The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-04-15
HON. }. STERLING MORTON.

No sounder views on tariff and
money have been presented by any
man in the United States than by the
Hon. J. Sterling Morton, Secretary Of
Agriculture in Mr.. Cleveland's Cabinet.
He grows on us whenever he makes a
public utterance. 1t IS a pity his great
abilities have no. wider field for display
than the perfunctory Department Of
agriculture" as IL is called. Agriculture
needs no offices or legislation. All that
it wants is TO be let alone by the laws.
and for the National Bank laws pro-
vision. that prevents farmers from maxi
ing free use Of their credit and the pro-
tective tariff laws to be repealed. Agricul-
ture VIII then take care Of itself, and will
receive no sort Of set-backs, until over
Jealous enthusiasts, devoid of judgment,
get some sort of statutes enacted for
its benefit, whereupon it Will certainly
receive an injury. But the point which
we wish to make is to give our readers
Mr.. Morton's speech in Boston last Thurs
day at a dinner given by the Young
Mems Democratic Club. Of Massachu-
sets, commemorative of the birth Of
Thomas jefferson. The speech is a gem,
and we here quote it in part. He said:
No statute has ever been proposed to
prevent the thoughts Of a pauper coming
in competition with the cerebratiOns Of
a millionaire, and IN the great mental
marts or the intellectual boards Of trade
Of the globe there is no protection TO the
thinking industry. The doctrine Of pro-
lection is avowedy to increase produc-
ton But protection cannot create de-
mand. Even the brainlest and most emf
nent advocates Of a protective tariff do
not assert that it creates greater appe-
tite for food or larger stomachic capa-
bilities for digestion and assimilation.
And while protection holds that home
market is a paradise for the American
farmer, it fails TO illuminate the fact
that the American farmer can produce
more under normal conditions in a single
year than his countrymen can consume
in three years.
There are two classes Of men who ad-
vOcate free trade They first believe in
il and advocate it because they love
liberty. They believe in it and advocate
IL because they think that every man is
entitled to use the legitimate earnings
of his own mind and person TO the best
advantage Of himself and family and that
10 do this he should be allowed 10 ex-
change his earrings wherever he can get
for them the most Of those things which
he desires. The second class Of the ad-
vocates Of commercial freedom are among
the later recruits in the contest FOR liber-
~ to commerce. These individuals have
Joined because they thought they saw
In the advocacy Of lower tariff taxes
and ultimate commercial freedom the pos
sibility of political prominence and pO-
sition. There are also two classes who
support a tariff for protection. The first
is made up of the protectees themselves.
The second Is composed OF those whom
the protectees bamboOzle by proselyting,
persuasion, palayer, and their peculiar
and sometimes pecrniary methods and
means. But | have FOR long time car
ried the belief that the Federal power
to tax was never intended to be used
except for public purposes.
The constant endeavor Of protectionists
IS 10 impress the American people with
the fact that free trade IS Of English
orisin, but they forget that in June. 1871,
at Philadelphia, the convention forming
the Constitution Of the United States
determined that trade between States of
me American Union should be forever |
absolutely free. This idea Of liberty for
commerce, like the idea Of liberty for |
conscience. which originated with our Pill |
grim fathers. is thoroughly purely. in |
tensely American in conception. righteous |
in principle, and equitable in operation.
/ have always denounced a protective /
tariff, because by law II puts an artificial |
price on the things which we need 10 |
buy, and now l denounce the free coin
age OF silver for the reason that bv |
statute, at a ratio OF 16 10 1. il puts an !
artificial price Oh silver of $l29 cents per |
ounce, when its bullion value is less than |
20 cents There is no infant industry so
thoroughly encouraged and protected TO-
day In the United States as that Of coun-
terfeiting. The generous counterfeiter
can afford to-day with silver g. cents
an ounce. TO put into his dollar $50 grains
and then have a profit per ounce, in his
infant Industry as a counterfelter. of
81 cents. This Ia individual free coinage.
stimulated by the protection which the
Sherman bill gave 70 the sIiver-mtning
-
MORAL INEBRIETY.
4 gentleman, whose own special friend