New-York tribune., 1870-05-07
DEMOCRACY IN THE PAST

The World having broadly asserted thaV
"Tbe Democratic party steadily opposed the Hish
Tariff SYSTEM"
we called it's attention to tho facts that fresi-
dents Jefferson Madison, and Monroe, COM
mended in their Messages the policy OF Pro-
lection. as did our Governors George Clinton,
De Witt Clinton, Daniel ID. TOmpkins, and
William l.. Marcy-that Henry Clay was
nrominent champion of Protection while nc
was the leader and hope of the party that raj
lied around the Administration OF James Mad
ison-and that the first Tariff enacted expressly
for Protection was that OF 1924, when Oh New
York's two Senator's Martin Van Buren, voted
for, Rufus King against it; whereupon we
asked
"w The World be good enough to say which OF these
was the Democrat and which was ntP'
To this question, The World makes answer
thus:
"Jefrerson Madison, George Clinton, Daniel D. Tomp-
kins De Witt Clinton and Henry Clay, were never MEM
bers Of political organization calling itself the Demo-
cratic party. Nor William l.. Marcy Democrat
when he recommended Protection. Martin Van Buren,
when he voted the Tariff Of 1928 1t is most literally
true in spite OF THE TRIBUNEs contradiction, that the
Democratic party has steadily opposed the high Iarn
system 1t literally true that when the eminent men
whose paraded by THE TRIBUNE favored Pro-
tection they members of the Republican party
with the exception OF Mr. Clay who was successfully
Republican, a National Republican. and Whg. Tho
word Democratic did not into the designa
ton of one of our political parties until some time after
the election OF Jackson to the Presidency; and the
party called by that name has always opposed high
tariffs" - ~
Comments by The Tribune.
We rejoice that we have compelled The World
thus to plead the baby act, and admit that the
L. w.. tn
other than that founded by Jefferson and which
ruled our country for the first quarter of this
century. Right well does The World know that
the Jackson party claimed Identification with
that of Observation-Disclosures Henry Clay as an
apostate from his ancient faith in that he voted
for John Quincy Adams in 1924 and opposed
| Jackson in his several canvasses for the Presl-
dency. One half the strength of the Jackson
party inhered in the popular belief that it was
the same party that Jefferson and Madison had
| led-a belief which The World now prOnOunces
| mistaken.
But Jackson, Van Buren, Richard NJ john
son, John Ii. Eaton, Thomas II. Benton, Silas
Wright, VIM. L. Marcy, Michael Hoffman, &C.,
| &c-these certainly, belonged to the Jackson
| Democratic party; and these supported the
policy of Protection, for Projections sake, as
embodied in the Tariffs of 1924 and 1928 re-
spectively So The World has cut loose from
tho old Republican party to little or no pur-
pose. What can it say as to them? Hear it
"he support OF the Tariff Of 1923 by Gen. Jackson's
friends political maneurer. See on this subject
Mr. Calhouns celebrated speech on the Force bill, and
at the end OF the debate, in Benons Abrdgcments
They intended TO reduce the Targ their party
into poor but did not dare 10 present that issue in
the Presidential election Of 1928. In spite Of the Coleman
letter of 1924 Tor thereabouts) which THE TRIBUNE is so
fond of citing Gen. Jacksons position on the Tariff was
regarded equvoca Mr Webster considered his first
inaugural anti-Tar, and wrote to correspondent
in New-Hampshire. Mr.. Clay, in the following mid-sum-
mer, regarded the Presidents views on this subject as
underlined and wrote to j. 8. Johnston July 49, 1920
IT. for example, he out for the Tariff the South
leaves him, and will try another change II it can effect
it, of the Office OF Chief Magistrate. If he comes out in
opposition to the Tariff there must be such opposition
to him in the Tariff States must prevent his reGec
ton He was evidently receding from the views
pressed in the Coleman letter, and from the time that
the party which supported him called itself Democratic,
1t maintained persistent warfare against high tariffs
THE TRIBUNE has, to be sure, thousand times accused
it Of cheating the people OF Pennsylvania in 1874; but
THE TRIBUNE has denied that the real anmus
OF the Democratic party then bitterly hostile
to the Tariff That THE TRIBUNE right is proved by
the repeal by Democratic Congress- OF the Protective
Tariff Of 1872 and its passing the Revenue Tariff OF 1876
at Is mere quibbng for THE TRIBUNE to pretend, in
the the political history Of the last 40 years. that
the Democratic party has not steadily opposed the High
Tariff system"
Comments by The Tribune.
We have said some hard things of our politi-
cal antagonists in the course of nearly forty
years. political warfare, but nothing worse than
has been said of them above by their champion.
The Tariffs of 1924 and 1928 were, according to
The World enormous robberies of the many for
the benefit Of the few. They were contrary to
all sound Political Economy, injurious even to
the very interests they were designed to ad-
vance. Jackson, Van Buren, Wright, Hoffman
a. Co. knep them to be sO-knew that they
ought not to pass-yet advocated and voted
for them! Whyf Because they "dare not
"present that issue" Gree Trade against Pro-
tectiOn) in the canvass of 1923 They voted to
increase Protective Duties in order to carry
the Presidential Election, intending all the
time to reduce them so soon as they had turned
out Mr.. Adams and put Gen. jackson in his
place And this conspiracy to rob and Oppress
the Millions The World terms ga political
maneuver." 1t seems to us q high political
crime. What wonder if the People think
meanly of politicians who talk thus of them |
selves
"They dare not present that issue."-This is |
The Worlds statement of the motive which |
induced the founders of its party to vote for |
high Protective Tariff. Bear in mind that they |
had then decided majority in both Houses
OF Congress, had combined in one array the |
politicians of the Crawford Calhoun and Jack |
son parties IN the struggle of 1924, giving them