The daily union., 1846-08-31
THE TARIFF-REPEAL ISSUE,

The wings do not seem to be fortunate or skilful
just now in making up their issue with the demo-
cratic party. Ii was announced with great solemn-
and emphasis when Congress rose, that "repeal"-
the immediate repeal of the new tsriff-was to be
the word. The whig journals took up the cry, and
forthwith the agitation on the subject commenced.
The whole course of this movement thus far has
been beautiful example of the progress of "paDic
under dificnlties." The scheme has in fact, we'll
nigh exploded. The people absolutely refuse to be
scared. Even the fancy stocks stand quite firm,
and the lnteigencer has almost ceased to convert its
columns into museum of "ruin" announcements.
Indeed this whole issue of'immediate repeal" was
very i'll chosen. In the first place, the object which
it proposed TO accomplish was most manitsstly i'm
practicable. Ever since the new tariff became law,
It's repeal, for long time at least has been plainly
impossible The three coordinate powers of
the government must unite to accomplish it.
Nothing IN the way of repeal is of course to be
hoped from the present Congress, and so nothing
can be done until the new Congress shall meet in
December ls47. The friends of the "repeal" seem
TO put their faith in the House of Representatives
which shall then assemble. But what ground is
there for such faitR Five members Of that Housa
have been chosen in Missouri and seven in Illinois,
and all OF them, except one, in the present Con.
gress, are in favor Of the bill. In no instance
that We now recolleet, has member of the present
House who voted for the tariff Of 1916, offered him
selfa a candidate for reelection and failed.
In the Senate the matter is still worse for the re-
pealers On the 4th Of March, ls47, thirteen whg
seats vacated in that body, while not more than
six or seven democrats leave it. With two new
senators to come in from Iowa and two from Wis
consin, is there the slightest chance that the Senate
in the next Congress will be in favor of high
if' But even il this were otherwise, what hope,
save In tVo-thrds vote Of both houses, is there
for high protective tariff under the present admin
istration'
Thus, then, stands the case. The Congress
which Is to assemble on the lst of December ls49
more than three years and a half from the pres.
ent time-is the first Congress from which anything
in the shape Of repeal Of the new tariff can be
hoped even by the most sanguins protectionists.
The issue Of immediate repeal therefore, forces the
wings into agitation which must last three years
and a-haf before il possibly produce any prac-
teal effect in legislation. Now, considering that
both the manufacturer and the merchant are forced
by all their interests to demand first of all quiet and
stability in our revenue system, it does, indeed,
seem a most forlorn hope to muster at this
time to the work Of such agitation, party made
up in large measure, If not almost exclu-
sivsly, of manufacturing interests. Win not the
rank and file Of such party plainly see that their
interest lies in compliance with law, when they
must wait at least three years and half before they
can begin to have even remote chance of repeating
il.
Much more is this the case, when the law already
gives to them all reasonable measure of protection
And most Of all is this the case when the nations
with which we have the most important commercial
relations arc embracing the same policy of free
trade, or at least Of moderate duties. The agitation
which the wings are trying to get up an agitation
at once against the spirit of the age against the sub
stanta interests of the agtators against the prepon
derant sentiment Of the country and against all hope
of successful ISSUE No wonder, then, that in its
very outset this agitation is proving itself an utter
failure. The wings must surely make up another
issue.