The Woodstock age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1844-1845, 1844-06-27
TIE TARlFF-IIENRY G. LA Y S
OPINIONS.

iUSHiOn oil TIC udy-nO nllSldhe dDOul H'ii'
TIE TARlFF-IIENRY CLAWS
OPINIONS.
The Ann Arbor State Journal has the fol-
lowing paragraph:
"I}m on the IdriG, The Com, of Ways
and means have brought in their new pro-
jcct. 1t fixes the maximum duties 30
per cent, to be reduced in 1915 to % per
cent These locoocos it seems, can't
bear to see the country prosper"
The same Ann Arbor ,ouna that con-
tains this, has the name OF Henry Clay fly
inc under ita editorial head as the whig
candidate for President. And now let us
see what Mr. CIay's opinions on the sub
,ect the tariff are, The following is an
extract from Mr. CIay's speech on the tar
if in the t. S, Senate, in 1912, Just be-
fore he resigned his seat in that body;
81 am not advocating the revival ola high
protective tariff; am for abiding by the
principles of the Compromise act; | am
for giving to the country revenue, which
may provide for the economical wants OF
the Government, and at the same time
give an incidental protection to our home
industry"
"But it is necessary to consider what
the principles ofthc Compromise actrcalIy
are.
I. The first is that there should be fixed
rate ofAD VALOREM DUTY, AND
DETERMINATIONS BELOW 1T.
,. That tho excess Of duty beyond twcn-
ty per cent, should, by agraduaI process,
commencing on the 3lst of December, Is
33, be reduced, SOTITAT BY THE 30Ih
OF JUNE, 1912, II SHOULD BE
BROUGHT DOWN TO TWENTY
PER CENT.
3 That after that day, such duties
should be laid for the pupose OF raising
such revenue as might be necessary Tor
an economical administration of the gov
ernmcnt.
4. That, after the 30th of June, 1912,
all duties should be paid in ready money,
to the exclusion of all credits.
5. That after the same, a list Of articles
specified and enumerated in this act should
be admitted free ofduty for the benefit OF
the manufacturing interests.
These are the principles, and all the
principles of the compromise act"
Such is Mr. Clay's exposition of theprin'
cples actually contained in the Comprom'
isc Act, which he drew with his own hands
word for word, letter for letter, comma ioI
comma. And now let us see what other
principle Mr. Clay had in the draught o.
the bill before it became law. The
Hon. Henry A. Wise, in letter to the
public, some time since, said:
II am informed and authorized by one
who saw the manuscript draught of '33, be-
fore it was offered, to state, that when Nj
CLAY drew the act OF 1883, and showed II
TO his friends, after the clause which pro-
yldcs that only such duties shall be LAID a;
are necessary for an economical admins
tration of the Government, alter the Jul
of June, 1912, the following words, OF
words precisely equivalent, were added, tc
wit: "AND SU CT DUTIES SHALL
BIZ LAID WITHOUT REFERENCE ,c
THE PROTECTION OF ANY DO
MESTIC ARTICLE WHATEVER"
The following extract of letter, written
at the time when Mr. Clay brought forward
the compromise act, by the Hon. HERMAN
DENNy, then a member of Congress, from
PENNSYLVANIA, will show what the tariff mel
then thought of Mr. CIay's measure:
WAsuiNGroN, Feb. II. 1888.
"From the proceedings IN the Senate
YOU will see that Clay has left his tariff
:. friends and his united with Calhoun. Th'
project submitted by Mr. Clay is believed
to have previously received the approba
ton of MIR Calhoun. Some think il migi
potcd miM that mdiridadL The friend
of the protective policy now rally aroun'
Mr. Webster; his resoutons--whch yot
will find in the Intellgcncer of to-day, con
tain the true principles of the American
system, and upon these these The lrIehd
of American industry here are determined
to stand. Mr. Clay's proposition goes lar
Their than some of the Southern gentlemen
would have insisted on! lie abandon
discrimination. The duties on the pro
tectcd articles are to be reduced 10 ~ pc
cent ad val, after 1912"
Here then we have the fact, that Mr. Cla
by the compromise act, provided that al
ter tide }0th of June, 1912, "thc dutie
should be reduced to 30 per cent" al val
. orem-,hat is, a horizontal duty, wlthou
discrimination, oitweniy per cent upon tn
value of all importatons not free OF dnt
which was equivalent TO, and rendere
unnecessary. the provision stated by NJ
Wise-"that such duties should be Ian
, wi,hou, reference 10 the protection OF an
article Of domestic manufacture whatever