Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1846-08-12

his State was in favor of the tariff of 1912. |
Well, if that was his reason, he has betrav.
ed his party and his State. But we will
forbear until we hear from him.
The Tariff.
The Revenue or Tariff bill before the |
Senate of the United States, called forth
the following from Mr.. Webster, on the
18th:
81 rise, Mr.. President, to perform the
first act for which an opportunity has been
afforded me, in regard to subject OF which
| can conscientiously say that never, in
the discharge of any duty of public ma
ture, did | approach transaction or begin
discussion with deeper sense or con.
Viction of the Importance attached to it,
or a stronger feeling of the responsibility
devolving upon me as n member of the
Senate
From the words of the Senator we
would suppose the very existence Of the
Union depended upon the fate of the bill,
aud that upon his shoulders rested the sue
cess or failure of that measure. Well,
! we are willing TO admit that Mr.. Webster
is great in intellect, and in his greatness
we rejoice as an American citizen. But,
notwithstanding, that he was lately white.
washed by committee of the House of
Representatives, and i'll this we rejoice,
yet there are some things connected with
his name and fame that we would wish
otherwise. Circumstances and talent seem
to have made Mr.. Webster the leader of
the wings in the Senate against the Tariff
bill. The bill now under discussion
adopts the ad valorem principle and rejects
specific and minimum duties. These
terms are explained in the extracts of Mr..
/ Clay's speeches given below. The act OF
1912, which this bill is to amend, is based
upon specific and minimum duties. This
bill reduces the high tariff on many articles
in the act of 1912, amounting on some
things to prohibition, and is intended as a
revenue measure, while the act of 1912
was framed with reference to protection
/ The former making revenue the princi-
| pie and protection the incident, and the
latter the reverse.
Now our readers will bear in mind, that
until about 1888, Mr.. Webster opposed a
protective tariff and considered the power
of Congress to adopt such system ''very
questionable" Hear what Mr.. Webster,
on the 18th, further said on the subject o.!
this tariff bill and note it. Speaking of his
intention to examine this bill, he says:
81 hope to show to the Senate and the
country that this bill, so novel, so danger
Gus, so vicious in its general principles; 50
i'll considered, so rash, and must say so
Incorporate in many of its provisions,
cannot but produce in the country the
most serious and permanent mischief if it
should become a law. The bill assumes
as its basis the ad valorem system exclu.
clusiyeIy, and it is the first instance in the
existence of this Government of the ad0p.
ton of such system.
"The proposition that ad valorem du-
ties. even for revenue, are altogether pre-
ferabIe as a universal rule to specific du-
ties, is bold proposition-one which |
have not heard before from the mouth of
any public man. have heard it, it is
true, from persons hanging about the Gus
tom house. persons of anomalous charac-
ter and standing; but do not remember to
have heard it from the lips of public
man before, any where, or at any time,
that universal system of ad valorem du-
ties was desirable in any case to be adop-
ted"
And speaking Of the principle involved
in this bill. he says:
"Now, here we have it announced, at
the commencement of this discussion, that
the principle of this bill is the only true
principle That the bill can be sufficient
" amended by any other amendments
than such as touch this principle, do no
believe. For myself, unless | shall see
occasion, or feel it TO be my duty to pro-