New-York daily tribune., 1844-07-09
y...r. Clay and Polk on the Tariff.

o:ck on, a line or two here and there rom M
Clay's letters and speeches which seems to concur
nth Mr.. Polk. there Is in ruth the most vital
a.screp.ncy. He kao,os not only that tbs IS
tue. but that it is one OF the grounds on 7ahlc"
,e. thorough Free Trader as We know Inn 70 De,
supports Polk and opposes Clay. And yet he
tainks he can hoodwink, deudc, cheat the me
chanics Of Newark and vicinity, and so nduce
,;,,m TO vote for Polk and Dass Is not tins
re,,y business for one who ventures to ook honest
men in the face
The Post says that the Only difference between
Tessrs Clay and Polk is that the former would
distribute the Land Proceeds TO the States, while
ne latter would not. Even were THIS all, 1t Is
vital. Once agree with Polk that duties are To
~. laid With view 10 Revenue and nothing else,
! and that the Land Proceeds arc 10 be annually
expended by the Government as usual, and there
must be constant fluctuations Of the Tariff, eX-
9osing the LaGoring Cl.ss joallenarons o work
md no work, wages and no wages, bread and no
bread. One wear, the Lands viii yield but One
Iill;on, then the Tariff must be raised to meet a
deficiency in the Treasury; soon the Land Pro-
ceeds would run up 10 Three, Five and Zen NIL
lions, they have gone TO 'fwentyfi five Millions IN
one vear.) and now the Tariff must be reduced
correspondngy until it would afford no shadow
of Protection. The Land Receipts are notorl-
ouslv capricious and on Mr.. Pok's plan the Ia
riff must be kept In perpetual oscillation to meet
them: and this we consider little better than no
| Tariff at ali.
But the Post does not conine itself TO sophls
trv. Ii promptly says that Mssrs. Clay ana
Polk both ooted against the act of ls20.''-
}Ir. Clay was not in Congress III ISIS. He
doubtless disapproved Of some Of the e1orbtant
provisions thrust into it by silas Wright Il Co.
.or the purpose of causing the Eastern Members
to vote against it, so that II might De claimed as
Jackson Tariff; but he not opposed To tho
general character and purpose OF that act Look
at the vote in Congress, and you will see that near,
" every Clay man voted for the bill.
The difference between these two men Is pre-
ciselv this Mr. Clay has all his life been All ad'
vocate of protective Tariff; Mr.. Polk has ney
er pretended TO be otherwise than opposed toit.-
Mr.. Clay proposed the Compromise Act OF 1888
in order TO prevent the passage of far mos c
sweeping and Immediately destructive measure
which would have reduced the Tariff al once be
ow the point which Mr.. Clays bill proposed TO
reach gradually in the course of ten years Nj.
Clay tried TO save all he could Of the Tariff; Mr.
Polk to PROSTATE all he could; though he finally
4 hoe. Gt,, ,,.,,
sidcred himself bound TO adhere in good faith TO
/ the spirit of the Compromise, but nc says the
| Land Distribution part OF the understand
ing, and that the present Tariffs accordant with
tina, spirit. Mr. Polk is detcrmncdly hostile 10
The Land Distribution, and hostile TO the present,
Tariff, declaring it Protective and therefore de-
structivc of Revenue, asserting that II is hostile
to the interests of the Agricultural and especial
ly TO the Planting States Mr.. Clay has written
10 Georgia an the very letter from which the
Post tries to pick out a contrary sentmeno thai
he considers the provisions of the present Tariii
:" in the main wise and proper he has cxpressec
the same sentiment many times, as IN letter we
publish To day, and in one to his friends at Har.
TSOurg, Il. WTlltCil 1T W dSiliilStO'i, ii'',
wherein he says,
THE Tariff OF l842 has been bitterly denounced,
and epIhes applied 10 il. lis repeal wa- pro-
nounced to he iavoriic oJect OF our political oa-
ponents. They have majority oi some nifty or SIX
/, III the House. bill 10 repeal that Tariff has
been pending great part Of the present session OF
Congress And vet, Yesterday, on 4 test vote,
majority of the House decided against the repeating
bill leartng The Tariff Of 1912 IN tuH and sALurA-
A, AM ipyolnnfn
r, concession of our political opponents 10 the ,ciS-
dom and benefcence Of IIhig policy, produced b!
the returning prosperity of the country and the EN-
Iigh,ened opinion OF the people"
If the Post has not hitherto had the evidence
before it that Mr.. Clay approves heartily the
present Tariff, we trust it has that evidence now
Here is Mr.. Clay's ground. Ii the Post Will
produce expression oi similar sentiments from
Mr. Polk, we will conccdc the point But II
knows II cannot. He has in every way commit
ted himself 10 the dcadies, hostility 10 lnis Tariff
In letter carefully prepared by him in answer 10
questions from Memphis, he last summer declar
ed (as he had done in substance many times be-
furc)
AN orposEp TO rur TARIFF ACT OF THE LATE Con-
coSosug Il 10 he IN many respects o hs chaIacte-
and indeed highly upon articles 10 pro
hb their I'M oriton the country altogether.
idrOr 0f RkPEALNG that 9ct and the Compromise
Iarit .fct of March Ia 1873 belevl. u do thai II would
produce than the present law. and that ne tRe
dental protection dforded by TIE TWENTY PER cENr DUTY
especially when woud be pad m cash. aud on the hnt
villaIiun afford cieni protection 10 the VangfaeHr
and ak that lev oTgh 10 asSs ar 10 aiea ey are kN
TITLED.
Here is the ground occupied respectively by
Messrs Clay and Polk Both are in favor OF
moderate duties-bo.h in favor, if you please, OF
Incidental Protection very Incidental Mr. Polk :
would be- both opposed to any depressing OF one
section or interest or the benefit OF another. and
as many more words as YOU please. Bat Nj.
Clay is in favor OF sustaining the present rarlt,
while Mr. Polk is for repeating it. and adopting
in its stead horizontal impost OF twenty per cent
Mechanics OF New-Jerscy aud of the Union !! De
no, deluded by words but look TO things. Which
Tariff do you prefer
IL We don't know what ROBERT c. WET
MORE has done or left undone which should IN
duce his removal from the office of Navy Agent
AT this port, but we must say the circumstance
redounds very much 10 his credit in this commu-