The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-04-06


one section OF our common country are exact
ly identical with the interests of every other
Washington. in his message OF i1sd, urged
upon congress the necessity of accelerating
the establishment OF certain useful manufac-
lures by the intervention of legisla tive aid and
protect ton" Jefferson, in December. 1871, in
his first message congratulated congress upon
the revenue derived from tariff duties and sug
gested that There Is now reasonable ground
OF confidence that we may safely dispense with
all internal taxes and rely for the support OF
the government and the payment Of the public
debt upon tariffs" In lsue. in his annual mes
SAGE of that year to congress, he still adhered
TO the protective tariff.
In lsl6 the first revenue or free-trade tar!h
was enacted Henry Clay in 1923 seven years
after the adoption OF this tariff thus described
the condition of the country: The general dis
tress which pervades the whole country is
forced upon us by numerous facts OF the most
incontes table character. Ii Is indicated Sy the
diminished exports OF native products; by the
depressed and reduced state OF our foreign nav
igation; By our diminished commerce; by sue
cessiye unthreshed crops of grain perishing in
our barns for want OF market; by the alarm
ing diminution of the circulating medium: by
the universal complaint OF the want Of employ
meut and the consequent reduction Of the
wages of labor. and, above ali. by the low and
depressed state OF the value OF almost every de-
scription OF property in the nation which has,
on an average, sunk not less than % per cent
within few years 1t is most painful for me
to dwell on the gloom of this picture. but have
exaggerated nothing Perfect fidelity to the
original would have authorized me TO throw on
deeper and darker hues.
Col Thomas d Bentons description OF the
same period is well worthy TO be noted: NO
price for property or produce: no sales but
those on the sheriff and the marshal; no pur-
chasers at execution sales but the creditor or
some hoarder of money: no employment for in
dustry: no demand for labor; no sale for the
products Of the farm; no sound OF the ham
mer but that of the auctioneer knocking down
property. Stop laws. property laws. repleyin
laws, stay laws, loan-office lawsuits was the
business Of the legislatures in ihree-tourths of
the states OF the union. Distress the uni
versal cry Of the people; relief the universal
demand Numbered at the doors OF all legis-
latures. state and federal"
No relief came until the protective act of 1894
Among those who voted for that much-needed
measure were such ellknown democrats as
Andrew Jackson. senator from Tennessee:
Thomas II. Benton, senator from Missouri:
Martin Van Buren,. senator from New York:
James Buchanan representative from Penn
sylvani; Richard NJ. johnson, senator from
Kentucky: Louis McLain, a representative
from MARYLAND: Gen sam Houston a repre-
sentative from Tennessee and afterward sena-
tor from Texas. 1t will be observed that in
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
tariff measure. and there was as yet no section
alism manifest in our Industrial legislation
In ISIS the tariff was still further increased:
Again most OF these same distinguished
democrats including Silas Wright, OF New
York. one OF the ablest leaders OF that party in
the country. voted for it The names Of no
fewer than five gentlemen who subsequently
became president are recorded in the yeas and
nays on the passage of this bill Martin Van
Buren,, William Henry Harrison and James
Buchanan voted for H. and John Tyler and
James X Polk against it
But the change OF position OF Mr.. Calhoun
and his followers eventually found expression
in the compromise tariff OF is 3 This continued
in force for about ten years, and, while II
Gained the excite ment in the south occasioned
by the notification episode OF 1872, IL at length
produced the great financial crisis OF 1887, a
period of distress almost equal TO that which
preceded the enactment of the tariff OF 1884
Many OF our older citizens recall with shud-
der the hardships and privations which were
endured throughout the country from 1885, to
1872 They justly attributed the prevailing
distress TO the tariff of 1893 and when oppOr-
tunity came. as it did in 1870, they overthrow
and drove from power in all branches OF the
government the party responsible for it.
