The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-10-28
declaring himself in favor of tho govern

declaring himself in favor of tho govern
ment "exte.ding fair and inst protection
TO agricultuye, manufactures, the mechanic
arts. commerce and navigation.
That Is, FOX saved himself from defeat
by the sans trick which is today resorteo
to by Cleveland in his letter of acceptancei
who has reeudiated his party platform OF
tariff for revenue only, and planted hlmsel
on his tariff policy of 1887, free raw materials
and protected manufactures. The tree
traders supported Polk, because he had
voted against the high protective tarih OF
ISIS, and in ls43 had declared himself in
favor of the repeal OF the protective tariff
of 1912. Posk's election was procured by
fraud, lying letter written for the pur-
pose of concealing his true opinions, just
as CLEVELAND strives to break the effect Of
the Chicago tariff plank for revenue only
by promising one-sided protection to the
manufacturer in his letter of acceptance,
and free trasie in raw materials. Folks
plurality wss but 3s,175. and it is evident
that if he had not practiced deception he
would not nave received the protective
tariff votes of Pennsylvania and other
Northern states; he would have been de-
feated and Clay elected, for the people
were clearlyin 1874 for protection as en-
bodied in the tariff Of 1872.
Polk repudiated the deceitful promise Of
his letter, aad his administration was CON-
trolled by free trade; the protective tariff
Of 1S42 was repealed and the tariff of lS46
was enactea, which reduced duties to in.
crease reverue and was failure as a rev.
enue measure, for under this tariff for rev.
enue only che public debt steadily in
creased. Uader President Pierce the DEM
ocratic tarig for revenue only, the free
trade tariff al 1857, was enacted. The av-
erage rate of duties levied under it was
but 1866 PER cent, and again terrible
financial crash startled the country. Un-
der this tar # for revenue only of 1857 the
public debt continued to increase; expendi-
lures exceeded receipts; the government
had to borrow money; the treasury was
almost bankrupt under President Bu-
chanan; large interest was paid for money
by the government.
In 1861 tfle Republicans repealed the
revenue tariff of 1916 and 1857 and substi-
tuted the protective policy. Immediate
improvement followed in our national
credit and general financial condition.
Since that date the protective system has
remained intact. This history of protec-
ton shows clearly that the so-called
''mld protection" referred to by David
B. Hill had no existence. The protective
policy advaGced steadily from the tariff Of
1859 to the tariff of 1923, the highest
"peace" protective tariff ever enacted; I'M
der this policy our prosperity steadily in
creased.
The Democratic "free trade" revenue
tariff extorted by the South in 1888 brought
the country to hard times, mercantile
disaster ana industrial paralysis. The
protective tariff of 1912 restored the coun-
try to prosperity; the Democratic revenue
tariff of 1916 and 1857 destroyed this pros
perity: the Republican protective policy
enacted In 1861 again restored Us to pros
perlty, and has since maintained it. SO
much for David B. Hills pretense that
protection in the past has been 'mild pro-
tection," that has no identity with the
Republican protective policy. The truth
is that the only "mild protection" at
tempted has been the Southern revenue
tariffs of 1893. 1916 and 1857, all of which
brought ruin to the business of the country.