Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-02-27


for acton now on the modification of the present high
tariff and Tor the prompt passage of the bill introduced
by the Senator from South Carolina, Mr.. McDuF.
rE, amended as il may and should be in some respects,
if the motion TO post pone does prevail so ns to mould
il into form acceptable TO mos, Of the great IN
eress and great sections of the country My OBJECT is
to present some why the exhorbilan and partial
rate oil duties on imports, which exists, should not
be tolerated single day longer than is required to
make the change Judiciously
shall speak TO The merits Of this proposition solely
intend TO treat ii practical ques!lon-oue VITA. 10
twenty millions Of pro ple-ra'her than an abstract lie
DRY, ilectng the welfare merely Of small regions
and small classes
/ We have been asked to rely on facts rather imam
speculalions. Such a course proper; and as, IN
every controversy variety of facts nvoived,sap
pearing often different 10 different persons, equally
honest, but not equally nquirlng, or connected with
the transactions, my great effort will be TO throw new
! light on the facts which bear upon the subject
Settle some of the doubtful facts, sir, and there VIII
be much less difficulty principles for while men
and events change, principles are eternal Looking,
then, to all the real circumstances connected with the
present high and unequal Tariff whether 1t be Inee
for protection revenue, and the following facts
seem 10 require lis amendment without delay.
| In the fret place. II could not have become law,
except asa temporary measure, in great exiEsncy
and speedily 10 be corrected 1t voted Tor by no
az new experiment, which NIGH, require years Vi
experience in order 10 develop the proprey OF It's cen
/ tlnulnce OF m0GilicaliDn HE system involved IN IL
had been previously tried 10. generation, and
found wanting. 1t mad been in operation TIL its mpo
Icy and oppression convused the Union from IT'S CEN
ire TO lis eXtremltes 1t had been deliberately aoo
lished by union Of Its former friends and foes and 50
far from its having become sacred-iorbddins any
agitation of lie character, and requiring us TO wait ion
ger for further Developments OF It's good or eyii,--the
speeches o several gentlemen it's passage, prove il
Intended t, lie amended at early day II passed
here BY majority oi only one; and, IN ordcr that TIE
Senate that mistake exists IN IEpn'lng
such opinions some without whose votes here the
bill must have failed. | would trouble the Senate, by
reading 10 them an extract or two from the debates on
that occasion. The distinguished Senator from New
York. M WrjGh,,l declared that il was bad, and ioad
cd acih dttcis (Appendrx to Globe 90: p, for l'l2
But the only choicc 'cas bttcem tbs measure an" none
al all, (i55 p.:) and he felt obliged to net under he
dsaereeale aitcrnntirc cf rery bad ill., and no reoe
nae and no cottecfion ia~s. Another member MI
Williams then the colleague Of The Chairman, Mi
Evans, who deprecnes touching the present lurIh
and eulogzes IT'S provisions so highly, voted Tor II nn
der The deliberate expression, that The bH u 'chotc
isAighy objectionable, ("57 ?)-lhat he would not he
state against It, If any other provision could be
MADE; but he supported II TO ''enabIe Government 10
continue rs operation, until the people snail have ana
theT opportunity Of rcng agents to represent them
IN another Congress; and whatever Is wrong IN The
provisions Of Ia b (dNd there IS Much ~ ~ may
ihen be corrected
The Senator from Pennsylvania MIR. buchanan also
had the candor to declare the bill 10 be Objectionable
But The choice was, his view betceen lint or none,
and financial disgrace. 81 shall accept (Sad ie) this
now as much The least OF two evils and look forward
with hope TO better times for adjustment of the Ia
riff on scale more consonant with all The great and
various interests Of the Union, without sections -
(95l p)
The President also (without whose signature the bill
would not have become law contemplates, in his
mrssGre. that n revision of il may nov be proper.
