The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1844-10-18

"My opinions, such as they are, have been re-
Gently quite as freely expressed at the South as
ever uttered them at the North haze euery-
,ohere maintaintd that, in adjusting tariff for
reuenue, determinations ought to be made for pro-
tecfion. THAT THE TARIFF OF 1912 HAS opERAT-
Ell MOST BENEFIcIALLY, and that AM UTTER
LY OPPOSED TO IT'S REPEAL, ITO its "repedP'
Yes, but at the South he left wide room for his
friends represent him, indeed they did, as be-
ing well disposed to Its aHeration.] These opin-
ions were announced by me at public meetings in
Alabama, Georgia, Charleston, in South Carolina,
North Carolina, and in Virginia. Clay's letter
to Cope, June 20, 1874.
Again:
| 81 Ihave often, gen temen, expressed my opinion
in favor the tariff OF 1912, that the only regret
feel is that you should deem it at all necessary to re-
quest any renewed expression of it. Nevertheless
l take pleasure, in complying with your request, in
saying that am of opinion that the tariff of 1912
has been eminently salutary; that am decidedly
opposed TO itSrfpeal that should regard its repeal
as great national calamity; and that am unaware
of the necessity of any modification Of it. am
therefore OPPOSED ALIKE TO ITS REPEAL OR
OBLIGATION. A fixed and stable currency is
what the country most needs, and sincerely hope
that the tariff of 1912 may be maintained, and thus
afford security for that desideratum. - Clay's
letter Of September 9th, 1874
And then on the other side:
81 should have preferred that the compromise
in oil its parts could have been adhered to. -
Clay's letter to .Mtrivether Of Georgia, Oct. 2,
| 1910.
After my return to Congress, in 1881, my efforts
were directed 10 the modification and reduction of
the rates ofduty contained in the act of 1928. The
of 1892 greatly reduced and modified them; and
the act of 1888, commonly called the compromise
act, still further reduced aud modified them. The
act which passed at the extra session of lS4l, which
| supported, was confined to free articles. l had
resigned my seat in the Senate when the act of
1912 passed." If there be any excesses or dcfects
in it, (of which have not here the means ofjudg-
ing0 THEY OUGHT TO BE coRRECTED."-CIdy'S
letter 10 f. s. Bronson, Oct. l3, 1S43
"IN MY SUBSEQUENT LIFE l HAVE
ADHERED TO IT'S PROVISIONS; AND
SHALL DO so IN FUTURE."-C7ayss speech
at Columbus, Georgia, .aprii, 1884,
"He challenged the most dgent TO show, from
the records, that he had ever countenanced its yo
lation, in the slightest particular; nay, more, he
was bold to say, that, during his entire service in
Congress since, there never had been effort to
violate it which had not met with his prompt and
earnest resistance. "-Clay's speech at Charleston
s.. c. .Apr1l 8, 1874.
Again, as to the origin ofthe compromise, in lis
relation to nullificaton-
One side:
sFor the double purpose, then, of saving the
protective policy from destruction, and sarmg this
Union from the horrors Of cioH ,oar, deemed 1t
necessary to bring forward that healing and tran
QUILTING measure in regard to which there has been
so much misconcepton and miSsatement in the
course of this present debate, (mcaning the COM
promise.)
"That measure, the compromised whatever Of
value or of error it may possess, originated entire
" with the individual who is now addressing the
Senate Congressional Debates, uol. l3, part ], /,
page 969.
The other side:
.sThe compromise was not extorted by the ter
ror of notification. 1t was a compassionate con-
cesslon TO the imprudence and impotency of nulli-
fication. The danger from notification excited no
more apprehension than would be felt by seeing
regiment ofa thousand boys of five or six years of
age, decorated in brilliant uniforms, with their
gaudy pumes and tiny muskets, marching up to
assault corps of fifty thousand grenaders six feet
high."-On the Independent treasury bill, Sep
temJer, 1897
ON PROTECTION.
One side:
"You tell me that | am accused of having aban-
doned the prOtectiue policy. That would distress
me exceedingly if l were not accused of all sorts
of crimes and misdemeanors. ."-Lefter TO Clayton
.aug %, 1874.
The other side:
"Carry out the spirit of the compromise act
Look to revenue alone for the support of govern
ment. Do not raise the question of ofprotection,
which had hoped had been put to rest There is
no necessity ofpiotecton for protection. ~ Clays
speech at the ertra session, ls4l.
| ON HIGH DUTIES.
One side.
GAN that was settled in 1916, in 1924, flor both
of which tariffs Mr. Clay voted, and in 1928, was,
that protection should be afforded by high duties,
withoutregard to the amount of the revenue which
they might yield. &c, dys speech, Feb. 25, 1888
The other side:
81 did not vote for the tariff of ls2S-for which,
however, Mr. Van Buren, Col Benton, Col
Johnson, Mr.. Wright, and others Of our opponents,
did vote. And it il remarkable, that, from that
period, my exertions in Congress have been di
rected to the reduction and moderation of tariffs
Thus, in 1881, supported that tariff, which great
iy modified and =. duced the tariff Of 1928, inso-
much that 1t was supposed by reasonable men that
it would ought to satisfy the nulifiers Of South
Carolina. Tbesnext year, 1888, brought for
ward the compromise. never was in favor of
what regarded as high tariff No more reve-
nue. should be levied than is necessary to an eco