Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1884-07-04
Blaine'S Protection Views
rcoNrrNUEp FROM LAST WEEK. ]

"Mr. Madison opposed tax on
cordage, and questioned the pro-
priety of raising the price of any
article that entered materially into
the structure of vessels making In
effect the same argument on that
subject which has been repeated
without improvements so frequent
ly in later years. Indigo and to-
bacco, two special products of the
South, were protected by prohlbl-
tory duties, while the raising OF
cotton was encouraged by a duty
three cents per pound on the im-
ported article. Mr.. Burke, of South
Carolina, said the culture of cotton
was contemplated on large scale
in the South, 'if good seed could be
procured.' The manufacture of
iron, wool, leather, paper, already
in some degree developed, was
stimulated by the bill. The fisheries
were aided by a bounty on every
barrel caught; and the navigation
interest received a remarkable en-
couragement by providing that "a
discount of 10 per cent. on all duties
imposed by this act shall be allow
ed on such goods, wares, and mer-
chandise as shall be imported in
vessels built in the United States,
and wholly the property of citizen
or citizens thereof The bill
throughout was an American in
terest; and as first step in a wide
field of legislation, it was character
lied in an eminent degree by wis
dom, by moderation, andby a keen
insight into the immediate and the
distant future of the country. The
ability which framed the Constitu-
tion was not greater than that dis
played by the first generation OF
American statesmen who were
called to legislate under its gener-
Gus provisions and its wise re-
striction.
"These great statesmen proceed
ed in the light of facts which
taught them that, though political
" separated from the mother coun'
try, we were still in many ways
dependent upon her, in as large a
degree as when we were colonies,
subject toher will and governed for
her advantage. The younger
Pitt boasted that he had recon
ouered the colonies as commercial
dependencies, contributing more
absolutely and in larger degree to
England's prosperity than before
the political connection was sever
ed. He treated the States, after
the close of the peace of 1888, with
a naughty assumption of superb
ority, if not indeed with contempt
NOT even condescending to accre-
dit diplomatic representative to
the country, though John Adams
was in London as minister
plenipotentiary andenvoy extraor-
dinary from the United States
English laws of protection under
the Pitt administration were
steadily framed against the develop
ment of manufactures and naviga-
ton in America, and the tendency
when the Federal Constitution was
adopted had been, in the planting
States especially, toward a species
of commercial dependence which
was enabling England to absorb
our trade.
"The first tariff act was therefore
in a certain sense second Deolara-
ton of Independence; and by a
coincidence which could not have
been more striking or more Slgnlii-
cant, it was approved by President
Washington on the 4th day of July,
1889. Slow as were the modes of
communicating intelligencein those
days, this act of Congress did, in a
suggestive way, arouse the atten-
ton of both continents. The words
of the preamble were ominous.-
The duties levied were exceedingly
moderate, scarcely any of them
above 10 per cent, the majority
not higher than 10. But the
beginning was made; and the
English manufacturers and carriers
saw that the power to levy 10 per
cent. could at any time levy a hun
dred per cent. if the interest of the
new government should demand
it. The separate States had in-
deed possessed the power to levy
imposts but they had never exer-
cised it in any comprehensive
manner, and had usually adapted
the rate of duty to English trade
rather than to the protection OF
manufacturing interests at home.
The action of the Federal Govern
ment was a new departure, of
portentous magnitude, and was so
recognized at home and abroad.
at was not the percentage which
aroused and disturbed England. 1t
p u