Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1860-09-12
THE TARIFF OF 1857.


At Democratic meeting held recently in
this county a resolution was passed setting
forth, among other things that Henry D. Fos-
ter's ssindividual efforts to procure modifica-
ton of the present Republican tariff, have en-
deared him to the people of this State"
The man who wrote that must be either ga
knave or foor'-he must be either ignorant
of the facts, or he must have known that the
epresent'' tariff is NOT ssRepublican" tariff.
And what are the facts? We will give them
as we find them in an article in the Columbia
Republican =
"In the first place, during the session of
Congress at which the Tariff OF 40 was repeal
ed the Republicans had not the majority, else
why did it take them more than six weeks to
elect Speaker In the second place, was
there not Democratic Senate, and Demo-
cratic President2 And the merest tyro in
politics is aware that no measure can pass over
the heads of these. But in the third place we
turn to the record and there we find that the
Tariff of '57 is Democratic to the core. Upon
the opening of the short session OF the Thirty
Fourth Congress, in December 1856, it was
evident that modification of the tariff of
1916 would take place before its close. The
adoption OF policy more in accordance with
the principles of free trade was foreshadowed
IL
was a balance in the United States Trasury
of some twenty eight millions of dollars the
Democratic party was in power, and the Sec
retary of the Treasury-Mr. Guthrie-recom-
mended reduction of the rates of duty. Mr..
Banks, having been elected Speaker OF the
House, had appointed Committee on Ways
and Means, the complexiouzsf which was six
for protection to three against it. For peri
cd of seven months, all the efforts of Free
Trade Democrats to make railroad iron duty
free, and to reduce the tariff, were prevented
by reference to this Committee. But as the
Democracy threatened daily to report bill
reducing the tariff, and particularly to make
railroad iron duty free, the Committee of Ways
and Means of the House, at last reported tar
If bill, Uhich acas protectire, and the principle
of which was-the Committee refused TO reduce
the rates any article requiring protection
Coal and iron were not touched. A free list
of articles was extended thus creating the
greater necessity of collecting the revenue
from those foreign articles which enter into
competition with articles of American growth
and manufacture. The House Tariff Bill was
considered by the friends OF protection, many
OF whom were in Washington at the time, as
the most favorable bill, under the circumstan-
ces, that could be passed hat ii tcoutd preUent
the repeal Of the duty on railroad iron and afford
protection to our manufacturers generally. The
Pennsylvania members who voted for that bill
were MesSrS. Allison, Bradshaw, Broom Camp
bell, Covode, Dick, Edie, Florence, Fuller,
knight, Kunkel, Milward, Packer, Purviance,
Roberts, Todd and Tyson-17. The Bill then
went to the Democratic Senate, and was refer
red to the Committee on Finance, of which
Mr.. Hunter, of Virginia, an out and out free
trader, was Chairman. By that Committee the
duties were reduced, and the schedules chang
ed. The duties on iron, wool, &C., were re-
duced, and measure which was protective in
its essential features, was by free trade Dem
ocratic Senate made more ruinous to our man
ufacturing interests than the bill of 1876.
When the bill was reported back to the House,
the Senate amendments were not concurred
in, the Pennsylvania members generally voting
to non concur. A conference was asked for
and granted; and although the Committee of
Conference was not so radical reduction, it
was still almost horizontal decrease on many
articles requiring protection-iron among the
rest. Those from Pennsylvania who voted in
the House for the Tariff act of 1857, were as
follows Barclay, Cadwallader, and Florence
all Democrats. Those who voted against
that act were Allison, Bradshaw, Broom,
Campbell, Covode, Edie, Fuller, Knight ,Kur-
kel, Milward, Packer, Puryiance, Roberts.
Robinson, Todd and Tyson-all American Re-
publicans except Packer. The rest of the
delegation, who were Democrats, lodged the
matter in toto.
Now these being the facts, as CLEANED from
the record, the man who asserts that the Tar
if of 1857 is Republican measure, does it
through ignorance, or with the design to dupe
and deceive. And the man who would design
edly deceive the unwary in matter of such
moment, is a knave.