New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-02-11

circumstantially and thoroughly that 1t shall
never again be revived without subjecting the
utterer to scornful, whitening rebuke.
The most Protective Tariff ever framed at
Washington was that of 1928; and no one ever
yet denied that Henry Clay approved and sup
ported it, Let us see how he spoke Oh i's
practical working after it bad been eight years
in operation. We quote from his elaborate
speech in the Senate of February O. 3, q, 1907
Fjcht years ago. It was my painful duty to present 10
the other House Of Congress uneXaggerated picture VI
the general distress pervadng the whole land We Iii
all yet remember some OF Its frlghiu iealIes rna
down by an enormous load Of debit that the value
property was at the Lowest pont OF made Of
real esate that stop laws, ana relief laws, nnu pp
money were ADOPTED 10 sato ,n te pneG
sted which compelled Government to seize upon anu
sinking Fund to redeem the National debt and that our
commerce and navigation were threatened WIN Vo,,
which exhibited scene Of The most rfdeedd dlSnag ~
desoIaon IL tcO,d be exactly that term Of sete years uhch
Immediately preceded The establishment Of he tarig ls
e" have to perform the more pleasing TASK Ti , G
mnnaraIeIed lTosperity of the country On general
survey, behold cultivation EXTENDED tne arts IN
ing the face OF the country our coupehance sx
hbting tranquility. contenmen and happiness anu
contemplation Of people out OF debt; land rising slowly
in value but in secure and saluary degree; ready
though not extravagant market for All inc surplus pro
dnctons of our industry; nnumerabe ocks and herds
browsing and gamboling on ten thousand bllls anu
plains covered with rich and yerdant grasses our cities
expanded and whole villages prnging up as II were, by
onChanment our exports and Imports lncfeaseu anu
creasng; our tuage foreign ana eoastwise' @
and fully occupied the rivers OF our interior animated Dy
the perpetual thunder and lightning OF countless steam
boats the currency sound aud abundant the PuDe ueDt
OF two wars nearly redeemed; and, 10 crown all, the
public treasury overlooking. embarrassing congress h0t
TO ind subjects OF taxation but 10 select mo 4eeo - @
eh all be
years be selected Of The greatest prosperity whch
DrcseT Constfsto2 Il ,comId be erocdy nat period Of
years which Immediately followed ne passage % "e
This transformation Of the condition OF the country
from gloom and distress To brightness ana prosperity
has been mainly me t0Ork Of American legislation. foster
ina American Industry Instead Of dHowing IL 70 6e con
tr0ed on foreign legislation, cte1Shlng JOreDn mplSy
the foes OF the American system in 1924 with great bold
ness and confidence predicted FIRST tho ruin OF the pubic
revenue and the creation OF necessary 10 osotc W
direct taxation; the gentleman from South Carolina Gen
Uavnei believe thought that tho tariff Of 1924 would
operate "a reduction OF revenue 10 the large ahount VI
eight millions OF dollars; secondly. the destruction OF
onr navigation: thirdly the desOntion OF commercial
CT les and ourthly, the augmentation OF the price OF
objects OF consumption, aud further decline III a OF o
ARTICLES OF our exports Every prediction which they
made has failed, utterly failed Instead OF the run OF
the public revenue. with which they then sought to de-
ter us tho adoption Of the American systcn we are
now threatened with Its subyers0n by the vast amount
Of the public revenue produced 10y that system Livery
branch OF our navigation has increased Az TO the desc
laon OF cities let US take, AS al example the c9nd-
ton OF the largest and most commercial OF oil OF them
the great northern capital. have, IN my hands, the
assessed value OF real estate In the City of New iois
from 1917 to This value IL c0nvassed, contested
scrutinzed aud adjuged by the proper sworn nnthor
ties H. therefore, entitled To full eredence During the
first term commencing with 1917 and ending In the year
of the passage tariff OF 1884, the amount OF The
value Of real estate, was the hfs year. my seven mn
lion hundred aud ninety thousand four hund
red and tbirtyfy dollars and after various nuGtua
tons in the intermediate period II settled down at MY
two million nineteen thousand and seven hundred aud
thirty dollars, exhibiting decrease In seven years OF
five million hundred and seventy nine thousand
hundred and five dollars During the nrat year OF
1925 after the passage Of the tariff rose aud gradually
ascending thro1ghout the whole OF vac stter period
hight Of nnetyhye million seven hundred and sixteen
thousand four hundred and eighty hNe dOllarsl Now
u be said, that TINS RAPID growth on INC Cty OF ne"
York the effect Of foreign commerce then " was not
correctly predicted IN 5gi that the taT would destroy
foreign commerce. and desolate our commercial elites
IT, on the contrary, II be the effect OF internal trade then
consequences imputed to IT, The truth is it is the Joint
effect Of both principles, the domestic industry noursh
ing foreign trade aud the foreign In turn
nourishng the domestic industry Nowhere more than
In NewYofk is the combination Of both principles 50 com
pletely developed
Such were Mr.. Clay's carefully expressed con-
victions in 1882, when he was 50 years Of age,
and after he had been more than quarter of
a century legislator and ruler. Is there an
honest, intelligent doubt that he held them
unchanged till deathP
-"Then how came he to draft and support
"the Compromise Tariff of 1897 it is askcdi
We answer How came Burgoyne to sign the
capitulation Of Saratoga His necessity over
bore his choice. But here is his own answer,
given in the Senate, February Is, 1912: l
"Two motives had operated on my mind, and believe
tho minds Of Others TO induce them TO concur In the
passage of the law (of 49, The first wac 10 avert the
calamity OF civil war the fire Of which having been
flames over the whole Union the preserve
utter destruction the system or protection which
PENNSYLVANIA favored. when the law passed. and
will repeat here, although 1t will not DO long before
shall have an opportunity 70 go into an examination oi
been adopted whole system OF protection would have
been swept by the board, by the preponderang inhu
Gen Jackson at the very next session after s
enactment"
The Post ia perfectly aware of this speech.
for it quotes (above) the words following the
passage we have just given, and says it has
proved that he was still satisfied with the act
of 1888. 1t takes care not to quote from that
brief speech the following:
GAS the Compromise, have already sa,d that IL is
my purpose so long remain In the Senate, TO main
ried out faithfully and honestly and IT, in providing for
adequate revenue for All economical administration OF
the Government they at tho same time afford Incl
dental protection shall be happy u both OF these OBJ
ecs can be ~ put II ~ should 1s neeessary
tariff for the purpose OF obtaining protection then hope
state and those Of other states and other Interests who
think II necessary to transcend the revenue VIII take
which their local interests demand"
MIR. Clay, having retired soon afterward
from the Senate, was invited to dinner by
his fellow citizens Of Lexington, Ky, whom he
accordingly met and addressed on the politics
of the day, June 0, 1912. In his speech on
this occasion, he said:
Another remedy powerfully demanded by the neces.
sites OF the times and requisite 10 maintaining the cur
rency sound state, is arf which will lessen npor
tatOIs from abroad aud tend 10 increase supplies at
home from domestic industry have often expressed
my views this subject and recently In the Senate OF
the United States, that do not think there
sion for my enlargng upon at this time. do not tnk