Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-06-16
THETARIFFPROBLEM
REPUBLICAN, AND DEMOCRATIC POL
3 IclES coNTRASTED.

Free Trade Is Dream, . Vagary, ana HAS
Never Been Adopted by Civilized Nations.
A Common Sense View by Senator j. n.
Gallinger of New Hampshire.
This historical contribution to the
tariff discussion is made primarily with
the view of endeavoring to persuade the
Democratic side of the chamber to unite
with the Republican senators against
the pending bill, but briefly for the pur-
pose Of acquainting the people Of this
country with the great fact that impair
tial history teaches that high tariffs
Lave always brought prosperity to the
people of the United States, while low
tariffs have invariably disturbed bust
ness Frustrated industries and brought
suffering and want to the laboring
masses of our people. There can be no
escape from this conclusion. 1t is writ
ten on every page of American history,
and the terrible results Of low tariffs
have been literally burned into the souls
Of tho men and women who earn their
bread by the sweat of their brow. In
this day of agitation of so called tariff
reform it is well that the truths Of his
tory be summoned to sweep away the
sophistries and idle theories of educated
doctrinaires and free trade congressman
The New York Sun is the ablest
Democratic newspaper in the United
States and is intensely partisan on near
ly all political subjects, but in its issue
of July IL, 1898, the following discrim-
mating article appeared, and as it comes
from an undoubted Democratic source
and states the difference of the two par
ties so fairly and impartially it is proper
to quote it for the benefit of the doubt
full and for the encouragement of pro-
| tectionists:
Respecting federal taxation, we
| will now state the position Of the De-
mocracy as defined by the Chicago plat
form. upon which the overwhelming
victory of 1892 was gained. Ascertain
the value of the goods to be imported.
Ascertain the amount of revenue to be
raised from imports for the expenses of
| the government honestly administered.
Fix the rate and collect it without dis
elimination, preference or Partially.
| Anything else is unjustifiable. Any
| thing else is unconstitutional. Any
| thing else invades the rights of the
| citizen and is unlawful as we'll as un-
Democratic. That is clear and compre-
hersive. That is what the Chicago plat
| form declared and what the people ap-
proved
1.-THE Republican position is diamet-
rically different. Tariff duties, say the
| Republicans, should not be levied for
the mere purpose of revenue, but large
| ly with view of promoting American
manufactures and labor and relieving
farmers and mechanics from unfavor-
able foreign competition. The Republic
ans say that.it is one Of the powers and
duties of government to protect the
| people who maintain it from unfair
foreign competition as well as from
hostile foreign invasion. The people,
through their representatives, impose
the taxes on goods entering into Ameri-
have the right land it is natural that
they should exercise it so as to impose
those duties that the interests of Ameri-
cans will be favored and the interests
of foreign rivals in the same industries
or pursuits Disseminated against. That
is the Republican doctrine.
| Between the two systems-Demo.
cratic, for revenue only; Republican,
of discriminating taxes to foster and
protect certain interests-there is no
possible concordance One is blMtly
opposed to the other. If one is right.
the other necessarily must be wrong"
| In order that there may be no misun-
Outstanding relative to the meaning Of
certain terms and phrases, it may be
| well to define them.
| A tariff is a system of duties imposed
by the government of country upon
goods imported or exported. In the
United States there is no duty on ex-
ports There are but two kinds of
tariff in the United States:
|. A free trade tariff.
2. A protective tariff
A free trade tariff is simply for rev.
enue only, and revenue derived there
from is intended for governmental ex-
| penses exclusively. 1t is the system
which is in operation ip England. Since
it is designed for revenue only, its du-
ties are nearly all levied upon articles
Except luxuries) that are in great and
certain demand. 1t so happens that the
articles thus levied upon except luxu-
ries) are constantly required by the COM
mon people in their household economy
and that they cannot be raised or pro-
duced proftably at home, such as tea,
| coffee, etc, and therefore cannot come
into competition with home productions.
A protective tariff not only provides
revenue for the expenses of the govern