The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1881-04-28

Her mystic measures round Us roll,
We sit In silence ut her feet,
And awed and blessed, We own control
AS potent AZ, alasl It's fleet.
For list for hastel We know It well,
Earth's loud, imperious market bell.
-Hdrper's Aagdsine for Nay.
THE HISTORY OF THE TARIFF
IN AMERICA.
mfr. Hensel, the author Of the fol
lowing article was member of thu
class that recently graduated at the
Normal School in this city and thu
article was written on the occasion OF
the graduating exercises and is pub
lished by rsquest.-EDs. FREE PRESS.
Since the establishment of the
Athenian customs-union, centuries
before Christ, to the faint attempt al
revision of our tariff during the last
session of Congress, we find vast
material for study on the interference
of government with barter. Even
the short, but eventful history of oul
own country affords material for de-
flying observation on economic laws
and the change of public sentiment
as material interests differed.
Duties on imports are kind OF
indirect taxation; the consumer
always ultimately has to pay a price
for the article increased by the
amount of duty it bears. The appli'
cation of the term duty differs from
tariff in this, that duty has reference
to the income accruing to the govern
ment, while tariff means the scale of
duties and sometimes the list of duti.
able goods, adjusted to certain ends
In the United States, because of Its
republican character and the super.
fluffy of its natural products, duties
on exports have L.yer come under
consideration. The tariff question
presented itself consplcuously before
the founding Of the constitution.
Indeed, it is asserted that 1t led to
the framing of that important docu-
ment. Looking at the policy OF
Europe, particularly at that of Eng
land, to which country, during the
colonial times, by reason of the tyran-
meal colonial system, American com.
merce had been compelled to direct
itself, we can easily foresee the posi-.
ton of American statesmen with
regard to the subject. By reason of
unstable political conditions, foreign
trade underwent incalculable fluctua.
lions and the European powers gener.
ally adopted protective measures. BY
placing restrictions upon all imports
from America and virtually forbid.
ding our trade with the West Indies,
England gave full vent to its i'll will
against the emancipated colonies.
The conditions, we are told, were
gloomy; while our products could
nowhere find a market, foreign goods
flooded our country, and specie disap'
peared. The efflux of specie was al
that time by all regarded as lamen
table circumstance. But the govern
ment stood powerless before the
problem. The several states, on the
other hand, welded their taxing power
in a rather super.patriotic way,-they
exacted duties even upon goods i'm
ported from their sister states. Be.
sides pressure from without, funds
were also needed to supply the
national treasury, and here duty on
imports presented itself as the best
method of national taxation. But
Judging from the deliberatiOn with
which a bill on the matter was dis
cussed and from the insignificance OF
the tariff as passed, only 8 per cent.
ad calorem, protection of home indus:
tries was but minor consideration.
Instead of this the aim seems to have
been to encourage navigation by
means of indirect bounties. Upon
first sight we might judge this to be
an egregious blunder but neverthe.
less it contains grain Of sound
wisdom. America did not have an
efficient navy, and yet, because of Its
long coast line, dotted with opulent
harbors, exposed to the ravages OF
foreign war.vessels, its main weak
ness was on the sea. She needed a
large fleet of mercantile vessels with
corps of drilled sailors. Such a
navy could be readily used in time of
war for defensive purposes.
In the sessions Of Congress follow.
ing the tariff was gradually raised SO
as to meet all the requirements OF
the national treasury. This policy OF
supplying the national purse princi-
pally by means of duties, has ever
since been kept up by Congress. In
1901, while the duties were generally
raised. the first avowed discrimination
in favor of certain articles, with a
view to encourage their manufacture
at home, was enacted.
The next important event brings us
I'D to the close of the war of 1872 and
the year 1916 distinctly marks new
epoch in the history Of tariff legisla.
ton. Manufacturing industry came
out of the war subject to new condi-
tions. Agricultural products and
other riches of nature did not, on
account of the general peace resting
on Europe, find so profitable foreign
market as formerly. We must not
lose sight Of the character Of those
times. The statesmen were aglow
with patriotism and unselfshly labored
to effect what would make their
country prosperous and happy. They
strove to make America prosperous
in case of war, and to build up a
domestic exchange. They promised
themselves the most glorious results
from this policy. Look at it, how
fraternal how harmoniously arran.
ged how beautifully fitting! how
patriotic! Thus unconciously, one
might say, sprang into life and was
nurtured to prodigious size by the
care of favored industries, that
dragon of American commerce, the
American protective system.
BY the tariff of 1916 iron and
wooden manufactures each bore q
duty of Is per cent. with correspond
ing duties on other imports competing
with American manufactures. The
South hoped by levying a duty Of *
per cent. on cotton goods, to create
a Northern market for the raw pro
duct aud therefore urgently pressed
the bill. England had laid higf
dutv On raw cOttnn ana thua denri yer