascrib-
ec 1t To the inherent friction of free trade
he pointed to the fact that the number of
persons engaged in farm work in England
and Wales had fallen from a little over two
millions, in 1851. to a little less than one
aiiInon, IN 1871, and said that the extraordi-
nary exodus OF workingmen from Great
Britain to the United States could not be
sscrloeo TO anything other than either the
nome expressions of free trade or the at
IN. pio''e '"i
what was 1t, he asked, that had bliRhted
s socdtion OF more than a million work.
hs .h people and compelled them to flee from
tneir MONIES TO other countries or to seek
Stner occupation? II those who were left
Dehind might answer, whether owners ~
one soii or laoorer, they would with one ac-
Coru stralghtway declare that their suf
terings had been imposed by a ..tarir, for
revenue only" Among English 1arn LII
ers free trade had not a rag of renuta tion
to cling to. pu'"'ion
Great Britain's Taxes.
The revenue obtained by Great Britain
from its free trade tariff. he said. ia less
than one-fourth part of the annual amount
tnere required, and. consequently. they are
compelled to resort to many desperate
schemes Of taxation. which here. under a
republican form Of government, are odious
and endurable only in an overmasterinp
exisency Of a great national war. Ameri-
cans have an inherited hatred of such taxes
As are most prominent in Great Britain. for
the collection of the chief part of their
revenue. certified by stout swearing in
creased at every revolt in India Egypt. or
South Africa, and ending by unfolding the
Verltable tail which wags the dog of free
trade. 1t will. of course, be understood that
tnese words point to the motley procession
or British excise, license and stamp taxes
Ior marriage. for lawyers. dogs. mortgages,
ana all OF their kin, income, land, house.
servant, tarriage, and gun taxes, and final
~ taxes on the dead. This is the perennial
banquet, and these are the grizzly measures
Tor extorting revenue to which we are in
Vited by the President, already looming up
and which cohere to British free trade or a
tarlfr Tor revenue only" They are exotics,
and whoever seeks to cultivate them on the
american continent will find them plants of
SLOW growth and bearing bitter fruit.
Alter ms comparison between England
ana the United States, in which he gave
gratifying figures of our financial and in
duStr1al progress, Mr.. Morrill, asked:
DO these facts indicate any economic
Dlunder on our part that should suddenly
uach US 10 reform our national revenue
policy by an exchange for that of the coun-
try we nave left so far behind in the nation
NJ race?
Prior TO our tariff revision of 1890. the
great cry or tariff reformers appeared to be
against a treasury surplus. and for a reduc-
uon OF the revenue annually collected The
surpluS however. promptly disappeared,
Turing the administration of President Har-
rSOn. In payment of the interest -bea rim .