The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1888-10-11
y Brief history Of T.,rin Legislation.


y Brief .iistory Of Tarif Legislation.
The fist Congress under the Con
stilution, ii. It's first session, fixed the
policy Of the comfy and adopted the
plan Of raising the revenue of the
United States by tariff. There was
entire unanimity in this plan for rails
ing revenue, and the universal feeling
in its favor was maze stronger by the
universal knowledge that this method
of raising tho necessary revenue would
incidentally protect home manufact-
ureS.
This policy of a revenue tariff, with
such protection resulting as was Il nee
essary incident to any tariff for raising
revenue, continued undisputed until
1917 In that year Mr.. Monroe be-
came President. Old party lines were
nearly extinct. Congress was almost
unanimously Democratic, ami the pc
riod is known in the history of the
United Estates .as "the era Of good
feeling.2 The ''era" came to the be
ginning Of an end at the beginning Of
Mr. Nfonroe's second term, in 1921
+ %, when marked division NANTES
ted itself among the Democrats, who
. were the Congress, and MIR. Barbour,
q revenue tariff man, was elected
Speaker of the House by only four
majority over NJ. Taylor, an advocate
cf new policy of levying duties upon
foreign imports not for revenue, but
with view specifically to protect do
mestic manufactures. The new tariff
movement failed at this session. But
in 1928 '24 Mr.. Clay secured the
passage Of an act imposing tariff duties
upon several articles of foreign impor-
tation with he direct view Of afford
ing protection to the manufacture of
like articles in this country: A wide
and permanent split i'll the Democrat
ic party resulted, Mr.. Clay and those
who followed him becoming what we're
called National Republicans.
In 1928, Mr.. Adams being Pres
ident and Mr.. Clay Secretary Of State,
the new policy was extended, anC;
after much excitement in Congress
aud in the country, tariff law based
upon the protective policy and known
as ''the Bill Of Abominations, was
passed. The excitement continued
and increased The Democratic Pres
ident, Andrew jackson, was hostile to
the protective policy, to Mr.. Clay and
to Mr. Calhoun. lie caused bill
To be introduced into Congress, 1882
333, to wipe out the protective tariff.
His bill would have passed, but Mr..
Clay's political prospects would have
been ruined by the abrupt repeal Of
MS policy, which would also have
brought disaster to the country Mr..
Calhoun was in danger as we'll as
Mr.: Clay; both we're patriots, how
ever mistaken and opposed III policy,
and they combined TO avert strife and
to beat Old Hickory jackson by the
passage through Congress of Mr..
Clay's celebrated Compromise Tariff
of 1928. This was the abandonment
OF the protective policy. The bill
provided for gradual reduction of
all duties then above the revenue
standard that is to say. so high as to
be prohibitory in fact aud defeating
the object of a'tariff, which is to raise
revenue. One tenth of one-half of all
duties for protection above that stand
ard was to be taken off annually for
ten years, at the end of which period
the whcle Of the other half was to be
taken eff; aud thereafter all duties
were to be levied mainly with a view
to revenue, and not for protection
In 1842, the year fixed by the com
promise for the regulation of duties on
tie revenue standard, the Protection
lists rallied and the Wing Congress
passed a law III which protection, and
not revenue, was the object.
In 1916 the Democrats returned to
power. the revenue tariff Of 1916
known as "the Walker Tariff" was
adopted, and under it the country
prospered.
In 1861 the Republicans obtained
possession of the government, war
came and the tariff known as the
Morrill, Tariff was passed This was
high protective tariff. that Is to say,
Il prohibitory one, and SO the law has
remained uatil now.
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