AS result OF this great revolution. on Au-
gus. 80. 1882, President Tyler reluctantly gave
his assent to another great protective law,
known as the tariff Of 1872 1t passed the
house Of representatives on July 10 by the
narrow margin OF four votes-yeas ll6 nav 5
liz 1t included among its supporters such
able leaders as Garret Davis, OF Kentucky:
Willard Fillmore. of New York: Thomas Nor
ris and Nathaniel Pendeton, OF Ohio, and
Richard ". Thompson, OF Indiana. 1t passed
the senate by the bare majority of but single
vote-yeas "a. nays % Among is most &C
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
a condition of confidence and prosperity such
as IL had not known since the repeal Of the tar
il OF lS2S So well recognized was 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 outspoken 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 VI. Dallas, had been most
pronounced supporter OF them. Large
" 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 Mr.
Polk called into his cabinet, as secretary OF the
treasury, Robert J. Walker. a we'll known free
trader then senator from Mississippi Mr.
Walker at once assailed the protective law
given 70 the country by the whig congress- and
with Mr. Folks active assistance not only Sc
cured its repeal but the enactment Of the free
trade law of 1916 This was not done, how
ever. without a disagreement in the cabinet and
a heated contest in congress The vote OF
the house on July 3, 1876, 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 T.
Gentry, OF Tennessee; James Graham, OF North
Carolina: John 8 Pendleton. Of Virginia, and
Robert Toombs and Alexander h Stephens, Of
Georgia These able men joined heartily with
such prominent and no less distinguished polit-
zeal leaders OF the north as John Quin-
cy Adams, George Ashmun and Robert
J. Ingersou and James Black, OF Penn
sylvania: Jacob Collamer. OF Vermont:
Caleb B. Smith, OF Indiana: Washington Hunt,
Of New York, and Columbus Delano, Robert C.
Schenck. Joshua R Giddlngs, Samuel F. VIM
ton and Joseph Vance, OF Ohio. in every effort
10 retsrd and defeat the Dending bill
In the senate the contest Is still more mem
orable Vice President Dallas proved recre-
ant TO his oft-expressed convictions and gave
the casting vote in favor OF the pending meas
I snl-a nj
Twenty-seyen senators voted for the bill and
twenty-seven against it OF those voting in the
Affirmative seventeen were from southern
and ten from northern states In the
negative vote the numbers from the diff
| ferent sections were exactly reversed seven
teen from the north and ten from the south
For the first time in the history OF tariff legis-
lstion the country seemed 70 have divided on
sectional lines, yet even IN this fierce struggle
many Of the strongest leaders OF the south
Thomas Corwin. George Evans and Simon
Cameron in eloQuently uphoiding the cause OF
protection Among them were such men as
| Delaware: Reverdy johnson. Of Maryland.
Willie P Mangum. OF North Carolina, and John
| J. Crittenden. Of Kentucky The bill was
promptly signed BY President Polk, but In o
direct appeal 10 the country in lsis Ii was re
| uudfated BY the people in the election Of Gen
| Taylor 10 the presidency and house OF repre-
| sentatives in opposition 70 the new law.
Still the whig victory was not sufficiently de-
cisive to secure change In the tartn, and
other questions crowded to the front and i'm.
peratively claimed public attention 50 II
| transpired thai there was no further legisls-
ton on the subject until the enactment known
as the tariff OF 1857. By this law the duties
4 were reduced to a lower point than they had
been al any time since the war OF lsis The di-
| rect result Of its passage was the disastrous
! financial panic which soon after swept over the
/ Country ana Frustrated every department OF
| business. involving alike all our agricultural,
| commercial and manufacturing interests
This was the last tariff legislation preceding
/ the secession Of the southern states and brings
/ this review TO a period within the recollection
/ of many Of my hearers II will be seen that in
/ the early days CO the country the tariff was not
only not a sectioiiS question, but had among
| its hrmest supporters the leading statesmen OF
| the south Then this quest ton was as broad as
/ our country and as national as our flag. May
we not confidently hope thatii Will be again sc
held in the near future'