The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1894-10-26
The Workings of Protection.

Yesterday the Examiner showed BY the
annual messages Of all the Presidents, ,Whig
and Democratic, who served during that
period, that the entire lie of the revenue
tariff of 1886 was one of unchecked prosper
ity, and that the still lower tariff which
followed 1t gave the country continuation
of this prosperity. except for brief inter-
rup,icn in the form of financial panic
caused by wildcat banking. 1t may be OF
interest now to contrast this experience
with that of the high.tariff period that suc-
. c.eded the era Of Democratic rule.
The Morrill, tariff of 1861 was introduced
as a revenue measure to meet the needs OF
war. At this time protection was dis
credited sysem which no party was anxious /
to father. Daniel E Sickles, speaking on
the proposed tariff in the House on Fsbrua- |
ry IS, 1861, said:
| "My general objection 10 the bill is that
| it adopts, in many # its features, the poli-
cy of the protectionists, IN violation Of the
principles OF all the great political Parties
of the county,"
In answering such objections Mr. Morrill,
the author of the new tariff, and now one
Of tue Republican leaders in the Senate.
remarked;
'Now,th tariff Of 1916 was called reve-
nue. measure. tlo not hesitats 10 say that
the duties imposed by this bill are not up to
the mark of the.bill of ls46; the rates upon
|, very many articles are much lower"
, John Sherman, the ablest Republican
. statesman now living, took the same GROUND.
Sail he:
The tariff now proposed, with the Senate
, amendments,Is substantially The tariff ct
1870 with the ad valorem reduced to speci-
&c duties. Gentlemen on the other side ct
b the House. who were in favor Of the tarih OF
n 1876, should remember that this tariff bill Is
: framed substantially upon the average rate
of duties imposed by the tariff &C, OF 1876,
with the exception lhat.the duties are now
J. made specific, ins'ead OF ad vaicrsm, and
h the f,ee list of 1857 IS added
/, Under such representations the Morrill,
:. tariff was adopted. Immediately the pro-
Ie cess tf turning Il into protective measure
D, was begun. A, first there weie internal
- revenue taxes on manufactures TO balance
l. the high duties, but later The duties rose
h and the internal revenue taxes we're taxes
Of OF, giving the manufactured a double ad-
ne vintage nj the expense Of the Public. Ii
20 1867 the transformation Of the Morrill, rev.
y snue tariff with incidet'al protection Into 1
ID protective tariff with In; iisalal revenue wa
e. completed BY the elevation of the WOO
at duties to the highest notch reaeeed seior,
be the time of McKinleY. one year late
President johnson said In his last annna
IN message.
be "Our commerce, which q, one time sue
K cess:u!ly invaded that oi the great marin
ne ne powers, has rapidly diminished, and ou
Industrial interests are ia depressed snS
NC lsngnishing condition.
- After this business revived and ~e a,
ne four years of prosperity. In 1873. xiih In
en Republican party in absolute control Of 81
- departmeais 81 Tie Government 1nd n,
on m.nace to the war ,ari5 from any quarter
~ there was general collapse Of or ea;ir
ne industrial system. In his message Of the
e yer President Grant was compelled 10 say
ne "The revenues have materially flllen O
L Tor The first five moa,hs OF the present hsCi
ne year from what they were expected 10 pro
ha daee. owing 10 the general panic ROW pre-
v3i z, which commenced about the mid
Oh de of September lzsl. The tull tffec. {
o. this disaster. IL il should no, prove
ut. blessing in disguise. Is ye, to be demoa-ira
:, ed"
- The blessing did not show itsali, in dis
=. guise CT o. o'herw.-0 and in December, ,ls7l
r. Presiden; Grant had the sane melanchol
~ tale TO tell:
: Since the convenIug OF Congress. on
year ago, the nation has undergone Jros
~ tration in business and industries such q
of has not been witnessed with Us for mar
e. years. During this prostrat:on two essen
N, tiai elements OF prosperity have beea mos
, abundant-labor and capital. Both hay
ier been largely Unemployed.
nd At that time the distress had lasse
I've longer than the entire span Of the har
ly' Zines which are now disappearing, an
IN there was 10 CLEAN Of light ahead. An
ties other year of misery followed. and in De
Pr cember, 1875. President Grant could "a
ma nothing more cheering than this:
me Nothing seems 10 me more certain tha
las that full, healthy and permanent reaetio
sr- cannot take place in favor Of the indus
tries and financial welfare Of the countI
NC sntil We return TO n measure Of values re.
u.s. ognized throughout the civilized world.
has Tho depression continued through Isl
to and 1877. In the latter year, after for
he years of suffering, the situation was worl
asst than il was in the brief crisis of lS93-9l
'e? and the country was cGavulsed by raj
are road strikes and riots more dangerous tha
ny those Of las, summer By the end Of Isl
Ter things began 10 look little better, an
ars President Hayes joyfulIy announced:
om Abundant harves's have rewarded IL
De labors of those who till the soil. our mar
mn uiacturing Industries are reviving, and
- IS believed that general prosperity, whic
g has been 80 long anxIously looked for.
The at last within our reach.
ow In 1879 prosperity returned, and Il
om worst six years in our history, which wei
a., also six years of uninterrupted protec:io'
sn were over Since then we have had alter
nate good and bad times-neyer more tha
Ine four years Of the former at stretch. Con
mercial crises. which used TO come abo'
once in decade, have followed one anoth,
at intervals of three or four years. Noti
ing corresponding to the eleven Cars
unbroken prosperity We enjoyed under Ii
Gle revenue tariff of 1886 has been known sin
cb the adoption Of The protective policy 10 II