Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-11-13
THE NORTHWEST
Historical Facts About Protection.
IDes Moines Leader

aCtS hDOut
lDes Moines Leader.
Protective tariff was first enacted by
Congress in 1916 as an experiment. Up
to that time the tariff had been for rev.
enue only, as provided by the Constitu-
tion. In 1917 Congress made prOtec-
ton the object and revenue the incl
dent. Under the stimulus of the tariff,
business was enlivened, and everybody
thought the time had come to get rich.
Foreign goods were taxed so high they
could not be imported, in most cases,
and domestic manufactures had the
monopoly of the home market. The
banks let out their money to amateur
manufacturers. Manufacturing estab-
lishments of all kinds sprung into ex-
istence as if by magic, and for two or
three years everything went on as
smooth as marriage bells. But the bane
ofprotection, "overproduction" brought
matters to q standstill in 1919. The
wears of 1919 and 1890 says Benton,
Hwere period of gloom and agony.
No money either gold or silver; no paper
convertible into specie; no employment
for industry; no demand for labor, no
suit lOI U1lt DlOuuCU vi bilC lti iIlCi1 io
sound of the hammer but that of the
auctioneer selling property. Stop laws
property laws-replevin laws-stay
laws-loan Office laws-the intervention
of the legislator between the creditor
and the debtor; this was the business
legislation in three-fourths of the States
of the Union--of all south and west of
New England"
When the debates first took place, in
1916, the parties-Democratic and Fed
eral-did not divide on the question of
power of Congress to levy taxes inde-
pendentIy of the needs of the Govern
ment; but by 1924 the Democratic party
had generally rang itself on the side of
tariff for revenue only, while the Fed
eralists had taken the view that pro-
tee ion to American industry was an in
cidental power granted to Congress by
the Constitution. In 1924, after eight
years of protective tariff, Henry Clay,
the great protectionist, the leader of the
Federal party in the Senate, said In a
speech in favor of an increase of tariff:
"In casting our eyes around us, the
most prominent circumstance which
fixes our attention and challenges our
deepest regret is the general distress
which pervades the whole country. 1t
is forced upon us by numerous facts of
the most incontestable character. 1t is
indicated by the diminished exports of
native produce; by the successive un-
threshed crops of grain perishing in our
barns for want of market, by the
alarming diminution of the circulating
medium; by the numerous bankrupt
cies; by a universal complaint of the
want of employment, and consequent
reduction in the wages of labor. 1t is
most painful to me to attempt to sketch
or to dwell on the gloom of his picture.
But [ have exaggerated nothing" Peo-
pie talk about the panic of 1887. The
fact is, from 1916 to 1910 was one season
of depression, with probably the interval
from 1888 to 1887. The protectionists
succeeded in carrying measures for in
'creasing tariff taxes in 1920, 1924 and
1928, and endeavored to carry like
measure in 1882, but the Democrats
turned the tide in 1882 and worked with
a tariff for revenue only in view until
1S46, when they We're finally successful
The protectionists loudly predicted that
the country would be ruined. At the
same time the tariff was reduced war was
declared against Mexico, but the low tar
if produced sufficient revenue, and the
country enjoyed unprecedented pros
perity. "If the tariff is reduced the
British will flood the country with
cheap goods" said the protectionists
t'and our factories and shops will be
closed up" Compare the census re-
turns of 1860 with those of previous de-
eades and you will be surprised at the
increase in every species of production,
and also at the steadiness of the increase
during the fifteen years of low tariff
from 1916 to 1861. We might quote
here the figures of certain lines of in
dustry or manufacture, but our space
would not permit a complete exposition
of all the censuSes.
The parties who demanded protective
tariff in 1916, gave as the reason why
they should have it, that outdoor en-
ployments were so remunerative-that
Is wages We're so high, Gust think of it,
that they could not induce men, wo
men or children to accept employment
with factories or shops So protec
tive tariff was enacted to prevent the
people from spending their money fo
goods made abroad and to compel then
10 Duy Oh LHe llOIllc lltliuldCluIeI, WildI
ever might be his price. At first h
probably paid good wages to entice thu
farm laborer into his shops or factory
but when the foreign market had beer
destroyed and the farm laborer was re
duced to the necessity of accepting
work in the shop at any price, then thu
manufacturer had things his own way
Protection--overproduction. The TIVE
words are used to mislead the people
The protectionist who goes to Washing
ton and lobbies for an increase of tarit
on his manufactures or production
contributes literally of his wealth to Sc
cure the election of Congressman VIII
will be good to him-cries British FIRE
trade when any one says word abou
his monopoly; he is most magnapi
nous man, the working-man's onl,
friend, the buyer of the farmers product
and apublic benefactor generally. AM
when the market is glutted and no out
let left open to his goods he shuts up hi
mill and says: "We must rest until tn
surplus is consumed Overproductior
Protection! Nonsense.
Catarh is constitutional disease
Hoods Sarsaparilla is constitutions
remedy. 1t cures catarrh. Give it