Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-10-01

tDe lite vice Dreeluent. anu, last OF all, SO Ql
Sllas Wright, the sblest Democrat ever SCI,
to Congress from the State of New York
These great men, the founders of tn
Democratic party. were not afraid Of III
doctrine of Protection, nor were the
squesmish in its application. Wool didn
frighten them as it apparently has Presiden
Cleveland. They levied on wool speclh
iuty of four cents per pound and an si-valu
rem duty of forty per cent with provision
that al the end of two years il should b,
raised to 90 per cent At that rate to-dsy i
woull impose muck higher tariff than Ct
twelve cents duty in which President Cleve
land found especial danger TO our Nations
finances.
| Following the Tariff of 1928 a Southern
hostility began to develope. confined manly
though not with precision, TO the States tina
afterwards rebellrd against the Nstiona
Government. MIR. Calhoun originally favore,
Protection but he had come TO the conclusion
that manufactures could not be estabhshe,
in the planting States of the South; that IRE,
labor and slave labor couti not be made I,
harmonize and that the example of free labo
would breed discomfort among the negroei
and ultimately undermine and overturr
slavery or at least render il unprvntable
which was equivalent TO its destruction. III,
had moreover. since his quarrel with Jack
son, been compelled TO give up all prospec,
of the Presidency and had no hope of con
ciliating the Northern Democracy, on the
basis of its existing organization which was
firmly in the hands of the supporters of Jack
; ,n and Van Buren,. Mr., Calhoun felt and
foressw that with the Southern States united
IN defense of slavery aud in
hostility To protection he coull ultimately
control the policy of the Democratic party.
Just then and just there began the change of
the Northern Democratic party ON the tariff
and of Northern dough -faceism" on the
question OF slavery. Free Trade and the
extension of slavery formed National part
nershiI ami were thence forward made the
corner-stones of Democratic policy.
Attempted null.icauon followed and after
a hot contention n compromise tarih bill MAS
agreed upon, with sliding scale downward
tor ten years, with the certainty, as the pro-
tectionists believed, that it would end in
commercial ard tina ,cal disaster. The DIS
asirr came sooner than WAS expected, and
IN 1887, the year after the election of MIR.
Van Buren, II pau,c came upon the country
hat b, ggars description Tor its severity
and DISTRESS. Many men still living
can testify to the vide spread suf
ring and the general arrangement of all
departments of business. The condition OF
he country betwe.h 1916 and 1924 rs de-
,cribed by Mr.. Clay aud Col. Benton, WAS
exceeded by the prostration following the
panic of 1887. A peculiar feature in both
cases wa, the deep distress of the farming
interest. Mortgages aud forced sales in
every direction, thousands of men out of
work OF to,linp for twenty five cents day
,r less, and other thousands compelled To
RELY on soup houses for the fool which, for
lack of opportunity 10 Labor. they were una
bic to supply for themselves
The people naturally revolted against the
administration. The Democratic party was
Justly accused of making money scarce by
its banking policy, and of crushing all de
mani for labor by its tariff policy, and under
The Joint Influence of the two it went dow n
under an avalanche of popular disfavor IN
,he Presidential election OF 1870 In 1886
when Van Buren, was elected, his Wing OPP
Conemt, Gen. Harrison, carried only seven
states, and in 1910. when General Harrison
was elected, Van Buren, carried only seven
states. The contrast was even stronger in
the electoral vote. for Harrison had 13 in
1896 and Van Buren, hal but 80 in 1910. II
was "A popular uprising against the democrat
erful affirmation in favor of protective
policy.
The fruit of the Whig triumph was the
prot. ctive tariff of 1872, which held the same
relation to the compromise tarli of 1888 that
the protective tariff of 1924 held 10 the tariff
Of 1916. Aud again WAS the policy of pro-
tcuon most sgnally vinlIcated. The years
following the enactment of the tariff of 1892
sitnessed an almost phenomenal revival OF
all industrial pursuits IN the country. All
interests felt it and the popular sea
Iment was so widely aud deeply
touched by it that in 1874 in tn,
Presidential contest between MIR. Clay aud
MIR. Polk the latter was compelled to write a
letter expressing his belief III the value OF
protection, and = PrnnsS lNania candidate
George NJ. Dallas, had been associated witt
hIn on the ticket in order that the peopl,
might have the pledge of the strongest Pro-
lection state in the Union as the guarantee
that the protective system would be safe
under Il Democratic administration.
But under the malign influence of the
southern leaders, the ablest Exponent OF
Free Trade in the country, Robert j. Walker
of Mississippi, was made Secretary of the
Treasury. Under the whip and spur oil
southern denomination, and without even NJ
apology for the pertiy involved, the Protec
tive Tariff of 1872 was broken down and the
Free Trade Tariff of 1876 was placed upon
the statute book by the casting vote of Vie.
Pre- e>ident Dallas, who hal stood ss the po
htlcal hostage that Protection should b,
maintained, while Silas Wright to whom
the Vice Presidential nomination was hrs
offered, aud Who ha voted for the high tariff
of 1928, ran for Governor of New York AM
innocently yet powerfully aided in decep
ton of which he afterwards repented in sacl
cloth and ashes.