The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1844-06-08

OH and diIninish revenue"
Judging from the amount of revenue
received at the Treaty, under the opera
lions OF the present tariff act, for the last
quarter of 1912, as already shown, it will
not produce annually half the amount of
revenue which would have been produc-
ed by the lower rates Of the compromise
act, had that act been left undisurbcd.o
"lle was opposed To direct taxes. and
I" pr"hlbtory aud protective duties, and
IN lavor oi such mOdcraic duties as would
not cut off importations IN OTHER
WORDS, HE WAS IN. FAVOR OF RE
DUClNG TIE DUTIES no THE
RATES OF THE COMPROMISE ACT.
WHERE TIE WING CONGRESS
FOUND THEN ON TIE 30uh or
JUNE, lSl2n
"lhe South, and he with them, had vet
ed for the act of 1913 because it was A
reduction of the rates Of the act of ISIS,
| though by no means 81 low as he would
have desired it to be; still it was the
greatest reduction which could be attain
cd at the Time Of It's passagc.n
"IilE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TIE
COURSE OF THE POLITICAL PARTY
WITH WHICH HE (NlH. MuroN Browy)
ACT AND MYSELF Is, WHILST THEY
ARE TIE ADVOCATES or DISTRliii-
IloN AND PROTECTIVE TARIFF
MEASU RES WHICH CONSIDER RUIN
Gus TO THE INTER ESTS OF THE COUN-
TRY, AND ESPECIALLY TO TIE INTER
ESTS OF THE PLANTING STATES
HAVE STEADILY AND AT ALL TIMES
OPPOSED BOTH"
These extracts conclusivcly prove the
hostility of Col. Polk to the protective
policy, which he considers "ruinous 10
lie country, especially 10 lie ploniing
'StatcS." That IS sufficient argument
with him. lie therefore is now for "re-
dHcing The duties 10 tie rates under the
compromise act, ~here tie Wig Con-
gross .Iomnd Them on lie 3OM June, lSl2;v
and Gov. Polk himself shows that SHE
tar on no imported article mas 10 erceed
t"cntg per cent upon lis raiue Hfier the
3UM IF Junc, lSl2" Then 1t is clearly
seen that he is for HORIZONTAL TAHIrr
OF twenty per cent, with Determinations
Of amy are made) below even that rate.
| pass by without comment, the far
seeing s'ates-manllke predictions Of Gov.
POLK, that the tariff Of 1912 shut raised
ihc rates Of dniy 50 high as 10 slut ont
imports, anil consequently to cm oE amt
dtm'ntSh recenue." The subsequent in
crease q doh imports and reccnne uudey
ms tarG have given such "a luIilment to
TINS prophecy as must forever immorlalize
Col. Polk as wonderful prophet.
~
During the consideration OF the tariff of
1877, as the revenue produced by the
twenty per cent. duties Of the compro,
mise act were altogether Inadequate to de-
Tray the expenditures of the Government.
proposition was mace to lay a duty on
tea ana coffee, for which A number of the
Wings III Congress voted, in order to in
crease the revenue and redeem the sinking
credit OF the Government. Col. Polk
seized upon this vote TO give caslgation
10 those Wigs who had voted for this
proposition. This called forth a response
from the Won. MlLToN Brown, of Ten
nessee, and led to political discussion at
Jackson, Tennessee, where Col Polk
delivered the speech above referred to.
lie was most triumphantly answered by
Mr.. M, l'RowN. who clearly drmonstrat.
ed that The bill of lS33, re ported by the
Committee Of Ways aud Means, of which
Col. Polk was a member, land in favor
OF which he made the speech first quoted
lrom,) proposed to impose a duty of
twenty per cent. on tea and coffee. At the
time this proposition was made tea and
coffee were enirel V free of duty; and an
other striking fact appearslrom Col Folks
sTeech in 1888, that the Government
lhen had "s'r millions Of rerenue from
The 'mpoa more Man ne nced"- Con
gressonal Debates, vol. TX, page liza.
Yet, notwiths standing such was the adj
mitted fact; Col. Polk poted against
proposition TO strife om tea and coffee
from the proposed bill, SO as 10 continue
them free from duty.- Journal House of
Representatives 1923, pr. 800 and
39l.l-But this subject was so ably
handled, and Col. Folks al copiandum
objection so thoroughly exposed by Mr..
Brown in his reponse to Col. Polk on that
occasion at Jackson, Tennessee, that |
must beg to call your attention to the ex-
tracts from his remarks which here ap-
pend, and ] do so the m IRE earnesll, as
it gives an insight into some of the traits
Of character of the newly made candidate
of the Locofocos for the Presidency.
Coinciding as Col. Polk does in opin
ion with Mr. Calhoun and the ultra anti
tarifl-lree-trade men Of the South in his
views on the tar1, it is not surprising
that they should have been willing to
compromise on him; nor is it at all aston
ishing to bear that Messers. Pickens aud
Elmore, the ministers plemipolenliary
from South Carolina TO Baltimore,
although refusing to participate in the
proceedings of the Convention, yet, when
the nomination was made, rose up in the