River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-04-05

versal cry OF the people; relief the universal
latures, state and federal
No relief came until the protective act OF 1924
Among those who voted for that much-needed
measure were such we'll known democrats as
Andrew jackson. senator from Tennessee.
Thomas III. Benton senator from Missouri;
Martin Van Buren,. senator from New York:
James buehanan, a representative from Penn
syIYani, Richard Nj. Johnson, senator from
Kentucky; Louis MeLain, representative
from Maryland; Gen sam Houston, a repre-.
sentative from Tennessee and afterward sena
tor from Texas. 1t will be observed that In
this group are three democratic statesmen who
subsequently Became president OF the United
states, as well as one that became vice presi,
dent Richard Nj johnson, OF Kentucky All
gave their ardent support to this protective
tarin measure, ana there was as yet no section
alism manifest in our Industrial legisa tiOn.
In 1878 the tariff WAS still further increased.
Again most OF tlese same distinguished
democrats, including Silas Wright, OF New
YORK one OF the ablest leaders OF .hat party in
the country voted tor IL The names OF nc
fewer than FIVE gentlemen who subsequently,
became president are recorded IN the yeas and
nays on the passage OF this bill Martin Var
Buren, William Henry Harrison and James
Buchanan voted for H. and John Tyler and
James X Polk against IT.
But the cnange OF position OF Mr. Calhoun
and his followers eventually found expression
In the compromise tariff OF IL This continued
in force for about ten years, and, while Ii
Gained the excite ment In the south occasioned
by the nullihcation episode OF 1882 IL at length
produced the great financial crisis OF 1887, a
IerlON OF distress almost equal 70 tnat winch
preceded the enactment OF the tarin OF 1884.
Many OF our Older citizens recall with a shud
der the hardships and privatious which were
endured throughout the country from 1887 "a
is42. They Justly attributed The prevailing
distress to the tariff OF 1893 and when oppor'
tunity came. as II did in 1870 they overthrew
and drove from power In all branches OF the
government the party responsible for It
As a result OF this great revolution, on Au-
gust 30, 1872, President Tyler reluctantly gave
his assent TO another great Protective law.
aFfn Af ad
house OF representatives on July IS. by the
narrow margin OF four votes-yeas li6. nay s
liz II included among its supporters such
able leaders as Garrett Davis. OF Kentucky;
Willard Fillmore. of New York; Thomas Nor
ris and Nathaniel Pendleton, OF Ohio and
Richard w. Thompson, OF Indiana II passed
the senate by the bare majority of but a single
vote-yeas -, nays % Among is most ac-
tive supporters were such men as Richard IL
Bayard, James buchanan, Rufus Choate, John
j. Crittenden, William l.. Dayton AMI Silas
Wright. This law raised the country from the
depths OF financial deprivation and distress TO
condltlon OF confidence and prosperity such
as il had not known since the repeal OF the tar
IN OF 1873 SO well recognized wa this fact,
and SO widely popular was the new law that in
the presidential election OF 1874, the democrats
in the close northern states were as earnest
and OntspOken advocates of a protective tariff as
the supporters Of Mr.. Clay. Their candidate for
the presidency, Mr.. Polk, TO be sure had voted
against protective measures in congress. but on
the other hand, their candidate for vice presi-
dent, George NJ Dallas. had been a most
ly through the influence OF Mr.. Dallas
and his friends, Pennsylvania was kept
IN the democratic column and the election OF
Polk assured. But that once accomplished MIR.
Polk called into his cabinet as secretary OF the
treasury, Robert J. Walker. a well known free
trader, then senator from Mississippi Mr..
Walker at once assailed the protective law
given to the country by the whig congress, and
with Mr. Polk active assistance not only Sc
cured its repeal but the enactment OF the free
trade law Of Is45 This was not done, how
ever, without disagreement In the cabinet and
a heated contest in congress. The vote az
the house on July g. 1913 resulted yeas ia.
nays 95. OF those voting in the negative 81
were from the south. including such leaders
as Garrett Davis, Of Kentucky; Meridith p.
Gentry, OF Tennessee; James Graham, OF Nor IN
Carolina; John s. Pendleton, OF Virginia, and
Robert Toombs and Alexander ii. Stephens, OF
Georgia These able men joined heartily with
such prominent and no less distinguished pOlit-
zeal leaders OF the north John Quin-
cy Adams, George Ashmun and Robert
G. Winthrop OF Massachusetts; Charles
J. lngersoll and James Black, OF Penn-
sylvania; Jacob Coliamer, OF VermOnt;
Caleb b Smith. OF Indiana Washington Hunt.
Of New York, and Columbus Deiano, Robert C..
SchencK, Joshua II Giddlngs, Samuel f. Vim
ton and Joseph Vance, OF Ohio, In every EFFORT
10 retard and defeat the pending bill
In the senate the contest Is still more mem
orable Vice President Dallas proved recre-
ant 70 his oft-expressed convictions and gave
the casting vote In favor OF the pending meas
ure. The test vote was TAXI on July y, 1916.
