Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-09-17

adhere 10 lis nrinciples. The resolution is in The
| following words, and can De iouiic III 'hS VI "e
published debates Of That veal:
"P solred That in The adjustment oil lariii
10 raise an amour; Of twenty-sX millions Oh Ic'e-
nue., he pr;nc.ptS0f Tie Compfom,Sc ac' genera
I IN slsuM be adhefci to-and that especially q
maximum rate Of I'd valorcm duties should be az
hered TO- from which there ought 10 be as niue
departure as possible
Twcniy-six millions annually was inc i'iiio,'.i'
which Mr.. CLAW stated in the same speech AZ II;
oS,;mote III ON. cyrcrscs under IN economical al
minsiration the government aio 'i'eieiolo :.'
sum necessary 10 be raised, exclusive OF any III,
crease from the public lands When ne prol'oseu
10 divide among the STATES. ~, q, ,o.,
Here then we have so late as March iih, 1872,
in the las, act of Mr.. Clay's public ite dis
tinct and solemn Reimbursement OF the principles
of the Compromise act. Bear IN NINA, lhal lle
great leading principle OF The act, was inc gradual
reduction of taxes On foreign manufactures, rom
4 high protective rate down 10 revenue s,"nu.
! ard.-down. so that one class OF men should mol
| enjoy the fruits of tax laid on other classes oil
The communi,v down 80 that the farmer mlShi
buy in The cheancst markets and sell in The dear
cs,-down. so that manufacturers should take
care OF themselves. as all the rest OF us do, anu
always have done.
Again. however we shall quote from Mr..
Claws own lips. his own statement OF ms arm
opinions and policy, in ISL Standing IN The
Senate, at the close OF his legislative career
stondina IN Thai platform from which he only de-
sccnded either 10 rise into the Presidency or 10
remain forever in private life, Mr.. Clay proclaim
ed in these words his final abandonment oil the
high Protective Tariff system:
"Iet me not he misunderstood, and lei me en-
trea, that may not 10 be misTcpresenied am
not advocating the revival Of a high Protective
Tariff. lam jor GLid,ng hi tie priBciT|eS ~ tic
COMPROMISE act; am for doing what no Southern
man of fair or candid mind has ever yet de-
nied-giying 10 the country revenue winch
NAV provide 1or the economical wants o' inc
Government. and, at the same lime, give an m
cldental protection 10 our home industry II
there I've here single gentleman who Will deny
the fairness and propriety OF this, shall DC Slaa
TO see and hear who he Is"
Now. then, lei lis pass TO The Tariff ot lsl2 at
present in force.
his entire approval. and his utter opposition 10
lis rcpeal In his letter 10 Mr. Frederick J. Cope,
dated June ~, 1911, he says, that the tariff oi
1879 has operated most bcneiiciallr, and am Ut
,erlv opposed 10 lis repeal. These opinions were
announced b. me at public meeting, in Aiaha-
ma. Georgia, Charleston. S. Carolina, \. Carolina,
and in Virginia.
the reverse of the Compromise Act in every i'm
portanl principle No man can sincerely, or
with any sense of consistency, approve OF one
without disappearing of the other. The Tariff
of IL. as is nnivcrSally conceded imposes higher
taxes on almost all manufactured articles. taking
the average ihan any other which has ever existed
in our statute book 1t departs from, and dlsre-
regards all the principles as well as all the de-
tails of the Compromise act The rates of taxa
ton on every thing that We wear and use IN
our various empoymen'S, is often double, tsome-
times more vet the tax fixed By The Compromise
act.
Besides. the duties are imposed specifically in
many Instances on each article, and not All r.
lo,tm. as was the case in the Compromise act,
and OF the importance OF which, Mr.. Clay thus
speaks
What are the other principles Of The act p
First, there is The principle that fixed al raio-
rem duy shall prevail and he in force at all
times For one am willing 10 abide by that
principle There are certain vague notions ailoat
Is 10 the utility and necessity of specific duties
and Determinations which am persuaded arise
from want of right understanding OF the sub
lect We have had the 0d rGiores, principle
practically in force ever since the Compromise
act was passed; and there has been no difficulty
in administering the duties OF the Treasury ON
that principle.
