Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1909-04-29
A FINE SPEECH

OF the speech made by Hon. C. b.
Slemp in the House of Representatives
when the Payne tariff bill was under
consideration. 1t is an excellent speech.
and We wish that every voter in Vir-
GINA could have a copy and give it
careful reading.
The first part of the address is de-
voted to an exposition and defense of
the doctrine of protection as embodied
in the first tariff laws of this country
and approved by the fathers of the Re-
public. In this connection, Mr.. Slemp
asserts, and proves beyond question.
that Washington, Jefferson, Madison,
Monroe, jackson and Taylor-the first
six Presidents furnished by the South
were all protectionists.
In refuting the claims of the Democ-
racy that under the Constitution Con-
gress has no right to levy protective
duties for the encouragement of home
manufacturers, Mr.. Slemp quotes from
the second annual message of President
jackson as follows:
The power to impose duties on i'm
ports originally belonged to the several
States The right to adjust those du-
ties with view to the encouragement
of domestic branches of industry is so
completely incidental to that power that
1t is difficult to suppose the existence of
one without the other. The States have
delegated their whole authority over
imports to the General Government
without limitation or restriction, saving
the very inconsiderable reservation re-
lating to their inspection laws. This
authority having thus entirely passed
from the States, the right to exercise it
for the purpose of protection does not
exist IN them, and consequently if it be
not possessed by the General Govern
ment 1t must be extinct. Our political
system would thus present the anomaly
of people stripped of the right to fos-
ter their own industry and to counter
act the most selfish and destructive
policy which might be adopted by for
eign nations, and this surely can not
be the case. This indispensable power,
thus surrendered by the States, must
be within the scope of the authority on
the subject expressly delegated to Con-
gress.
I'm this conclusion am confirmed as
well by the opinions of Presidents
Washington, Jefferson, Madison, and
Monroe, who have each repeatedly
recommended the exercire of this right
under the Constitution, as by the uni
form practice of Congress, the contin-
ued acquiescence of the States, and the
general understanding of the people. -
The official and unofficial opinions of
Mr.. Madison, who helped to frame the
Constitution and secure its adoption, are
also cited by Mr.. Slemp to show how
fallacious is the Democratic claim that
tariff for protection is unconstitu-
tional.
Mr.. Slemp then very forcibly dis
cusses the Rise and fall of the free
trade idea in the South" He shows
that the free trade idea as the associate
of slavery, notification, secession and
dIsunion had been developed by John
c. Calhoun, along with the theory that
tariff duties levied for purposes of
protection, aside from mere revenue,
were unconstitutional
Mr.. Slemp then discusses the return
of the South to the protective senti-
ment and pictures the wonderful prog
ress and development made by our sec
tion of the Union under the benefcent
provisions of Republican protective
policy.
The speech of Mr.. Slemp shows that
he has investigated his subject thor
oughly; and his facts are presented
with force. 1t is an able speech, one
which no Southern Democratic repre-
sentative in Congress can successfully
answer.
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