New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-12-19
MR.. DOLPH ON THE TARIFF.
HE ASSAILS TIE POLICY OF THE PRESI-
DENT

DfNl.
TIE COUNTRY UNIFORMLY PROSPEROUS UNDER
PROTECTION DISTRESS TIE RESULT OF
ALL EXPERIMENTS WITH FREE
TIapE-wHAT THE REPuB-
IICAN PARTY HAS DONE.
Washington. Dec. IS (Special)-Mr Doiph' OF
Oregon. to-day delivered in the Senate an able
speech on the tariff He sketched the history
of tariff legislation from the establishment ct
the Republic down to the time when the Repub-
lcon marty came into power in 1861, and brought
many strong arguments to bear to show that
the country had uniformly prospered under
protection and suffered reverses when that
policy had been abandoned He then re-
viewed the advances made in wealth ana
industrial development under Republican RUE
and expressed his belief that the controlling
cause Of the business depression from which
the country is now suffering is the return OF
the Democratic party tc power, and the fears
entertained that this means the abandonment
of the protective policy and the substitution
of the principles advocated by Mir. Cleveland
and other free trade theorists. The main polhts
Of the speech follows
PROSPERITY UNDER PROTECTION.
special session of Congress- Immediately after the
receipt Of the Presidents message in which he at
trlbuted the then depressed condition OF our IN
dustres and our finances to the operation OF the
! Sherman law. | embraced the opportunity TO as
sent from his views. and TO very briefly state that
in my judgment, the controlling cause which mad
brought disaster 10 Industries. which had closed
our factories and mills. which had thrown our la
borers out Of employment which had forced col
lections. made money scarce. and caused the sus-
pension and failure OF our banks. and the falling
of OF the revenues the same cause when had
always during the whole period Of our national
existence produced similar disastrous effects In
this country viz the threatened abandonment OF
the protective system, the fear Of hostile iarin leg
islation: and then asserted what now repeat.
that the only real prosperity this country has ever
enjoyed has been under the protective system. anu
that all business and financial revcrses mat nave
overtaken our people be directly traced to the
Abandonment the proposed ab-ndonmenI CT
the protective policy.
There have been periods OF comparative prosper
lty owing to conditions in Europe or In orr own
country growing out Of or failure OF crops.
which created 4 more favorable and more profit
able market than usual for opr surplus dTTicu'-
tiral products and helped - proven, ruin'us
competition OF foreign products with our co-
nestle manufaciurcs-rerods during which a mod
crate protection % American industries Vas
sufficient TO make them mod ar'teiy rro'''' 70
GUS But the fact remains zee fully f''n-
onstrated by our experience Tor more than
Il century. that labor. being he source OF "l
wealth National and individual prosperity can Only
be secured b. such protection 10 domestic indus
tries As will give employment TO American labor
so that all our people shall bee engaged Ia the
creation Of wealth.
TARIFF LEGISLATION PRIOR To 1861.
Reviewing the history Of iarn legislation prior
10 ls6l humiating as The fact is. te Act ~ l'i'
by which protection 20 our Industries was grad
nally removed. was plssr. 90 ID" b'nr7i "i Tie
south enforced by the threat o. dlsrn'on iienfy
Clay who had been an eloquent and CONSTANT aaf'-
cate Of the American system. explained NJ couis"
in proposing a compromise by referring TO the
REASONABLE threats Of South carolina ana by
SAYING that II the friends OF Protection di not
then yield to the demand for 81 modification n ihc
tariff that at another Congr,ss ih" opponents 81
the system would be strong enough 10 destroy y.
II appears that the tariff legislation o. 1927 and
1873 under which the country enjoyed an era y
prosperity unexampled in our history. during which
every industry nourisncd. every one "As employed.
Individual and National prosperity assured ana
the Treasury was overlooking. was ovcrihfoNn a'
the command OF Southern aiaNc-ho!I'rs. VINO en-
phaslzeI their command with tFeasonnh!e threat -
overthrown because also OF TIE fears n the friends
Of the protective s,stem who. 10 appease the
South abandoned their principles D." making un-
reasonable concessions. The di"aat"fs To- tho Indus
tries Of the country which followed the compromise
Act OF 1885 produced political revolution. brought
| the Wings into power who. ~ ls2. enacted pro-
tective tariff which started the country again on
career Of prosperity revived old naustricg start
| ed new ones and furnished employment TO aborers
| Upon the accession. however. OF the Democratic
party 10 power At the demand OK the south.
Democratic Congress again In 1876 struck down
Protection; and IN" policy Of maintaining tarin
for the protection Of American labor and American
lin z4n
party came into power.
IL was not until after the enactment OF the Act
OF ls2s that the southern opposition 70 the tariff
assumed importance. Mt Calhoun. a. We have
SEEM had favored the tariff of 1916 with the aNowed
| purpose Of protecting American manufactures. but
| he now changed his position II had become APP
parent that manufactures could not be conducted
with slave labor and. therefore. could not be es-
| tabllshed or probably maintained In the South
and that Protection helped to build mp the indus
| trles OF the North. Tho politicians or the south
followed the lead OF Calhoun. From that time for
| tension OF slavery became the leading principles
| OF the political creed Of the southern Democracy
| XnIj6cation acts Of South Carolina, and threat.
| cned the dissolution Of the Union
| CONDITION OF THE COUNTRY FROM 1916 TO 1861
The period from 1916 to 1861 is cited by the advo
Gates Of a tariff for revenue only as prosperous
| period under "A tariff Tor revenue with incidental
protection. There were exceptional caufes winch
prevented our industries from feeling at once the
| fun effect Of the changes In the tariff. and tho
supposcd prosperity OF the country has been greatly
exaggeratcd. From 1871 TO lS the balance OF trAde
against ~ was more than $i5l,HOtUU. ana there
| were but two years In the whole period when the
| balance Of trade was In our favor.
| Under ordinary circumstances the country could
not have paid this balance for n single year with
out producing great financial as well AZ business
| Arrangement But the discovery of gold IN CAN
| formal ana the great yield Of that metal from
1873 To 1850 enabled as to pay the balance OF trade
against us. We were, however thereby deprived
OF the beneficial effect Of the great production OF
! gold and Europe received in exchange for her
| products almost the entire yield of our mines
! The large mportations Of foreign goods under tho
tarif Of 1876 not only prevented the development ana
prosperity Of our manufactures. but The foreign
market for our agricultural products not greatly
! increased account Of our larger importations
/ The English corn laws were repealed IN 1916. Inc
! Mexican war caused the expenditure among oui
people OF many millions In excess OF the ordinary