The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1857-11-13
AID vALoREM DUTIES.
[FrOm the Rlchmond whig.l

| then Mr.. Folks Secretary of the Treasury,
the whole experience of this country, and Of
every other in the world, which pretended to
be commercial, had been opposed to ad ralo,
rem duties. The proposition met with warm
and vehement opposition from the Wing
party, but Congress was overwhelmingly To-
cofoco, and It was carried through by tri-
umphant majority. Ad udlorem duties were
adopted, and the whole reduced to 90 per
cent. We need not remind our readers of
the disastrous effects of this system. They
see it in the prostrate condition of the coun-
try ; they feel it in their own straitened re-
sources they hear il in the cries of distress
that reach as from all qnariers Of the Union.
The system which Mr. Walker established,
suppanted one which had been in practice
since the formation of our government. 1t
had stood through every administration, from
that of Gen. Washington TO that of lIr.
Polk. 1t was adopted at a time of high
prosperity, precisely on the principle of a
qaack, who attempts 10 make man better,
while he is in the enjoyment of perfect health;
and it has resulted as all such experiments
must result. 1t was adopted on the idea,
that it was the point at which the largest
revenue could be raised, at time when the
revenue was ample for every purpose that
could be conceived necessary. 1t was adopt
ed att time wheE the people were perfectly
satisfied with their condition, and did not, in
the least, complain of the tariff then exist
ing. The resources Of the country were de-
veloping themselves with unexampled rapidi-
ty, and its population was increasing at the
rate of 100000 year; its wealth was grow
ing with the speed of its railroads and canals,
pari passu with its population; there had
been n vast augmentation Of the shipping
engaged in its domestic commerce, not only
by sea, but upon its rivers and lakes, its ma
England, and its agriculture had kept pace
With all its other industries. This state of
prosperity had succeeded to the prostration
of 1887, and the universal staguaton that
followed. 1t had been owing to the tariff of
1912. During the three yeats that that tariff
had been in operation, the productive power
of the coWtry had been greater than it had
ever been during any equal space of time in
our national history. Nothing but that spe-
ccs of boldness-which has its origin in en-
tire gnoranee-dstinctive always of the
quack and the dcmagogue--could have in
duced any Secretary of the Treasury to lay
hand upon that tariff A statesman would
not have ventured to it. But "fools rush
in where angels fear 10 tread"
There have been three periods of unver-
sal distress since the Federal Constitution
was adopted, previously to this. They were,
1888 to 1889, 1915 to 1924, 1887 to 1912.
They were all low tariff periods, just as the
present is. If Walker had examined the
records of the Department over which, to
the shame of this nation, he was called to
preside, he would have seen that these were
facts, and if he had possessed any patriotism,
he might have drawn from them ample mate.
rial for reflection, before he took the rash
step of reducing tariff which had been so
beneficial to the country. The good of the
country, however, seems to have been con-
sideration of secondary importance, if, indeed,
he ever thought about it. Like all other
Locofocos, he seems to have thought his Of
flee mere job, out Of which he was bound
TO make all he could. In this respect he can.
not be charged with any failures. He came
into office bankrupt; he left it n millionaire.
He probably found it answered his main pur
pose to disturb the 6nnnees of the country,
better than it did to let them remain in a
sound condition. He might have known if
he had thought proper to enquire, that ut
each of the periods in question, the evil had
been produced by low tariff, rs is evident
from the fact that as soon as higher ore was
imposed, it was instantly removed. The f.
nancial embarrassments occasioned by the
revolution, which left the country in n very
distressed condition in 1888, were enormous
ly enhanced by the circumstance that there
was no tariff of general binding power, and,
under the old articles of confederation, no
power competent to establish one. This was
one of the necessities that led to the adop-
ton of the Constitution of the United States
As soon as Congress, under the Constitution,
passed tariff, the country began to revive.
1t was the same during the second period.
The war Of 1912, terminating in 1915, left
the country in great embarrassments, and
from these ombarrassments, it did not recover
until Mr. Clay's tariff of 1924. Much as
that tariff has since been abused, it's influence
upon all the interests of the country was i'm
mediate and decisive. Unfortunately, the
principle was extended too far in 1928 and
1882, and the consequence well nigh was the
dissolution of the Union. Next came the
compromise measures of 1888, which, com
bined with Jackson's war upon the Bank of
the United States, produced the expansion
and contraction resulting in the explosion of
1887. After all this. Walker proposed the
tariff of 1876, aud it was adopted! II
Minister in England were TO iamper in such
a way with the prosperity of the nation, he
would Lose his head, and lose it justly too.
What is Mr.. Buchanan going To do in the
Is he patriot enough TO for.
get that the great man whom he sandered to
death, recommended an increase of the tariff
MS the only remedy for similar distress Can