Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-08-11
THE ENQUIRER.
sa,u,day Morning, August 8, ls4o'
THE TARIFF A POLITICAL ouE>lloN'
RICHMOND, VA


THE TARIFF A POLITICAL ouE>lloN'
From The first, we have commended 'ha' Tue 80 -"
ter opposition 10 any change OF The am" = IN, Nv
-,he ceasecss exerlons 10 defeat The ne" o''' =
personal appeals 10 members oi Cohs'ess
,,o,a Tho combined movements of every cha'"'
for 70 lccnibe Tariff of 1912 on the statute ooon.
are in a great degree ascrioaoie ~ wv
noli,icians. who hope TO make capi'sl :" -
ta,;o, and excitement. Thus, at the No'''
600 The FAC of "repeal" raised, because l'"e
nro,ec,ionisls say the new law STRIPS '"u
manufacturers of every vestige oil 'Pios'".n'
and ernoses "American industry" 10 all 'he no''
rors or naked Free Trade. Avowlns 'hese SCI
,iren,s. did the Wings attempt seriously ~
su.oe The evils of which they SO 'ouu'' so"'
n,ained1 Did they bring forward any P'a" y
hre,k The fall from The opmost rouna Oh p.o,.e
,;an :, tho ruipous depths Of "Free Trader Far
,so,n = The leading Northern Wing papers
exclaimed against any compromise. they wou'a
,.,,o a,be whole or none" They would stand
,rnn The Tariff OF 1912 as II 'cGs, ana allow NJ
o or ,llle of abatement Of its protective features.
| MIR Cri,lenden hoped 10 see no "Whis marx
poon the new BILL So Tar was this feeling car
ried, that some OF the Wing journals denounced
Mr. Webster and number Of arrogant manu-
tac,ures. who had agreed upon compromise re-
lucing The duties of The Tariff oil loi~ - P''
cen, Mr. Webster was anxious 10 pass sueii
measure bu, his Wing colleagues in Inc SENATE
refused 10 cooperate, and he did mol present u 10
The Senate. They wished the Tariff oil lo42 or
no,bine. The compromise" would have been
hiobly favorable 10 The manufacturers, oul inc
Wing Tariff politicians, looking alone 10 po''''
.al results stood fast upon The Tariff Of lo42, IN
The hone that the repeal Of that measure would
excite The prejudces Of the manufacturing norm
against the Democratic party, who were alone re-
sponsible for it,
So much for the Wings Of the North. VINO as
sailed The new bill, because il contained not one
feature OF protection, and was destined 10 Involve
in ruin The manufacturing interests ana Inc ~nole
conn,rv. Lie, US now turn 10 The South, which,
unou principle and interest, has been opposed 10
Protective Tariff. The Stale OF Georgia al
fords striking example. There, as II is well
known, a high Protective Tariff has always been
repudialed. Consequently, the Wing politicians
,here shift their ground 10 suit the feelings OF The
peope, and TO insinuate themselves into their good
graces. The leading Wing paper in the Stale,
The Milledseville Journal, cenounces the new
Tariff. because it extends TOO much protection"
TO the manufacturers. A few extracts will make
this perfectly clear.
Abiding TO Mr.. Haywood il says: "lhe Sena-
tor from Nor Carolina declines 10 carry out
party measure, having features in it as protective
10 manufacturing Interests, and in some in
stances, more so than tie Tarigof 1912"
Agan-re!erring 10 The Democrats who sus-
tanned the new law, il remarks:
GAN their talk about p7otccttrc principles, this
very bill proves 10 be a humbug. The people
will be satisfied of this, (f The bill, as il passed
the House, passes the Senate upon investigating
is principles; and il is better that we OF the South
become satisfied OF this al an early, rather than
later day. Too long have we been deceived
by The cry Of Wolf! wolff! when there was no
wolf A passage OF their Iarib Bill nor would
in less than sixty days, prove most conclusvely
10 the people that the South this time was not
betrayed by Wing, but BY Democratic Gem
oress. The lesson once learned, would not soon
be forgotten.
ain late number of our paper, we stated, By
way of calling The attention OF our readers 10 The
fact, that the Wing members from Georgia, vo-
led against The passage OF the Tariff act OF 1912.
This was because lis features, or many OF them,
we're loo profcctire. MIR. Clay, however, advoca-
ted this Tariff, and because he was the Wing
candidate for the Presidency, and because Geor-
gia Wings advocated his election, our opponents
.,for nfpdf a "A afro
cocy ot principles embraced IN thai bill. In other
words, whatever Mr.. Clay was in favor Of or OPP
posed 10, we were in favor OF, or opposed TO-
No such thing TIE pr,aeipies arowcd by Mr..
Clay on the Tariff accrc ererg one Of Mcm, almost
IN The same language, Advanced by M Polk
Beireen the tro candidates. there ,ras mt particle
ofd,ferenre in their arored principles. To The
Tariff then of 1912, while We supported Mr.. Clay
who advocated il, we were oPposed-so were the
Whig members from Georgia, Tor they voted
against il, as did our Senator, the Hon. J. NJ.
Berren.
awe again come TO the Tariff of 1876. As far
as we have had the opportunity of investigating
lis items we pronounce il bt itAc in better than
The Tariff OF 1912. As a member Of Congress
we should have voted against il on that ground,
il on NO other; bit from motucs Of policu-tor The
better regulation hereafter Of The popular will
we wish thai il may pass and become law"
pass upon them, 1.-THE Democrats will amply re-
pay The Wings OF Georgia, who, as party, have
been so often and So (nlscig CHARGED with favor
ing a high protective Tariff"
II thus further characterizes the new law:
"With features in il somewhat preferable 10 The
act OF 1912, il is yet as obnoxious bill, in our
opinion, TO the South on Gcc0unt ~ It's pr0sectirs
features generally, as the Northern Democracy
could pass, without oulraging the country and
the constitution.
"Thc Wing party Of Georgia is an anti-Tariff
pany-opposed as much 10 protective Tariff as
any other party. Those who write Otherwise,
| in our opinion, misrepresenl them. They are
worse than misrepresened, too, when il is said
they are opposed 10 the late Tariff bill because il
does not sufficiently protect certain articles, or
that il is not sufficiently protective in its charac-
Ter. Why, protection sticks out in almost every
feature OF il. Upon this ground We shall oppose
il; and we believe upon this ground, il will BE-
condemned BY The Georgia Wings"
And so lar is the opposition ofGeorgia Whiggc-
ny carried TO the new bill, that correspondent Of
this same Journal asserts that"n Tree trade man
will be satisfied with it, and, il not repealed,
| GEORGIA WILL HULLiFY IT"
Is il mol evident then, that The opposition TO
the new Tariff mainly results from hostility 10
the party under whose auspices i, is brought for
ward2 The faacious and contradictory char
acler of the reasons brought against ii justifes
this conclusion. In The Tariff North, it is as
sailed because it is stripped OF all protection
In The anl-Tarif South, it is denounced, because
ii is more ultra protective than The Tariff ofIS42
The striking fact tina, the Wings cannot unite up
on an argument against it, shows conclusivey
that il is invulnerableto their assaults, and that
the prominent reason for the clamor they have
raised is TO make political capital reckless whe-
Their the interests OF the manufacturers or the agri-
cutnriss be sacrificed
There are Two remarkable admissions in the
above extracts. In the first place. it is conceded
that in Georgia Mr.. Polk and MIR. Clay were rep