The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1844-06-17


MEASURES WHICH, CONSIDER RulNOUS
TO TIE INTER EST OF THE COUNTRY, AND
ESPECIALLY TO THE INTERESTS OF THE
PLANTING STATES-l HAVE STEADILY AND
AT ALL TINES OPPOSED BOTH"
These extracts concusiveIy prove the hostility OF
Col Polk to the protective policy which he considers
",uinous to the country, especially the planting
Siates" That is n sufficient argument with him.
lie therefore is now for producing the duties TO he
rates under The compromise act, ,rhere The Wing Don
gress found Them on the 30h June, 1926" md Gov
ernor Polk himself shows that "he tar on no fnpor-
ted article TO erceed tweny per cent upon its cal
ne after The 30M Of June, 1912 Then It is clearly
seen that he is for a HORIZONTAL TARIFF OF 20
per cent with determinations (if my are made) be-
low that rnle
mass by without comment the fur seeing and
s;atesmenlhe predictions of Gov. Polk, that the Tar
if of 1912 "had iaised The rates Of duty so high as
10 shut oL imports and consequently TO cut Of and di-
minish rerenue. The subsequent increase Of both
imports and rerenue under this Tariff have given
such fulfmen to this prophecy as must forever inn
moralize Col Polk wonderful prophet!
During the consideration Of the Tariff Of 1912, as
the revenue produced by he twenty per cent duties
of the compromise act altogether inadequate TO
derray the expenditures of the Government, ProPo-
sition was made lay duty on tea and coffee, for
which n number of the w higs in Congress voted, in
order to increase the and redeem the sinking
credit OF the Government. Col. Polk seized upon
this vote TO give u castigation TO those Wings who
had voted for this proposition This called forth
response from the Hon. MrLToN 'BRowN, of Ten
nessee, and led to n political discussion at Jackson,
Tennessee, where Col. Polk delivered the speech
above referred 10. lie was most triumphantly an
swered by Mr. NJ. Brown, who clearly demonstrated
that the bill of 1888 reported by the Committee of
Ways and Means, of which Col. Polk was a member,
(and in favor Of which he made the speech first quo
ted from,) proposed to impose duty of twenty per
cent. on tea and coffee At the time this proposition
was made, and coffee entirely free Of duty;
aud another striking fact appears from Col Folks
speech in 1885, that the Government had then ''sir
millions of rerenue from The imposi more than ire
need "[Congressonal Debates, vol ix,p IVA, 1Yet,
notw outstanding snch the admitted fhct, Col.
Polk voted against proposition 10 strike out tea and
coffee from the proposed bill, so as 10 continue them
free of duty journal of House of Representatives,
1928, PIP. 800 and 39I.l
Concidng as Col. Polk does in opinion with Cal
houn & uItra-tar ree-trade men of the South in his
views the tariff, i, is not strange that they should
have been willing TO compromise on him, nor is at all
astonishing to hear that Messrs. Pickens and Elmore
the ministers pienipotentiary from South Carolina to
Baltimore, although refusing to participate in the pro-
ceedings Of the Convention, yet, when the nomina-
tion made, up in the Convention and pledg-
ed the vote of South Carolina for Col. Polk. And
it now only remains to be whether that large
portion of the Democratic party who believe in the
policy and Propriey of besowing fair protection upon
American industry, will consent 10 be handed oper
without notice consultation 10 the support Of free
trade -horizontal-tariff advocate, who is the make
shift candidate of the Baltimore Convention.
Respectfully yours,
JOHN J. HARDIN, Of Illinois.
Washington, May 80, ls44