The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-02-28
The New Tariff B1ll.
HISTORY OF THE TARIFF SYSTEM IN THE UNITED
STATES.

The New Tariff ban.
HISTORY OF THE TARIFF SYSTEM IN THE UNITED
STATES.
The deep interest felt among the manufacturing and
commercial classes Of citizens in view Of the passage
Of the bill reconstrucng the tariff induces TO turn
backwards 70 the inception Of general government,
and run rapidly the intervening periods, taking
bhdseye view Of the changes which taken place In
this all important feature in the method devised by the
fathers Of the republic sustain finances Of the
on It viii not escape the observation Of any fami
liar with the history of the that the
resources at the fret and At the present widely diff
ferent The small and frugal population Of the early days
OF he republic has swollen TO the Of than
thirty mlions commerce, then insignificant has grown
mighty In dimensions, and its marine ia coextensve
with the rivers and Of the whole globe the richly
laden argosies OF the merchantmen vexng all navgabe
waters; and manufactures scarcely item in the great
account then opened with the Inhabitants Of land
have to be overwhelming interest, to say
thing Of agriculture and other pursuits Of the people
Nothing perhaps, has puzzled statesmen than the
adjustment Of the tariff that II should hold In proper
equipoise the interests Of al classes Of the community
amidst the shifting and widening currents of popu
lar opinions and governmental necessity.
There nothing remarkable in the history Of the times
in the circumstance connected with the passage Of the
earliest laws regulating the customs, and hence it may
be well 10 pass without dwelling upon the Tariff act Of
1870. We proceed, therefore, TO the
TARIFF OF 1916.
In 1916 IL became evident that change in the tariff
needed nasmuch the state Of the country
rey different from what 1t HAD been for years past
The ended and with it's close the necessity Of
exactng the duties which had been demanded during
continuance ceased On the LIST Of July 1872 an act Of
Congress had been passed doubling the permanent duties
previously imposed goods imported into the United
States and addition Of ten per cent had been made
the double duties goods imported in vessels not Of the
United States. Vessels belonging wholly in part TO
the subjects Of foreign Powers entering the United States
had been charged with additional tonnage duty Of
81 90 per ton The enforcement Of this act had been
limited TO period Of year after the conclusion Of
peace with Great Britain will be from these facts
that revision Of the existing tariff had become neces
sary.
Mr. Dallas at this time Secretary Of the Treasury, in
his report 70 Congress- in which he proposed the new T.
various alterations which has been subjected during
the period Of American neutrality has not been left in
state adapted TO the present epoch The Of Europe
win give new course and character 10 the commerce OF
the world, and the condition Of the United
States is changed in population, wealth, en-
iuxuries and necessares, and In native resources
70 supply These considerations forciby recommend the
revision and reform now contemplated The objects he
had in view In drawing up this bill Of 1916 were:-
l. The object Of raising by duties on imports and ton
mage the proportion Of public which must be
O. The object Of reconcilng the various national nte
which from the pursuits u agriculture
features, trade and navigation
3. The object Of rendering the collection Of the duties
convenient, equal and certain
His attention henecessity Of protection
few governments which do regard the establishment
Of domestic manufactures chief object OF public policy
The United States 80 thought and in the earlier acts re-
iatng TO the collection Of find that pro-
TO home manufactures had been considered, not
the substantive, the incident
The more general principles OF the system which Mr..
l. Articles intended source Of revenue should never
be SO heavily charged with duties as TO prevent impora
ton or 10 much diminish It,
q Articles should be 30 heavily charged with du
ties as 10 create temptation TO smuggIe.
small value, are difficult To be smugged and other things
being equal they may be charged with higher duties
cs nS h SIZE ana ow u ass
stroy the otherwise fatal temptation to evade the law.
g. Articles imported TO great amount should rather
be charged with specific duties upon weights and mea
order to guard against evasion and fraud than
with ad valorem duties on their value.
s pe n Una, s pS
The result Of the Tariff bill! Of 1915 was as follows
l. The rate Of duties ad vaorem we're changed in num-
valorem changed from 1871 l5 aud 70 per cent TO
~, Is, 20, ~, 2S, so, 1917 and 80.
The rates OF specific duties were generally in
creased IN amount OF the permanent single rates averaG
ing with the increase Of the rates OF duty ad valorem
aggregate Of about AZ cent ON aggregate products
The subject of the tariff from this time forward seemed
TO be brought before the people periodically every four
years and began take it's OF the great
political questions of the times IL will be seen, further
what influence 1t exered on party politics in after
years.
brought up in 1620, when revision proposed
This, however, only passed the House, receiving it's
quetus 10 the Senate
TARIFF OF 1924.
The Congress Of Of 1923 and 1924 consumed much of
its time in discussing the question Of tariff, this
being the most important sne before It, The act which
was before Congress this session derived much Of its
Importance from the fact that the whole theory Of the
preceding tariff bills was changed by IT, With them the
object was merely raise revenues with this there was
a double obect-namey TO raise revenue and to afford
protection 70 domestic products It also derived I'M
porance from the fact that the two great statesmen OF
country at that time in active political ne and
arrayed opposite sides Of the question.
Mf Clay was the leader Of the proposed BILL and Mr.
Webster its strongest opponent Mr.. Clay gave AZ his
country then deplorabe state the people were
out or employment; there was no market for the pro-
ducts OF the land and property Of ali kinds was fear
fully deprecated. The following is an extract from
speech delivered by him in the House Of Representatives
on the subjectssln casting eyes around us, the
most prominent circumstances which fixes our attention
ana challenges our deepest regret s the general distress
which pervade the whole country IL forced upon us
by facts Of the most incontestabc character
IL s Indicated by the diminished exports OF native pro-
ouce; by the depressed and reduced state OF our
foreign navigation by diminished commerce; by sue
cessive unfhreshed crops Of grain perishing in our
for want Of Market BY the alarming dimnution
the circulating medium; by the numerous bankrupt
cies; by universal complaint OF the want Of employ
ment consequent reduction OF the wages Of labor
BY the pursuit after public situations, not for
the cake Of and the performance OF their
public duties but means of private subsistence; by
the reluctant resort To the perous use OF paper money
by the intervention Of Legislation in the delicate relation
oebtor and CREDITOR and above ALL by the low
and Of the value OF almost every descrp
Of the whole OF the property Of the nation,
which average sunk not less than about fifty
per within few This distress pcrvades
every part of the union every class OF society all feel
IT, though may be felt at different places in different do
grees II like the atmosphere which surrounds US; all
must IT, and escape from It," To the speech,
which the above rs extract, Mr. Webster replied,
denying that the distress 81 which Clay had spoken, and
aiAu ofr Ho cnn-