Twenty-seyen senators voted for the bill and
twenty seven against IL or those voting I'm the
Affirmative seventeen were from southern
ana ten from northern states, In the
negative vote the numbers from the dt-
ferent sections were exactly reversed, seven
teen from the north and ten from the south.
For the first time in the hist tory OF tariff legis-
lation the country seemed to have divided on
sectional lines, yet even in this fierce struggle
many OF the strongest leaders OF the south
stood side by side with Daniel Webster,
Thomas Corwin, George Evans and Simon
Cameron in eloquently uph 0lding the cause OF
protection Among them were such men as
fahr nj Tan rrta flaa Nav of
Delaware: Reverdy johnson. OF Maryland.
While T. Mangum, OF North Carolina, and John
j. Crittenden, OF Kentucky. The bill was
promptly signed by President Polk, but in q
direct appeal TO the country in 1913 IL was re-
pudiated by the people in the election OF Cen
Taylor 10 the presidency and house OF repre-
sentatives in opposition TO the new law.
Still the whig victory was not sufficiently de-
cisive to secure a change in the tariff, and
other questions crowded 70 the front and i'm
peratively claimed public attention 80 II
transpired that there was no further legisla-
ton on the subject until the enactment known
as the tariff Of 1851. BY this law the duties
were reduced TO lower point than they had
been at any time nee the war of 1919 The dt-
rect result Of its passage was the disastro
financial panic winch soon after swept over the
country ana Frustrated every department OF
business involving alike all our agricultural,
commercial and manufacturing interests
This was the asst tariff legislation preceding
the secession OF the southern states and brings
this review to period within the recollection
OF many OF my bearers II will be seen that In
only not a sectional question: but had among
It's firmest supporters the leading statesmen OF
the south Then this question was as broad as
our country and as national as our flag. May
we not confidently hope that IL will be again so
held in the near futuref
Is history worth nothing' Are experience
and its lessons to be FORGOTTEN? Are the teach
ings OF the past to count for naughtg Is the
rational distress, the business depression and
the universal poverty of the people which have
relentlessly followed the enactment OF every
revenue tariff measure In all our history, to be
lost upon us In the calm consideration OF this
economic subjects Are all these TO be discard
ed In the maNing up OF our verdict tmplore
you to study them without bias for they will
steady your judgment in reaching righteous
conclusion.
The Wilson bill is not like any OF the early
tariff measures, but Is one in which the
changed condition of the country and its mar
velous growth and Development are utterly ig-
nored and forgotten Its promoters forget that
slavery no longer exists. They do not recog-
nize nor appreciate the independence and dig
nifty OF labor, and cannot understand that the
protective policy under which we have had
such splendid prosperity is not 10 be deter
mined by geographical lines The bill Is mar
row, sectional and provincial measure, un.
worthy the great party which proposes IL and
wholly unsuited to the needs OF the country.
The Wilson bill turns TO the past: away from
the present 1t Is for the plantation, not FOR
the farm and the factory. AS II passed the
house II had FOR its foundation principle free
raw material. Its authors argued that with
free coal, free iron ore, free lead and free wool
the manufacturers OF the United States would
be placed on an equality with the manufacturers
OF free trade countries, and We therefore could
not only retain our own markets but control
''the markets of the world" Based upon this
argument, which believe TO be false. they de.
clared that with these great primary product!
free We would have steady employment for all
the wOrkingmen OF the country at good wages.
And so in this form the bill passed the DEMO-
cratic house OF representatives and Is now the
dread subject OF angry contention In the demo
cratic senate
An examination OF the bill by the democrats
members OF the finance committee OF the SEN
ate evidently convinces them that Mr. Wilson's
bill and his argument III support OF the same
are alike based upon false principles. so coal
goes back TO the tariff list, iron ore 10 the
tariff list and lead to the tariff list, leaving free
wool alone. the only product OF agriculture TO
support the false theory OF the house bill Even
Mr. Cleveland ~ dlsrygarded, for in his Madt-
son Square garden speech, after his nomination
in 1892. he said: 1--WE believe that the advant-
age OF freer raw material should be accorded
10 our manufacturers We propose. therefore,
10 stimulate our domestic Industrial enterprises
by freeing from duty the imported raw ma
terias which. by the employment OF labor. are
used In our home manufactures, thus extending
the market for their sale and permitting an in
creased and steady production with an allow
auce of abundant profits !"
/ have looked with some degree OF care
through the bill find nothing but irritation
and aggravation to the great industries OF the
country. No interest suffers by 10 more severe
ly than agriculture and labor OF al kinds
seems TO have been singled out as Its
foremost victim. l have examined II careful
ly to find some section. paragraph. clause or
lire removing the great burden OF tarlH taxes
from the shoulders Of the people. ABOUT
which we have heard so much for so many
years from the democratic orators and havs
read so frequently IN democratic newspa-
pers and platforms, but have oeen uhsuc-
cess.ul in finding any such provision. ~
is true that sugar an article OF prime neces-
~ IA EnnGnhGiA when