But. Sir. there higher authority than all these
with gentlemen opposite. III favor Of examining INTO
the provs Of the existing Tariff aud correcting any
Of them, if sir. Clay, in letter written
last September, says, concerning the Tariff OF lei2:
"If there be any defects in il (oi which
have not The means Of judgingD they ought to be
corrected Bat TO the Tariff of 1898, he well
acquainted with "the circumstances which gave birth
that. "1hey are highly discreditable TO American
legislation and that was singh Thrift sentiment
Nv deserving that denomination" Now those well &C.
qnantsd with The act of 1912, know it to be not only
as high tariff, in many respects, as that of lS2S but
in some higher; and if the former ha, account
dscredtable TO American legisallon this is worse, and
therefore should be at corrected. Other cIrcum-
stances connected with It were similar 1t originated
in opportunities from only small class in society;
was partial and unequal in It's burdens tor their bene-
fits and tended To xact tribute from the rest 10 sustain
them alone. Did any gentleman who had not exa-
mined The details critically, deem this Z mere opinion,
founded on loose generaes and consider it mpossi'
BILE, that after the fatal effects which flowed from the
high Tariff of 1928 majority of any Congress could
proceed TO renew several duties quite high, and in
deed much higher Let him. then, look 10 the recorded
facts in our own statute books, from which tabular
statement has been compiled by me, few items in
which will take the liberty TO read [Appendix, table
No. !.
Here are eighteen distinct articles, each Of which is
higher under the present Tariff, than that of 1928
Among Them the important items of cordage, cot
ton cloths cotton baggng, kinds Of glass; iron,
shoes, and boots, with molasses, crockeryware, and
woolens If salt aud sugar were at specific rate OF
DUTY noninay less they were burdened higher in
nronortion 70 their present value. Many of these
tcles were great OF life, whether the log
cabin or palace or the vessels deck, freghted with
the rich spices and silks of India or The Western keel
boat and gallant steamer, loaded with The ahors oil the
hardy farmer across the Aeghanes and when cordugc
is now taxed four and half cents, instead of four per
Dound steel two dollars and fifty cents instead OF two
dollars hundred; shoes thirty, instead OF twenty-five
cents pair and crockeryware fifty per cent more
than the former mpost-can any one say that, 1t the
act of I5S vas high or dlscreditabe, Hill of hbo-
limitations this is not higher and more dscreditable
will not 90 through ali the article: where the pa
rael Is drawn before me IN the table, lest it might
proye tedious But there were %eigh!y reasons beside
these for an early revision OF the present tauh In
lie rcnera character and design II framed not ior
revenue but prolecllon and thu, protection direct, and
chiefly 10 one class OF the community and beng
small one proportion to the whole; thus endanger-
ing If no, sacrificing the interests OF the many TO aid
la few. Whenever any OF lis provisions nave Deen
moulded differently to accomplish this purpose, it is
departure from sound principle, being purpose not fl
nanoia in lis origin or tendency-not in conformity
with the sound principles of taxaton nor permissible
for other objects under the spirit of our confedera,ed
form of Government where no such power is expressly
granted and every power not so granted is reserved
10 the States and the people.
| shall not, however, this OCCASION, investigate
the mooted question Of lis cons,Itullonalty because
time for such argument does not exist without omit
ting much that tends TO demonstrate the proprlety of
amending snch b on great principles OF justice and
equality IN legislation older than all constitutions, and
paramount to every technical consideration
proceed to offer facts to prove that the present Ia
riff is such bill II was prayed for in many respects,
BY only one class of The commun'ty-manufacture
Testimony was taken only to the influence Of many
of it's provisions to aid class The passage Of them,
in their present FORM advocated as necessary for
the protection of that class; and however some other
considerations TO or consequential benefits TO
other classes may have mingled with The paramount OBJ
cc in giving the present extraordinary form and pres
sure Of The Of duty, yet the interest and
protection Of manufactures we're the Alpha and Omega
IN The numerous departures which occur IN from The
sound revenue system which existed here from the
foundation of the government until The derange-
ments Of industry during the last war Prior TO
,h, erent FMS will exDlaIn more fully hereafter the