The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1884-10-25
Correspondence baltimore County Union.
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
Little More on q "Small" Subject-In
formation on the Tariff Question
that all Should Read.

Messrs. Editors:-I dsclam any intention OF
making an unfiiendly personal attack" on 81 j
IT," correspondent of the Maryland Journal, in
my letter of September Both last, but in slashing
around generally the Democrats have got into
such habit OF abusing everything Republican
and siandering the candidates of the party, &c,
that thought that 'persons who live in glass
houses should not throw stones" Hence my ref
erence to the above correspondent.
In the maryland Journal of the 18th inst, the
| same correspondent has got two letters, one in
tended especially for reply to mine referred to.
The letters contain many points that might be
elaborated from Republican standpoint, and
desire to reply to them briefly as possible in
the lull between the two great victories we have
just won in Ohio and West Virginia ond that
greater one that is to follow in November.
| First, did not hear tho Doctors speech at
Fowblesburg; it was reported to me. But as he
admits that perhaps he said ''many foolish things
| in that speech, am of opinion that he and the
Democratic party have been saying ''many foolish
things" throughout this campaign in abusing and
slanderiug the Republican party and its candidate.
Second, the Doctor says that he was "a Jackson
man in Jackson's day." and "a Democrat before
| Anon was born )" that he has "vOted for every
nominee Of the Democratic party since )" that he
knows all about himself, and that he ''intends
voting for our next President Grover Cleveland"
| That doubt, for Grover Cleveland will not be
''our next PRESIDENT" Hon. James q. Blaine will
be. Then he says his garments have never been
soiled by the Federalism of Alexander Hamilton
why not have said George Washington, too. for
he was also a Federalist-"nor Know Nothingism"
he voted for j. Morrison Harris reputed for
mer Know-Nothing, or was not true to the ticket
on which he was elected to the lie gislature-"nor
Anti Masonry, nor Wings, nor National Repub-
ss,ns nor i Sy shs grs:sn. Republican party, the
perjury and money" lin 1876, presumeJ. -
An, Doctor, here is just where you and the
whole Democratic party are weak. You call your.
self and tho Democrats "Reformcrs,' yet certain
ly the latter never attempted to "reform" any
thing except where il would give control or il
could retain possession of the "oaves and fishes,
Of which it is prOyerbialy fonder than it ever
of honest government. And for yourself, you
know that that alleged Stealing of the Presiden
cy" just the year after you elected to the
Legislature and also after the Democratic party
had "violently stolen" the Goyernorship of Mary
land. Now in order to be true Reformers you
should be consistent and never give over your
efforts to effect the rghting of wrongs the puri
6cation of the Governments you meant to purify
until those results have been accomplished. Yet
have never heard you or any other Democrat
speak Of the righting Of the above wrong on the
Hon. j. Morrison Harris and the Republican
party, purifying the dishonesty that existed in
the governments of the State of Maryland and
Baltimore county from that day to this. If there
we're impurities there then they are there till now.
But the Doctor says he was old enough to be a
jackson man in Jackson's day." He will
tainly then know something of the history attend
ant upon the economic question of tariff, which
has undergone go many changes between that
time and this, and which is before the people to-
day. 1t is this that intend dwelling upon par
ticularly in this letter., and purpose citing some
little history bearing upon it for the perusal of
the readers of The UNION. 1t is as follows:
In 1918 protective tariff bill was passed. In
1924 it was amended and the tariff on imported
goods still further increased. In 1928 Gen. jack
son was elected President for the first time. By
this time the tariff, protecting American industries,
had given such an impulse to them, and the coun-
try had become so prosperous, that there was a
| surplus in the treasury, for which alone The Ma
tional debt created by the late afforded a
| sluice- way. Tho circumstances very similar
| t. those now existing.
In 1882 Gen. Jackson was re. elected. In his
annual message to Congress, in 1888. he said ::
| "Peace reigns within our borders. Abundance
crowns the labors of fields. Commerce and
domestic industries flourish an increase, and in
dividual happiness rewards the private virtues
and enterprise of our citizens. u If Provi-
dence permits me to meet you at another session
shall have the high qualification of announcing
to you that the National debt is extinguished. -
This occurred, and it was under the economic
system advocated by the Republican party day.
But free trade Democracy raised its ydra head
and demanded, as it is doing to day, that the pro-
tective tariff that had produced this prosperous
condition of things should be abolished, and, in
a weak moment, Henry Clay, the leader OF Pro-
tectionists, yielded and offered in Congress his
Compromise Tariff Bill, reducing the tariff, which
he did out of fear of disruption of the Union,
which was threatened by the opposition. Jackson
signed the bill, likewise in the interest Of peace
and harmony, but at the same time openly con-
demned it. The result Immediately our markets
flooded with foreign goods, factories stopped
operations, furnace fires extinguished our
specie shipped to foreign countries to pay the
balance in trade against u.s. the panic of 1887 en-
sued. values were swept away, the Union was de
vastnted, and in 1871 Congress was compelled to
authorize loan of Sl2,000,000 to reinstate the
bonded debt of the Nation. Six months after
this President Tyler, in his message to Congress-
bewaied the bad condition of the country affairs
as follows: at became the duty Of the Executive
to resort to every expedient in his power to ne
gotiate the (above) authorized loan. After failure
to do 80 in the American market, n citizen OF high
character and talent was sent to Europe with no
better success and thus the notifying spectacle
was presented Of the inability of this Government
to obtain a loan so small as not on the whole to
amount to more than fourth of the annual in
come at time when the Governments of Europe.
although involved in debt and with their subjects
heavily burdened with taxation, readily obtained
loans to any amount and at greatly reduced rate
of interest"
But Protection Tariff Bill was again passed
in 1912, made necessary by the straitened condi
ton of the affairs of the country. President
| Tyler, who but year before had drawn such a
doeful picture of the National degradation, which
| was such that there "was not enough money in
the treasury to pay his salary" and be was com
| PEELED to "lve on money borrowed from neighbor-
| ing brokers' which was the case with our Navy
| officers a few years ago when a Democratic Con-
| ,rt
money to pay their salaries-under the benelcent
influence of this new tariff was able, in 1913 to
| say in his message: awe have new cause for the
| expression of our gratitude; for the re-
newed activity which has been impaired to our
commerce.; for the revival OF trade in all its de-
| partments for the increased rewards attendant
on the exercise of the mechanic arts; for the con-
tinued growth of our population and the rapidly
reviving prosperity OF the whole country.
Here are Protection and Frec-Trade placed
right in juxtaposition. Could any illustrations OF
the benefits of the one and the evils of the other
be more forcible? But if further illustrations were
still needed, they could be found in the empty
treasury and panic Of lS57'6', after another tria
| of free trade, compared with the prosperity and
immense growth of wealth and development Of
the country during the last twenty years OF Re
publican protection rule and the plethoric condi-
ton of the treasury to- day. In the former period
James Buchanan being President and the treasu
~ empty, loan OF S50,OOO,OOO to carry on th'
| Government and meet its current expenses wa.
authorized by Congress, of which S25 900 900 were
tried to be raised at home and abroad and could
not be done, and after all efforts only ,O0t
Of the loan could be obtained, and that at thu
enormous rate of Is per cent. interest per annum
| THE man who runs can read" "He who haiti
ears to hear let him hear" "The wayfaring man
though fool, need not err therein" The history
is plain. ANON.
E1-At the Methodist centennial exercises IL
Troy, N. Y, on Wednesday of last week, during
q discussion of the temperance question as related
to st. Johns candidacy. prominent member Of