Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1894-09-27
Mr.. HURD'S SPEECH.
Ny fellow Democrats:

MY Fellow Democrats:
congratulate you upon assembling in
state convention IN the frst fuShes of the
dawn Of new day of prosperity to the Unit
ed States. For the last two years the busi-
ness of the country has suffered from de-
preston we'll aigh universal. Through stag
nation, depreciation and decrease of demands;
through doubt, distress and loss of credit;
through refusal of bank accommodation and
want of confidence Through embarrassment ,
insolvencies and bankruptcies through will
dernesses, deserts and red seas, the business
men of this country have passed until hope
began to fail and despair had seized the man
ayers of nearly every enterprise in the land.
Nor was this result unanticipRted by those
familiar with the political history of the
country.
For more than twenty years tariff reform
ers had predicted that such condition must
inevitably result from protection. They
pointed out that restriction of the market.
which is the object of protection, would end
IN an over production of domestic goods, in
which the producer would perish. They fore
told that the farmers would be beggars in
the midst of their plenty and that manufac-
tured articles woull decay and rot in their
own superabundauce. How perfectly those
predict ons have been fulfilled the deplorable
situation to which l have referred demon
strates.
Nor for this condition was the Democratic
party in any respect responsible. It had op
posed the policies which created the con-
ditions. 1t possessed for thirty years no
power to enact a law or carry out an admin
istrative policy. The whole responsibility
was upon the Republican arty, informed as
it was by the tariff reformers, as to the GER
tain consequences of the measure it was ad-
Vo ;atlng. This promise of business revi-
val, on which | have congratulated you, is
the result of the new tariff law just passed by
the Democratic congress. This has followed
partly because the element of uncertainty as
| to what the tariff rates would be has been re-
moved so that business can securely adjust
itself to the new law not likely to be modi-
hed for some time by general revision. But
chiefly this result has been produced because
the new law has inaugurated a new era in
| tariff legislation in this country. 1t repeals
tie Mckinley law. 1t strikes at the princi-
Piles of protection and reduces duties with a
view of cheapening the expenses of living.
1t reverses the position of the United States
on the greet question of its trade rela tions
with the word, 1t turns the face of the
country from the false to the true, from in
Justice to justice, from the setting sun tied
with the rising sun purely bright with the
promise of perfect day. It procaims the
doom of protection in the Uaited States and
opens the paths to the ultimate emancipation
of labor and manhood from the restrictions
of selfish laws.
1t is difficult to estimate at so early A day
after its passage all the benefcient effect of
the new measure. That it would disappoint
many was inevitable, because of the interests
1t touches and of necessary considerations of
precedence and policy which rightfully influ-
enced the law making power.
Foremost among these was the paramount
necessity OF raising venue to pay the gov
ernmental expenses of $3.50, 100000 per year.
Lt would be desirable to have no taxation at
all IT that were possible. But as long as you
must tax, you must find prosperity to be tax
| ed. will be glad when all indirect taxation
through the tariff shall be abolished, but as
long as tariff is to be levied for revsnue, it
should be imposed on such articles as the
science of political economy teaches will
produce the most revenue with the least pro-
| lection.
Again, in levying a tariff, consideration
should be had of business already established,
! that 1t be not unnecessarily disturbed; not
| that because business has had protection,
| therefore it shall always have it but that in
! the displacement of labor and capital which
come from changes in existing laws as little
harm may be done as possible, and SO gradu-
! ally that adjustments may be made to the
| new conditions without loss.
Then local interests represented by on
, greesmen who desire popularity with thei1
constituents often interpose to prevent neces.
sary charges and to prolong system which
bestows local favors. These considerations
all appeal to the practical legislator, and
make necessary at the beginning of great re-
forms a slowness of movement exasperating 9
to the enthusiastic reformers. For these
reasons the new law may not have gone as
manV have wiShad hut IL ynaa q l0no wav in
| the redemption of Democratic pledges anG
reforming our tariff system.
+! A consideration of few of the provisions
of the law will demonstrate this. AS already
stated it repeals the Mckinley law designed
to be the expression of the highest protection
ever Incorporated into the federal statute
aud which was so largely responsible fol
the business depression to which l have re
ferred.
Secondly it substitutes advalorem fo
specific duties thus adopting into tariff law