Speech #460157867

Mr. Chairman. on the 6th of December last the gentleman from Ohio introduced and caused to be referred to the Committee of Ways and Means what is now popularly known as "the Hurd freetrade resolution." It embodies nine propositions. which the author declares set forth the principles that should regulate any tariff levied by the American Congress. In view of our varied. complex. and expanding industries. of the illimitable store and variety of raw material for manufacture with which our country is endowed. vital elements of which are found in every part of our country. and which. by reason of this wide diffusion. necessitate XI114 internal traffic. and offer remunerative business to the amplest conceivable systems of internal transportation. of the immense capital. most of which having been created by our productive industries. is now invested in railroads. buildings. and machinery constructed for the transportation and conversion of native raw materials into finished commodities. of the constantly increasing millions of people to which these furnish employment at wages so remunerative as to make our home market for the productions of the field and the factory the best market in the world. and to invite an immense annual immigration -in view. I say. of all these stupendous facts. the gentleman from Ohio in this resolution proposes to declare it to be the duty of Congress to modify our tariff. to which these great interests have adjusted themselves. in accordance with a few abstract propositions which have commended themselves to his judgment. In January. 1880.the CorpsLegislatif entered upon an exhaustive discussion of the effect upon French interests of the commercial treaties between France and other countries.