Ii was necessary first To ascertain the value OF
goods and then 10 impose the duty upon them;-
and from the commencement Of the act TO this
day. the I'd valorcm principle has been suhstan-
TALLY in operation Compare the difference be-
tween the specific and ad valorcm system ofdu-
ties, and maintain that the latter are justly en-
titled to the preference The one principle de-
clares the duty paid shall be upon Tie real value
of the article taxed; the specific principle inn
poses an equal duty on articles greatly unequal
in value Coffee for example, (and il is an ar
tclc which always suggests itself omy thoughtS,)
is one oil the articles on which Il specific duty
has been levied. Now, il is perfectly well known,
that the Mocha coffee is worth al least twice as
much as the coffee Of ST. Domingo or Cuba vel
both paw the same duty The tax has no rc>pcc,
10 the value but is arbitrarily levied on all ami
clcs of a specific kind alike however various
and UNEQUAL NAV he their value. say thai, in
theory. and according 10 every sound principle
of Justice, the ad valorcm mode vi taxation is
entitled TO the preference.
1t is undeniable, therefore, tha, Inc presen, tariff
is, in Two main and essential points, a departure
from the policy which Nr. Clay advocated before
the country, and expressly proclaimed in the Sc
nate Of the United STATES in Isle. Isl, The
present tariff is arranged exclusively for The pro-
lection of manufactures, 80 that nearly the whole
revenue necessary to support the government, is
paid in such manner as 10 free the manuiactu-
rers from taxes while their profits are doubled
"a. The aG rolpem principle Of laying duties is
almos, entirely abandoned,-Ih principle which,
in 1912. Mr. Clay declared that he would adhere
to--the mode Of taxation which he says in the
above extract, is according 10 every principle Of
Justice, 'en;i!cd to the preference"
We have succeeded in proving Mr. Clay, in
1912. TO have been proiessedly in iavor Of adher-
ing to the principles OF the Compromise Act
We have proved what We suppose no one will
DENY that in 1914 he Processes TO be in favor of the
present Tariff The exact opposite OF the policy ad-
vocatcd by him in 1912.
We discover therefore, between IL and III an
utter want Of similarity even, between Mr.. Clays
policy and opinions, in respect OF Il measure
about which he has been thinking and talking
ever since he came into public life
We discover, that in IL, on the floor of the Sc
nate in his last speech in that body, presenting,
as was It's design, whatever of wisdom and know
lsdse in craftsmanship had been acquired during
his carcer,--ac 0baadOacd the pvincipic Of Pfo-
tcction. saving II an tor abiding By he princiytS
Of tic Compromises Act
We discover, that in June, 1914, he has gone
back 10 the high protective system and abandon
ed wholly and hopclcssly the "principlcs Of the
Compromise Act"
Such extraordinary Inconsistencies could no,
occur IN Inc puDlc position 81 any person, pro-
Tossing to he Il statesman, without extraordinary
reasons. What are the reasons for the somcr-
SETS, the ground and lofty tunbling, which VIC
have Just observed? Here they are:
In lSi2 Mr.. Clay Intended 10 rely on the mer-
chants and farmers for his principal strength in
the struggle for the Presidency. Then, accord
ingly, lie would do nothing unfair or unjust TO the
commerce or the agriculture Of the country.
In 1914, Mr.. Clay intends because he is so
forced, to rely on the manufacturers as his only
chance for elevation. Merchants and farmers
can't afford 10 spend the amount of money re-
qurcd 10 elect Henry Clay President, while a
Tariff policy is in vogue, which DESTROYS the
business OF the one class and takes away all the
profits OF the other Manufacturers have there
lore agreed 10 elect Mr.. Clay provided he will
secure them enormous special privileges, by a
high Protective Tariff, and give them unlimited
control over the farmers prices and the mer-
chants iInportS bv means of FIFTY MIL I1oS