Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1845-07-25
From The Ohio Sate J0traaL.
WAR ON THE TARIFF!

ter IRON Robert J.. Walker, Secretary of tie
Treasury appeared in the Washington u
mon short time since. 1t is copied from
a Mississippi paper of the 18Th ult., and is
in unison with the views of Mr.. Bancroft,
recently expressed, as the "Unon" gsserts:
LETTER FROM HON. R. ]. WALKER.
Eztr0ct. fran a hRer 10 The senior editor Of
the vHississjpptaA, dated June 5lk, I945.
at wonId be impossible for me to give
you any adequate conception Of the labors
of this office, (Secretary Of the TjeGapq6)
suffice II to say, never have any leisure
At present my chief occupations with lhe
details Of tire tariff IT MUST BE REDUCED
TO THE REVENUE STANDARD,
| do hope and trust our friends in Mis-
sissippi will not quarrel about men, in elec-
ton for office. Their motto should be, any
good democrdt, (for all the Offices, and uni,
on and harmony in his support against all
the Wings, There should be no diUisioa,
or it may produce ends that will defeat the
party Ever truly yours,
r. J. WALKER"
This letter was, We suppose, intended
for the public eye, or it would not have
been published, In spirit il is detestable,
and its Acknowledgements of the fact should
atonceelicit a stem rebuke fom the friends
of domestic industry throughout the coun-
try. That il is the design Of this admins
tration to comIass the destruction of the
tariff, il possible, we have believed from
the Rrst. The long cherished views and
practices of the President and the Secrptas
ry of the Treasury, prepared us for this,
and sufficiently warned the country. But,
we were not prepared 10 End that in cobe
met Of which Mr.. Buchanan is member,
there is one who has not only the temerity
10 avow that his 'chief occupation is with
the details of the tariff" with view to 4
recommendation of repeaR but who lare
say to the people of the country, whose
4 servant he is, that the tariff "musi be redu-
ced to the Re0eRae standard" Who gave
Mr.. Wakerauthority speak to thus@ Who
| constituted him the arbiler Of the fate Of the
| tariff! When was the Legislative power of
the country on this subject placed in his
hands. We had supposed that Secretary
OF the Treasury, or other Executive officer,
exhausted his power and privilege when
| after long and mature conviction as to the
effect OF law, he Ventured TO suggest the
pfopriety Of an alteration calculated to rem
edy what he considers a positive evil
But what evils have been produced by tht
tariff? In wha. respect have the Interests
Of the country suffered through iE Is tht
revenue defcient3 twill not be pretend
ed. Is it too abundant for the wants of the
counEy} Threatened as we are with ex
ternal difficulty and an assumption of the
whole debt of Texas, the very idea of re,
duction of the tariff is madness, The sec.
retary, however, does not pause at trihes
he does not wait for excuses and argu.
mentsS he does not even wait for the i'm.
portant developments apparently so near
that may have an aII-important bearing or
the question The tariff, he says ''must bt
reduced" Theslsve- holding, couon-grow
ing interest Of the south demands it, and i
"musL" be done, As the Representative
of that interest, Robert j. Wdiker, was
placed at the head Of the Treasury Depart
ment, and pledged to the destruction of tht
tariff, and it "must" be done. True, thu
north was deceived on this question, anc
poor PENNSYLVANIA was "humbugged" to al
intents and purposes, but that was thei
lookout, not ours, Thus may we imaginv
Mr.. Walker TO be reasoning on the subject
while meditalng the most successful plal
of prostrating the industrial interests Of tn,
free States.
The country would he pleased to know
ho,p Mr. Walker is engaged "wth the de
tails Of the tariff" In what way does h,
propose 10 accomplish his ohiert and carr,
|. out the designs Of those who forced Mr.
, Polk on the Locofoco party are lorcinl
;, Texas into the Union and seek to prostrat
the tariff! Does he mean that he is enga
ged IN an examination of the details of th
tariff, preparatory TO recommendation il
D favor Of its repeab or, as we have SOM
reason to fear, is he actually employed il
! irittering away its protective provisions, b,
. unheard Of constructions as TO its meaning
A A Secretary who says the tariff "muSt" b
destroyed, will not hesitate as to the use G
u, means for making good his word. HavinI
y the execution of the law in his own hand
p and in those of his subordinates, he wi
not spare an effort to render it as objection
e able as may be desirable to secure his pun
b poses. Placing the most favorable con
struction on the declaration of his letter {
which it is susceptible, we must suppos
him to be engaged not in an effort TO max
the law answer the purposes Of its creation
but in seeking Quits defects, and pickin
flaws in its details, to accomplish partiza,
' purpose in its repeal. THIS is the employ
!, ment of Staieman!--or, if the misnome
= may be pardoned,-o one who occupies
. post no one but statesman Of pre-em
nent abilities and unquestioned integrity
Q should be permitted to hold.
But, what does Secretary Walker mea
y by the "revenue Standard" The tariff {
Q l842 is a discriminating one, but it doe
:, not discriminate to the injury Of an
: great interest Of the country, but to Il
o manifest advantage of ALI its interests, viii
8 itmerely provides revenue sufficient
meet the demands on the Treasury and O
dinary contingencies, in what respect do
it fail to secure the ends of a strictly rev
oua 20 r;H1 Nlnarlv n accnb,pliehae If th