The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1844-06-12

;ur an authentic document which presents
col. Folks views of the Tariff of lS42.-
have before me the Synopsis of Gov.
polk's Speech to the People of MadisoA
n the adjoining Counties, delivered at
Jackson on Monday the Sd of April, ls43,
printed in pamphlet form. and written on:
for publication by Gov. Polk From 1t l
luo.e the following extracts:
..Ile took other views, briefly presented
Of the subject, and proceeded TO the dis
cuss;on of the Protective Tariff act pass.
ed by the last Congress. lie showed that
il was highly Protective Tariff and not
one for revenue. He showed that, by the
COMPROMISE Tariff of 1888, the tax on no
imported article was 10 exceed 20 per cent
upon IFS value after the goth OF June
1912. No higher than 20 per cen. was
imposed on any article after the Both oil
June. ls42,until the 30thiof August. s42'
on which latter day the present Tariii was
passed by Wing Congress. The Wing
Congress laid violent hands on the Com
promise Act of 1888, and broke it up
1t was clear therefore, that the late
Tariff act was not revenue measure. Ii
has raised the rates of duty so high as 10
shut out imports, and consequently TO cut
off ana diminish rev.n e.
"Judging from the amount of revenue
received at the Treasury, under the oPer-
atoms Of the present Tariff act. for the
last quarter Of 1912, as already shown, II
vii not produce annually half the amount
of revenue which would have been pro-
duced by The lower rates of the comprom>
ise act had that act been left undlsturbed'
ale was opposed to direct taxes, and to
prohIbitory and protective duties, and Id
favor Of ouch moderate duties as would
not cut off lmportations. In other words.
he was in favor of reducing the duties to
the rates of tho Compromise act, where
the Wing Congress found them on the
30th of Juue, 1912"
1.-The South, and he with them, had vo>
ted for the act Of 1882 because it was
reduction of the rates of 1928, though by
no means so low as he would have desired
it 10 be; still it was the greatest reduction
which could be attained at the time OF It's
passage"
"The difference between the course Of
the political party with which he Mr..
Milton Brown] acts and myself is, whilst
they are the advocates of distribution and
Protective Tariff, measures which | con-
slider ruinous 10 the interests of the coun>
try,and especially TO the interests of the
planting States have steadily and at all
times opp sed BOTH"
These extracts conclusively prove the
the hostility of Col. Polk to the protective
policy, which he considers "ruinous to the
country,especialy 10 the planting States. !"
That is a sufficient argument with him.
He therefore is now for reducing the du-
tics TO the rates under the compromise
act, where the Wing Congress found them
on the 3O;h June, ls42;" and Gov. Polk
himself shows that ''the tax on no import
ed article was TO exceed 20 per cent. up.
on its value after the sen ofJune, 1912"
Then it is clearly seen that he is for n
horizontal Tariff Of twenty per cent with
determinations [if any are made] below
even that rate.
pass by, without comment, the far.
seeing statesman.like predictions of Gov.
Polk, that The Tariff of 1912 "had raised
the rates of dury so high as to shut out i'm
ports, and consequentlvto cut off and di-
minish revenue The subsequent in
crease of both imports and revenue under
this Tariff have given such a fulfilment TO
this prophecy as must forever immortalize
Col. Polk as a wonderful prophet
During the consideration of the Tariff
Of 1912, as the revenue produced by the
30 per cent duties of the compromise act
were altogether inadequate 10 defray The
expenditures of the Government, propo-
sition was made 10 lay duty on tea and
COTE, for which a number of Wings in
Congress voted, in order to increase the
revenue and redeem the sinking credit oil
Government. Col Polk seized upon this
vote TO give castigation of those Wing:
who had voted for this proposition. This
called forth response from the Hon
Milton Brown, of Tennessee. and led 10 {
political discussion at jackson, Tosne
sec. whore Col. Polk delivered the speech
above referred 10. He was most triumph
anily answered by Mr.. NJ. Brown, who
clearly demonstrated that the bill Of 1888
reported by the Committee Of WAYS and
Means, of which Gel. Polk was member
land in favor of which he made the first
speech first quoted from, proposed 10 i'm
pose duty of twenty per cent. on lea
and coffee. At the time this proposition
WIS made, tea and coffee were entirely
free of duty; and another striking fact
appears from Col, Folks speech in 1888
that the Government then had "six millions
Ct revenue from the impost more than we
need" Con. Debates. vol. 8, ll74 I Yet
Notwithstanding such was tho admitted
fact, Col. Polk voted against proposition
20 strike out tea and coffee from the pro.
posed bill. so as 10 continue them free oil
d1ty.-[ Jour. House of Representatives
1923. PIP. 800 and 39l.
But this subject was SO ably handled, and
Col. Folks ad captandum objection so thoro'-
| ly exposed by Mr.. Brown in his response to
| Col. Polk on that occasion at Jackson, Ten
nessee, that must beg to call your attention
to the extracts from his remarks which here
append: and do so the more earnestly as il
gives an insight into some of the traits of