The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-07-24
THE TARIFF IN THE sENATE-THE
CLOSE OF THE DEBATE.

| Nl1oE- VT iAiS bf-DN
We make no apology for filing so largs por-
ton of our columns day after day the present time
with the discussion Of the tariff. The mind Of the
whole country watches with the most intense anx-
iey the progress and the issue Of this great American
question. The friends Of the tariff bill in the Senais
appear to be disnclined now at the very close Of
the session to enter into any heightened debate.
The wing orators, on the other hand, one after
the other, are pressing with the utmost energy
their views upon the public mind. In such
state Of things, deem it to be our duty, as il is
the duty Of the whole democratic press, to do eli
that can be done to put the fairly before the
country. The debate draws to a close. Il may
probably terminate tomorrow, and We seize the
opportunity to place upon record one more expires
sion Of our strong conviction and our deep feeling
upon the subject
IL is remarkable that the advocates Of the existing
tariff in the Senate have chosen to take issue before
the country distinctly upon the question between
the continuance Of the present lao u Is, and any
scheme of substantial tariff reform They hold the
bill to be defective BILL bat thus far they decline
TO amend IT, They urge against it that rejects the
principle of the law of lS42 and in this fact, they
find its summary and sweeping condemnation. The
question then before the Senate and the country, IL
simply this: shall the tariff Of 1912 be substantially
modified On this question, the advocates and the
opponents Of the new bill record their "ayes and
| noes.n ...
! We had looked for opposition from the wings to
tariff REFORM but hi, issue, made up by wings them
selves did not expect We had supposed that very
few individuals, and that no considerable party could
| - al.
years experience that the tariff of 1912 was an ur-
Just and oppressive measure. Looking at the avowed
character Of that bill and the circumstances and
the protests under which il passed. and the tempo
ruy purposes which it was intended to accomplish,
we could arrive at no other conclusion. The Secre-
tary of the Treasury, in reply to resolution Of the
Senate, has informed that body that the gross rev.
enue, raised by the duties laid upon sixteen prnc-
pal articles of expectation in the year ls45, was
sls 1886 452 and that to bring this last mentioned
| sum into the treasury, the total tax levied upon
these articles and collected from the country in the
shape Of advanced prices the imported and similar
domestic articles, S94, 100 ,s57; thus showing
that SIS 1874 ,405 constituted the enhanced price to
the country of sixteen protected articles under
the tariff of ls42! We believe this statement
view almost incredible it appears. We kno,u
that it is the result of prodigious effort of in
dustry devoted to the most careful examination
Of the subject, and calling to its aid every
source of reliable information which the country
affords. But assume, as said yesterday in
| the Senate, that it is over statement. Still
the very fact that such official statement has
issued from that department of the government,
specially charged with the knowledge and the admin
| istraton of these matters, shows beyond all doubt
that the statement rests upon basis of ascertaned
fact, which invokes and must command the most
serious attention Of the country. When the Sec
| rotary of the Treasury state that the country
| is taxed S94OOOOO0 to raise a gross revenue of
$4,000 900, then we say that if any reliance what
soever can be placed upon statistical tables, or off,
cal calculations there must be wrong-wrong,
grievous and unendurable-in the law which lays
| the tax. Make all possible allowance for mistake
and calculation and the general fact of gross
| injustice and oppression yet remains unchanged.
To the representatives then, Of every section of
our country do we appeal when we say that the
question of the continuance of such system is ques-
| ton altogether momentous. We speak to those of
the eastern and middle States who value at the
highest certain particular provisions of the law
| of 1884, and submit to them that such a
system must 60 down, and that It's maintenance
IS not upon any principle of justice, to be adj
| vocated or desired. We speak to the west, and
| to the southwest, and to the south, and we say
| that the representative Of these portions of our
| country who shall by his vote postpone the day of
| deverance from such system, will assume a re-
| sponsbility which no statesman can meet without
shudder. fact Of taxation like that we have
stated must speedily come home to the convictions
of the whole people, and that, too, with crushing
and destructive power upon the character and pros
poets of the statesman who shall uphold it,
| What is to be gained by temporary defeat in
the Senate OF the tariff bill which eighteen STATE, have
sanctioned in the House The vote which defeats
It will be vote to perpetuate the tariff of 1912
But can that tariff, with the effects flowing from
1t which we have described, be, bu anu po,,;biEiv
perpetuated or finally established2 The vote to es-
tabllsh it is most manifestly nothing more than
vote to throw the whole country into the fierce agi
tation OF renewed tariff eanpdss-a tariff canvass in
winch great sections Of our country will go on gath
erlhg rancor against each other, until no man can
foresee the result. And meantime what becomes
OF those very interests which high tariff is ss-
tablished to protect They are launched up
on an ocean Of utter uncertainty Ruin yawns
before them in every heave of the public mind.
These interests demand FIRST of all thing. ,ts-
bihty--a settled system. But in country where
opinion Is law, there is no stability but in justice.
In such country there is no stability where wide
regions and mighty interests feel themselves to be
ruthlessly oppressed and sggrisved. The CAPT
tsst who asks that the law of lst2 be perpetusted
10 order that he may invest his capital in those in