The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1843-12-08

dence, and Of your uawillIngness TO con-
ceal your principles, or to suffer them TO
be misrepresenled, induce US respectfully
TO PROFOUND 10 YOU The following questions !;
Are you in favor of u Tariff for the pro-
ton Of American Manufactures
Have your principles in reference to
this subject undergone change or modif-
cation
A reply will obIige,
Very respectfully, &C.,
JOEL BRANHAM.
RoB'T. BLEDSOE
The Hon. HENRY CLAY, Lexington, Ky.
ASHLAND, Esd July, 1913.
Gentlemen: duly received your favor
Of the 18th inst. in which you inform me
that conflicting opinions prevail in your
State in regard TO my opinions on the poll
cy Of protecting Domestic manufactures,
and You request of ne information in re-
linton TO them. take pleasure in comply
ing with your request.
Fly opinion is, that the Revenue ncces.
sary TO an economical administration Of
the Government, ought TO be derived, 10
season of peace, exclusively from duties
imposed on our foreign imports, and that
Tariff for that purpose, ought 10 be so adj
lusted, as TO afford reasonable encourage
ment TO our domestic manufactures. |
Gin opposed TO direct taxes and internal du.
ties, except in time Of war, when they may
be necessary to give ygor and success 10
arius. am opposed to the doctrines Of
free trade With foreign powers, all whom
subject our commerce with them, 10 re-
strlction, otlenvery great and bur,hensome.
These opinions have always entertain
cd, and still entertain. | never was in ia
yor Of duties being so high as 10 amour,
10 a prohibition Of articles on which they
were laid. have thought il best for all
interests, shat there should be competition.
think il Of grea! importance, that Ia
riff should possess stability, as frequent
changes affect injuriously all our great in
forests. To impari TO il that character,
1T should be moderate, reasonable and GER
tain.
J voted for the Tariffs Of 1916, 1924
and 1892. think they were all reason
able and moderate, al the times they were
respectively passed. In the infancy of
manufactures, the object being 10 acquire
the skill aud accumulate the capital ncces.
sary 10 their successful establishment,
greater degree of protection is cxpcdlent
than is requisite after they have made
considerable progress. The difficulty lies
m 81 AT I..,,r.a t.,
wi,hou, mach experience, and failed To
make, IN all cases, proper adjustment OF
The measure of protection. Eight years
experience in 1894 enabled Congress to
fix 1t with more equity aud preclsion.---
Eight years of progress in our manuiac-
lures in 1882 justified some reduction in
the amount of duties, and generally the
Tariff Of 1912 is more moderate than that
Of 1872. As our manufactures advance
and becsme perfected, less and less pro.
lection will be needed, until many articles
VIII be able to compete with the foreign
rival ARTICLES, without any protection at all
IN The form of duties.
! was not in Congress in 1928, and
therefore did not vote for the Tariff Of
that year. The duties in many instances
imposed by that Tariff were extrayagant.
~ high, and, in olhcfs, duties were impos-
ed which we're not called for by any iuic.
terest. That 1'alil' was fraudulent pro.
duction. II was framed Dy a combination
Of some members from the South aud
some from the North, who were afraid
openly 10 vote against a Tariff, and yai
wished to obtain credit for being favorable
to supposed Southern interests. 1t was
SO shaped. With the design Of defeating the
passage Of any tariff; because it was be.
heged that, it was SO injurious 10 the man.
uiaciuflng interest in many respects, that
the honest and true friends of that interest
would not vote for it. Had it not been de-
icated, those Northern members, who uni
ted in concocina II, would have returned
home and asserted that they were the true
tricnds Of protection, and that its really
honest friends we're niinical to it. But il
was not defeated. The genuine friends Of
manufactures resolved not TO be cheated
by such a combination, and determined to
take the bill for the sake of the good that
was in it, notwithstanding the bad, which
was put there against their consent. The
scheme not having succeeded as was de.
signed, the Southern members, who were
concerned in it, afterwards bitterly re.
preached their northern conlederates for
the disappointment.
] have more than half dozen times ex.
pressed WithlIf4he last two or three venrs
on public occasions, tho opinion which |
now communicate as to combination OF
the principles of Revenue and Protection
in Tariff. send You herewith the last
speech on TINT subject which | made in
the Senate Of the u. States and also a
brief sketch of the principles of the Wing
party, as ! understand them, which pre-
pared.
have no other objection to the publica.
ton Of this letter but that it would imply
a sensiIIvencss in regard to my opinion
tvtteb | do pst fool .ud ,L..,I. I.