Question

What do you think Senator Morrill meant by “‘revenue reform’ conceals free trade under its cloak, it conceals a dagger aimed at the American laborer”?

Answer 1

The text comes from a speech called "The Tariff Bill" given by Hon. Justin S. Morrill of Vermont in the Senate of the United States in 1872.

In this sentence, the senator is arguing that "revenue reform" is just another way to refer to reforms towards free trade. He believes that free trade hurts American labourers by forcing them to compete with cheap imports from other countries. His view is called protectionism. It encouraged the establishment of tariffs in trade in order to protect national industries.