Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-09-04
From The Columbus { Ohio Pres.l
THE BLACK TARIFF OF 1912.

Tire JouInal and the Federal Wing papers oil
The country generally, continue 10 howl over the
repeal OF this late ocious law with as much des-
peralion as il The last crumb Of bread was about
to be snalched from them. The ruin OF The coun-
try is predicted with the same certainty as II has
been by these same croakers for at least twenty
different times. What were The circumstances
under which this repealed act was passed? il will
be remembered that the hard-cider campaign oil
1910 brought into bola Houses Of Congress de-
cisive majority OF FEDERAL Wings, and that that
Congress passed hisac but not with The votes Of
their own party as had not MeSsrs. Wright Of N.
York and Buchanan Of Pennsylvania voted for
The bill, il could no, have become law: they yo-
ting Tor il, mol because the b i'll was such an one
as they desired but because the Government
would be leil without means OF subsistence, and
declaring their intention 10 modify il al The first
opporlunily But what was the action oil their
own irends-lhe Wing Senators and Representa-
tives-on this BILL and some of them The same men
who now howl so piteously over its repeal? On
the 23d of August, 1912, when the bill was IN.
der consideration in The Senate, so odous was i!
deemed by Wing Senalors that every shift was
made that could be " defeat The bill. Mr. Mer-
rick Whiel moved o limit its duration otwelye
months, al The same inc protesting against it,
Mr.. Rives Whigl sonlended that the bill was
not a revenue measure. Hear what ne said
"In The first place, lsad Mr.. Rives, it could
not he characterized as rerenne measure. Ills
firm conviction was, that il would mol produce
an increase OF revenue. II was absolutely a
measure OF protection, extending, in some par
lcuars 10 prohibition This was the true cha
racer OF the bill, in regard 10 many OF The arll-
Giles which enter mos deeply into the consump-
ton of the country-such, for example, as seve-
raj descriptions Of cotton and wooen goods and
some OF the manufactures Of iron, hemp, &C."
Here, it will be seen, il was denounced by a
Wing as absolutely measure OF protection,
extending in some particulars 10 prohibilion"-a
thing so odiou. that even The buest of Federalism
dared not openly avow
Mr. Preston, leading Wing in the Senate,
only claimed ii as Temporary measure" He
moved 10 limit il TO two years Hear him:
"Mr. Preston (Whig) moved 10 limit the law
10 Two years. He supposed il must be obvious
TO everybody that there could hardly be such an
adjustment of the Tariff as could be considered
il would not be probable thai the deliberate and
matured judgment of Congress could be given 10
spccjfc duties. He said there was now no doubt
that some revenue bill was Indispensable. He
d;J moi think il reasonable 10 suppose Congress
would refuse to adopt an essentially necessary
temporary measure"
And Mr. Crendsn himself, who has lamen,ed
over the repeal, then declared shat he had with
reluctance Jcea driven 10 The conclusion Of roting
FIR M,s hN" And on the final vote on its pas
sage, the following Wing Senators voted against
The bill: Messrs. Archer, Berrien, Clayton, Ora
ham, Henderson, Mangum, MeIrick, Preston and
Rives.
Here were nine Federal Whg Senators voting
fha nd hat m
means of subsistence for the Government, and
when the Government was in their own hands,
and they were responsible for il. So odious was
this bill of denominations, that under all these
circumstances these NINE Wing Senators voted
against the bill. And in the House OF Rep!esen-
ialves John Quincy Adams, John M. Bots, and
William Cost Johnson, and many other Wings
voted with the Democrats against the bill, and
there were barely enough 10 vote for it 10 pass IT,
by Two majority, when they had majority of
some forty in The House. And have these Sena-
tors and Representatives been osracised by
Whigsery because they voted against this dar-
ling Wing project? Let US see. Messrs. Clay
ton and Mangum have since been reelected 10
the Senate. John @. Adams has since been re-
elected. Mr. Bolts has been run By the Wings
for Congress, and beaten, and Mr.. Graham was
elected Governor Of The Stale OF North Carolina
as soon as he went out of the Senate, AMI the
Wings are now rejoicing over his reflections;
and yet he voted against The Black Tariff
Mr.. Merrck, (Whis) OF Maryland, moved
an amendment on the eve OF its passge, as fol-
lows: 'that an additional section be added Ii
mitinglhc operation of The law 10 Two years, and
NO LONGER" Mr.. Preston, (Whig) spoke in IA
vor OF the amendment, and il was lost by ONE
VOTE With all these evidences OF the inamy OF
this Wing ban,ling they now ask Democrats 10
discard their own men for voting 10 repeal mea-
sure that was SO odious that they could not pass
it themselves; and while they are continually
putting men in Office who would not vote for it
on its passage. II these nine Wing Senators,
and the many Wing Representatives who voted
against this bill, were so opposed 10 protecting
home industry" why are they not cast off by the
Wings? Why are they not thrown overheard
and suffered 10 die 'unwepl unhonored and I'M
sung" as rccreant TO the "proteclive" policy Of
Federal Whiggery7 The object OF the Federal
Wings is 10 gel into power once more, as they
have always done, BY fraud and deception. In
1924, Adams was elected By fraud and in 1910,
Harrison was elected BY deception. Beware, De-
mocrais, that the same game is not praclised
again.