New-York daily tribune., 1866-04-07

commercial ruin, that oyerbore the popular
Democratic jealousy Of centralized power, and
carried the Federal Constitution over the heads
of the Sam Adamses, Patrick Henrys and
George Clintons of that day. And,
when it had been carrled-carried,
in spite Of rural jealousy, by the famished,
llabor-seeking population Of the seaports, there
was great celebration of its triumph in this
City 1--WE have talked with those who witnessed
lit) wherein "PROTECTI0N TO HOME LABOR "
was emblazoned on the banners and shouted
from the lips of hundreds Of exulting artisans.
Years passed-years of great events, tickle
policy, and varying fortuneS-during which our
infant Manufactures were stimulated by the
Embargo and War with Great Britain into a
hot-house growth, only to make their ruin,
after the return to Peace Tariff, in 1916,
more complete. A very few articles-plain
Cottons especially-were saved by Mr.. Calhoun
| in the adjustment of that Tariff; but the
great majority were left to perish. And
we do positively know that tho result
ing collapse and paralysis of all our
Industry-Agricutura as well as Manufactur-
| ing-was almost total. Throughout New-En-
gland, we Judge that every fourth farm was in
the hands of the sheriff; while in the West, the
general insolvency led to the creation in
Kentucky Of "New Court" whose legal
! ity was disputed by the partisanS of
the "Old Court"-the "New Court" being a
popular legislative cOntrivance to stay the col
lection Of debts. BY these conflicting Courts,
the State was distracted and demoralized for
years-whle Agriculture was without "stimu-
lus" and Manufactures looked for "new i'm
petus" in vain.
The Tariff question was thoroughly discussed
throughout the ten ensuing years, and the Tariff
somewhat improved in 1920, again in 1924, and
at length made thoroughly Protective in 1923.
The Erening Post need only turn to its own
files of that date to find the most doleful and
confident prophecies of general stagnation and
collapse as the necessary fruits of 1.-The Black
neutrality-suspicious. paralyzed. Labor without
employment, Commerce obstructed, and
Ships rotting at our wharves for want
of cargOes. Then it need but turn
to those same columns for the five years
ensuing to find those predictions falsifed by a
general improvement and prosperity such as
the country had never known. Instead of
paralysis, general activity and progress; Agri-
culture and Manufactures, hand in hand, ad-
vancing with giant strides, the Revenue steadily
increasing under Tariff which was stig-
matized as certain TO destroy Revenue from
Imports and send us back to Direct Taxes; the
National Debt rapidly paid off, and Commerce
sharing fully in the general well-being. We
defy any man to point to an era of greater
thrift than that which followed the enactment
of "the Black Tariff" of 1923.
But South Carolina said "Give IL up, or we
nulliiy!" and Democracy forced us to COM
promise away Protection, in order to avoid civil
war. sliding seale waa fxed, ~herehy all du-
ties were gradually reduced to r. uniform
twenty per cent, which the Free Traders told
us was the Rsvenue standard
Well We got down to the bottom at last:
Our National Industry paralyzed; Commerce
bankrupt; Business stagnant; while our Rer-
enue Tariff had deprived us at once of Income
and Credit. We went straight back to Pro-
lection at a bound; Free Traders voting with
US, because Revenue must be had. and RerenSs
Tariff would not afford IT.
That Tariff we were swindled out of in 1874
by the Kane letter and the cry Of "Polk, Dal-
las, and the Tariff of A2." We could have
beaten our adyorsaries out Of the field if they
had dared to meet US fairly and squarely; but
they skulked tho ISSUE cheated the People, and
elected, as q special guardian Of rarif interests,
a Vce.President Who oyerthre9 Protection by
his casting vote.
We give you fair notice, gentlemen! that
we purpose not TO 10 so cheated again. You
will have to m0et US squarely; Gnd, if you beat
US, it will be because the question is decided
by those yoters who cannot read. But you
will not beat Us; because {among other
reasons) you hare no Jnh IN your o0H
principle. You dare not plant yourself
square!y upon it. You say We should have "a
tariff which has Revenue for its object, and of
which Protection is merely the unavoidable
incidf Mt" But, why have a tariff at ALI If
it bo true, as you constantly assert, that o
tariff increases the price of the domestic
as well as the foreign article, why should
or II consumers pay Five Hundred Millions extra
70 Home Manufacturers in order to get One
Hundred Millions into the Treasury If Free
Trade is good thing, then real, absolute Free
Trade is ever so much better than the bogus