New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-10-28
popULAR OBSERVATIONS.
,>,rRICANS NOT so EASILY FOOLED.
rn ANXIETY OF DEMOCRATIC LEADER
.nor-r THE, CoN:TITUTIoN NOT LIKELY
TO BE EFFECTIVE


rditor Of The Tribune
TO-, Dr johnson. not more cynlcaily thah uu'h.
." ,.,ored that patriotism the last refuge OF
fnH' drJ similarly. the Constitution seems TO ne
. So, refuge OF discredted politicians. Beaten on
inc Us NJ fact overwhelmed by the logic OF events
q1,,,cd out OF their own mouths, the Democr"'S
se their last despalrng cry. that the Amer
u" ,e,em OF Protection Is UNCONSTITUTIONAL II
e @" dven the country prosperity has lowered the
Hh =, living and increased the value OF labor All
p, .,ov are forced to concede. But II Is "hhcoh-
u.,r,,onal" II this were so. one might well say 50
ob the worse for the Constitution But IL Is MOI
md those who are vOciferously proclaimihg IL
now full well that 1t Is not true. Here Is wha' 'hes
say: c..o.uon, ,os No constitutional
~ IN impose and collect tariff duties. except for
~. nurpose OF revenue ."-(Democratic Platform.
aRepublican protection does not consututionaiiy
sx,st"-(D. b. Hill.
asuch proposition" that "tarif taxation is
.,suNoble for the express purpose OF thereby pro
noting especial interests and enterprisesD us so
.sorlv contrary to the spirit OF our Constitution
that It's statement would rudely shock our
,sope II they had not already been nsdiousy aiiured
nom the safe landmarks Of principle. "-(Grover Cleve
land
from Letter from a Presidential Candidate" taken
from the papers OF Hosea Biglow. ESQ.,:
I STAN upon the Constitution,
Ell preudent statemen say, who'Ve planned
way t. get the most profuson
o. chances they'll stand.
Very we'll Now let US see what the Constitution
itself saws about It. Article declares that "the
movers not delegated TO the United States by the
constitution nor prohibited by 1t TO the States. are
reserved the states respectively or to the people,
True But what OF the powers delegated TO the
United States, and prohibited by 1t to the Statesi
What is their extent1 Manifestly. unless otherwise
stated an extent Identical with that enjoyed by the
individual States prior to the adoption OF the Con-
stituton. That Is TO say, whatever powers were
exercised by the States individually before the
adoption OF the Constitution and were without quail
hcadon delegated by them in the Constitution, TO the
United States, are now 10 be exercised fully by the
United States. We then. since this is so. and since
individual States did before the adoption Of the Con-
sntuon. impose and collect tariff duties for the
express purpose Of protecting and encouraging certain
industries and enterprises. and since Article OF the
Constitution declares that the Congress shall have
spower to lay and collect taxes duties. imposts and
excises." what follows Manifesuy. that Congress
has power TO lay and collect duties for the protection
and encouragement OF American industry
Ii is indisputablc that this view held by the
trainers OF the Constitution themselves even by those
who believed in Free Trade. On this point the hston
cal record is clear. The first session OF the LIST Con-
gress was begun In NewYork on March A. 1889.
quorum not secured in the House OF Reprcs enta
tves until April 1, on which date the House was
organized. On April the House resolved itself into
Committee of the Whole on the state of the Union
and James Madison. jr OF Virginia one OF the authors
and sgners of the Constitution. introduced bill I'm:
posing duties on imports long discussion followed.
lasting many days. On Thursday, April O. Thomas
Hartley, Of Pennsylvania. said:
Surely, no argument can operate TO discourage
the committee from taking such measures will tend
TO protect and promote our domestic manufactures
Il consult the history Of the ancient world shall
see that they have thought proper for a long time
past TO give great encouragement to the establishment
OF manufactures, by laying such partial duties on the
Importation Of foreign goods TO give the home manu-
features a considerable advantage In the price when
brought to market think 1t both polite and just
that the fostering hand Of the general Government
should extend to all those manufactures which will
tend 10 National utility The States that are most
advanced IN population and ripe for manufactures
ought have their particular interests attended to In
some degree. While these states retained the power
Of making regulations OF trade they had the power
TO protect and cherish such institutions by adopting
the present Constitution they have thrown the ex-
ercise OF their into other hands they have
done this with expectation that those interests
would not be neglected here"
On the following day william Smith. OF Maryland.
presented petition from the trades men, manufacturers
and others Of the town OF Baltimore which read.
setting forth: "That since the close OF the late war;
and the completion OF the Revolution. they have
the trading interest Of the country rapidly declining
and the attempts OF the State Legislatures to remedy
the evil falling OF their object; that. in the present
melancholy state OF our country. the "r Of poor
Increasing for want OF employ ment, for debts ac-
Nmuating houses and lands depIecla,"g In value.
and trade and manufactures langushing AID eAplrng.
they look up TO the supreme Legislature OF tn United
States as the guardians Of the whole empire and from
their united wisdom and patriotism. and ardent love
Of their country, expect 10 derive that aid and
sstance which alone can disspste their just appre-
tensions and animate them with hopes OF success In
future by imposing all foreign articles which
be made In America. such duties as will give just
and decided preference 10 their labors.'
Again. on April Is, George Clymer, OF Pennsylvania.
one Of the authors and sgners Of the Constitution.
said that the manufacture Of steel In America was
rather In It's infancy but as all the materials neees
STATE in the Union and as the manufacture was
already established and attended with considerable
success be deemed II prudent 10 emancpatc our
country from the mansoles In which she was held by
foreign manaiaetSrefs furnace II rde1 Pa
sylvana made 300 tons in two years. and now makes
81 the rate Of $50 tons annually and with little
uemen would be disposed under these consdertons
which a moments rejection would convince them
vi. highly deserving protection" =, x...oo,n.o,,.
On April II. BENJAMIN Go0dhue, OF Massachusetts.
poke in favor Of laying dpy S1 hemp tof ySs s
% ,Ss cusS e OF e state Of he
mills in Pennsylvania. They were SO numerous o, ia, as
TO be able TO supply very extensive ueHhhu III thut
and the neighboring States: they annually produce
about 10000 reams OF yarious KINDS; winch Is son
ss cheap as 1t can be imported. This manufacture
certainly Is an important one and, having grown up
under legislative encouragement 1t Will be wise 70
continue IL. Ihereupon II agreed 10 Iav an
impost Of liz per cent ad vaIOrem on blank boohs
writing, printing ana whipping paper. and paste
board .-
Other similar expressions OF opinion and statements
OF fact were freely scattered through tbs debate MI
Madison and other flinders replied 10 them. ana
often opposed the principle Of Protection But they
ala so on the ground OF expediency. or some other
pround and never Protection antagonisuc
10 the Constitution. Surely Madison and his col
leagues knew. as well as any politician OF this DAY.
what was mo spirit OF the Constitution. and II Is
inconceivable that they could have listened TO the
PRONUNCIATION OF doctrines at variance with " without
A.nn,ncfpo than sucb. III James Madison IN