The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-08-18
ADDRESS
OF THE
HON. WILLIAM II. HAYWOOD, JR.,
ADDRESS
nm PEOPLE oF MONTH CARoLINA

self or otherwise, to write down an aecusatio
against me, but have hitherto chosen TO bear unus
re6uke In silence, and rely upon time and m,
manner OF life, TO consign to oblivion the whisper
Iings OF the envious and the caumnies of the ma
lhgnant. do not affect to conceal that a depart
ure from this rule gives me much pain and an
persuaded that if many Of my friends did no
think that IL is duty | owe TO the people no
TO remain silent, under the recent censure Of fren
zied partisans should leave it, as far as concern,
me, TO my known character, and the self-denyine
act which has provoked IL, 10 viLdieste the patriot
ian and purity of my motiyes reposing confidently
upon the discernment and judgment OF an inteIli
lgent public in view Of the simple facts as they oc
leurred; and not doubiing that soon as the occa
sion had passed by, and there was no longer ne
Icessty for oyerawing otbsgs, vino, IL might have
been supposed, were more ilmld 10 their purpose
and no chance to deceive the people at the North
Carolina elections, by unscrupulous bels against
me, my assaants would cease from their adirty
work, !" and bad men, who measure the motives OF
the yirtuous by standard OF morals which vice has
erected IN their own bosoms would go hunting after
some fresh victim 10 crafty their ignoble malice.
But come before you at this time TO speak Of my
SELF not Of Others and TO defend my own faithful
ness, not TO expose their designs and | think my
self happy that have the honest people Of North
Carolina TO Judge my cause. invoke sympa-
thy, ask no compassion, and thank God I need
them not. But with the proud consciousness Of
one who has dared TO do his duty as a servant Of
the republic, amidst dangers and trials such as, |
trust, are not 10 grow common in our government,
! stand before you TO lay claim to the confidence
respect, and appreciation Of all good men, more es-
peeially Of those belonging to the democratic party
| feel and know this day, and ! will prove even TO
my enemies, that in my station u senator, and in
retiring from II, incurred no guilt deceived no
one betrayed no party-I made no sacrifice Of
your interests, and no surrender of your rights
none at all, directly nor indirectly. And they who
have charged the contrary with all Who, from any
motive, personal political have given to IL their
aid and countenance, did "bear false witness 4"
IL Is true, that on the 18th Of July, few mo-
ments before the vote was expected to have been
taken on the new tariff bill Of 1916, improperly
called "Mekay's bil,') resigned my seat as
senator IN Congress, into the hands Of North Caro-
lima, to whom It belonged; believing that il was my
duty TO do IL, sooner than my vote against my
own conscience, for law that could not approve,
and knowing that Il was my perfect right to do IL,
and that would be but exercising that right in pre-
else accordance with the last written doctrine Of the
legislature and Of the party who elected me. In
this only have ! offended and in manly sincerity,
but with that painness Of speech which the hum
blest man in the community will be able to under
stand for himself, proceed to lay before you my
explanation.
The subject of the tariff, and the system Of laws
by which taxes are imposed and collected for the
use Of the general government throughout the
oHioH, 10 onc VI utep importance, out OF HuCh IN.
trcacy and great difficulty in its judcious arrange
ment Soon after taking my seat in the Senate OF
the United States, lin December, 1887 for one
felt what any man when he first goes into Congress
directly from private life will be apt to experience,
and that was, lack Of necessary knowledge and
Information upon IT, With an ambition to learn
my duty as a legislator for This great republic, and
a fixed determination to pursue il afterwards, i'm.
medfateiy gave my whole mind to the study and
consideration of this tariff System, well knowing
that upon II depended, in a good degree the chief,
operations IN commerce, agriculture, and manufac-
lures, IN the other States well ours. During
the first session of the last Congress- and after hav-
ing devoted nearly all my time for some months to
this study, hoped | had made myself qualified
and my political associates believed me ft, TO be
consulted and counseled with in our united efforts
to arrange tariff with justice to all sections, and
mony, peace, and independence OF the Union. To
admit that this could not be done, to declare
that the Union cannot be preserved and the cause
of free government had failed.
The democratic senators in particular, concurrng
as we did then, and do now, with few exceptions
at the north, In sentiment Of opposition to the
If of 1912, desired to it changed. That act was
believed to be extreme in its protective character
and therefore unequal and unsatisfactory to large
sections of the Union; and eur aim was, to modify |
il by the nearest possible approach to that happy
mean between the extreme opinions Of such de-
tOtui dDdHuOHIneHt OF Hll pTOteCtlOn on one
hand, and of those who insist upon protection as a
primary object, on the other. have no doubt that
this is the only foundation upon which wise and just
legislation can be based, when interests really
hcting are to be affected by the action of the general
government. Conferences with each other, and with
the chairman of the Committee of Ways and Means
of the House of Representatives, MIR. McKayl |
were frequently held, to the best mode of altering
and reforming the tai if of lS42. The more eminent
men of the democratic party in the Senate and lead
ing statesmen from different sections Of the Union
in Congress, took part in the deliberations and in
vestigations which preceded and accompanied the
formation of what was then called and known as
"McKay's bill and report" viz: in March, 1874. In
the councils whence that bill proceeded, had the
honor to be admitted as an humble and unprotendng
parcipntor, that knew and it cannot be denied,
that quite all the democratic senators from the south
and west, and very nearly every one from the north
and east, assented to or ncquiesced in it. Ii formed
a subject of congratuation, remember, amongst the
members Of the party from all sections at that time,
(l644,) that the opinions and views of democrats in
the national councils had been thus brought to har.
monte in what was thought to be reasonable, pru-
dent, practical measure of Legislation upon this sub
ject, which seemed likely to put at rest and set
tic the tariff dispute. Unfortunately, it did not
pass the House Of Representatives: | will not stop
TO state the cause. But, Notwithstanding its tempo
ary defeat in that body the democratic party at once
put themselves before the people Of the Union upon
mat OIL as a common PLATFORM, anu II was pronui-
gated as their proposed scheme of reforming the
tariff act of ls42. "McKay's report" of 1874 was
published and sent forth the true and authentic
Interpretation Of their views in regard to the change
we were afterwards to insist upon. So | under
stood il at the time and ever since, and so have
constantly declared The bin was named after its
author and advocate, MIR. MCKAY la statesman Of
North Carolina--a southern man and democrat
My own opinions in its favor were freely expressed
in all my intercourse you, and they were not
in any quarter. The democratic press in
North Carolina, without exception, applauded il;
the democratic party zeaousy approved of it /
throughout our limits. If there was single one Of
them who did not, am yet to learn the fact. Hun
dreds--if not thoussnds-of the other party in our
State gave their approving voice In its favor Our
elections in 1914 and in ls45, all Of them, con.
Quoted upon that basis, far as the tariff question
entered into them at all. Every intelligent ia
the nation knows the fact that the fall elections Of
1874, and those in the spring of 1915, throughout
the United States, for members to the present Con-
gress carried on, If not upon the same basis,
with knowledge Of that bill and report. The north
saw in il pledge Of the south and west that we did
not mean to break down and Cypress the labor and
industry of the north the south in IL