The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-08-02


cial gloom passed away; the sun Of pros
perity shone forth; business revived ev-
erywhere and factories and other indus
tries sprang up on every hand through
out the North.
So very positive and decided was the
improvement that PRESIDENT POLK, an
other Democrat, in his annual message
of December, 1916, was constrained to
say Labor in all its branches is receiv.
ing an ample reward while education,
science and the arts are rapidly enlarg-
ing the means of social happiness. The
progress of our country in her career Of
greatness, not only in the vast extension
of her territorial limits, and in the rapid
increase of our population, but in re.
sources and wealth, and in the happy
condition of our people, is without an
example in the history Of nations"
Compare this condition with those OF
the previous free trade periods already
described and closing in 1889, 1924 and
1S42 respectively and tell me what sys
tenn, in your opinion, is the better for
our country,
THE SOUTH OPPOSED TO PROTECTION,
But by this time (1S42-43) the slave
power Of the South had gained complete
ascendenCy. 1t saw at once that the new
nd surprising prosperity in the North,
secured as it was by means of protection
to their home industries, under the new
tariff, would speedily checkmate and
finally lead to the overthrow of their po-
ltical domination in the control of the
Government.
Previous to this time the South had
been favorable to protection, and it's
greatest statesman, John c. Calhoun,
was one of the staunchest defenders Of
a high protective tariff.
But no sooner did they see their pc
culIar institution and their political as
tendency menaced by it than they de-
cided to throw all their political power
against protective tariff. So terrible,
however, had been the late financial dis
aster of 1887 to 1912 under free trade, es-
pecially in the North, that they were
compelled to resort to political fraud and
deception if they would surely win.
FRAUDULENT CAMPAIGN OF 1874.
Therefore in 1874. as the opponent Of
henry Clay, the Wing candidate and the
champion of protection. the Democratic
party nominated James X Polk for Pres
ident. He was good man personally,
but weak, and he at once became the
plant tool Of the slave oligarchy. With
HIM they nominated George NJ. Dallas
of Pennsylvania, a profesSed protection
list. Their cry in that campaign was
POLK, Dallas and the Tariff Of '42, and
with this cry, aided by fraudulent re-
turns from Louisiana they succeeded in
defeating Mr.. Clay,
1S46.-FREE TRADE ONCE MORE.
1t was quickly discovered that a great
fraud was concealed in that cry. for no
sooner were the Democrats in power than
they. IN lS46, repealed that very protec
tive tariff of 1912, for which they had
shouted so Justify and, meanest Of all,
that repeal was obtained by the casting
vote of that same prOfeSsed protection.
list, George NJ, Dallas, and again tariff
of very low duties became the policy OF
the country.
THE INEVITABLE RESULTS.
The same inevitable results followed
as always before under free trade or very
lilac Many industries were de-
~" uu''e-, . - I'D and total
ruin overlook tens of thousands Of the
most useful merchants and manufacture
ers of the country.
Our exports of cotton, rice, tobacco,
corn and pork diminished, the demand
for ships and for labor fell off and immi-
grafton, which had trebled under the
workings of the tariff OF 1s42, greatly
declined.
Bear with me while l quote few
words from the annual message OF
PRESIDENT FILLMORE,
in December, 1851, concerning the results
flowing from the repeal in 1916 OF the
tariff OF 1912. Said he: The value OF
our exports of bread stuffs and provis-
ions, which it was supposed the incen
tive of low tariff and large importa-
tions from abroad would have greatly
augmented has fallen from $6S, 900, 900 in
1S47 to $21 200, 900 in 1851 with almost
certainty OF a still further reduction in
1852. The policy which dictated a low
rate Of duties on foreign merchandise ii
was thought by those who established II
would tend to benefit the farming popu'
lation of this country by increasing the
demand and raising the price OF our az
ricultural products in foreign markets
The foregoing facts, however, seem tc
show incontcstibly that no such result
has followed the adoption OF this policy
The low tariff policy continued til
1857, though its worst effects were great
ly modified and postponed by the con-
slant influx Of gold from the rich and
newly discovered mines of California
and by the unusual demand for our farm
products from European countries re-
sulting from the fierce continental wars
and from repeated failures of their owr
crops in those countries.
1S57,-LowER TARIFF AND DEEPER DE-
PRESTON.
But in 1857 the Democrats, urged or
by the South and by their natural ten
dency to free trade again reduced The
duties, already too low, to the loves
rates we have ever had since the adop
ton of the Constitution and again finan
cial revolution, appalling in it's wide
spread severity and distress, involved
the nation, and for more than four year
tortured and impoverished our people
and exhausted our resources.
Hear what BUCHANAN, the last Demo
cratic President before the Rebellion O.
1861 in his annual message said officially
of that distressful free trade period
With unsurpassed plenty in all the ell
ernenls of national wealth, our manufsc
turers have suspended our publi
works are retarded our private enter
prises of different kinds are abandoned
and thousands of useful laborers ar
thrown out OF employ ment and reduced
to want"
Buchanan. like Fillmore. not only de
picts the complete failure of low TART
rates but also proclaims the unutterabl
misery and ruin which invariably an,
inevitably follow such low duties. Why
under Buchanan and the tariff Of 1876
our revenues were so small that it be
ca 3 e necessary to obtain loans to NEE
even the current expenses of the Gov
eminent; and these loans could Re hs