Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-08-19

years later induced the southern states
70 attempt the dissolution Of this repu0-
lie by armed force They were BY birtA,
training and interest opposed 10 the ele-
walton u workingTaen and women and
viewed with alarm the growth u tho
array OF intelligent free labor Ia the
northern states gncer the shelter OF the
protective system. So they hated pro-
lection with an al consuming hate. and
had called this convention for the pur-
pose Of formally serving notice on the
president and congress that the pro-
tective tariff Of 1928 must be repealed 30
far As South Carolina was concerned, or
South Carolina would secede from the
Union. TIE convention passed an "or-
dinance" OF notification, of which the
gist is contained IN the following ex-
tracts:
Whereas, the congress Of the United States,
by various acts. parportins 10 be acts laying
dusies and iInposts on foreign imports but IN
reality intended for the protectieu Of domestic
manufactures. &c. hath exceeded It's Just
powers under lie constitution
We therefore. the people OF the state OF
South Carolina. Ia convention assembled. DO
declare and ordain, and Il Is hereby declared
and ordained. that the several acts and part OF
acts OF the congress OF the United States. pur-
porting 10 DC laws for the imposing OF duties
and inposts On the importation OF foreign
commodities. etc. are unauthorized py TIE
constitution or the United States, and violate
the true meaning and intent thereof, and are
null. void and no law
The answer OF that great Democrat,
Andrew jackson. who was then presi-
dent. was 10 order South Carolina to
submit 10 the tariff, and he dispatched
troops and guaboats TO see that his or
ders were complied with Congress,
however, saw fir 10 modify the tariff suf.
fciently TO appease the South Carolina
nullitiers, they receded from their po-
sition and bloodshed was postponed un-
Til twenty EIGHT years later. when the
pretensions of South Carolina were
stamped upon by the American people
for good, and all at cost of half mil
hon precious lives and untold sufferings
They hoped that they had heard the last
Of nullifcation and the absurd tariff
views Of Calhoun and his fellow NULL
fiers. But they were mistaken. Just
about twenty-eight years after the clos
ing scenes of the tremendous struggle in
which it was believed the principles OF
the nulhiers We're buried forever, an
other convention was held, not in South
Carolina this time. but in the native
state of Abraham Lincoln, which has re
asserted the teachings of Calhoun. Here
| Is its pronunciamento:
We derounce Republican protection as
fraud. robbery of the great majority OF thu
American people for the benefit of the few
We declare IL TO be fundamental principle o.
l the Democratic party that the federal govern
| ment has no constitutional power TO impos'
| and collect tariff duties, except for the purpos
OF revenue onl and we demand that the col
/ lection OF such taxes shall be limited 10 TIT
l necessities OF the government when honestl.
l and economically Observation-Disclosures
/ Platform OF 1892
| For the first time since the civil wa
a political party has dared to incor
| porate into its platform the utterance
of the ordinance of notification, and I,
| declare that the tariff laws supported
and advocated by Washington, Jeffer
son, Hamilton, Adams, Madison, Clay
| Webster, jackson and Lincoln were un
constitutional and mere legislative rob
berry Of the people.
There is no installing the meaning o
the Democratic tariff plank, and We ar
| glad of it.