Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1895-12-10
ReWsw OF TARIFF LEGISLATION

REVIEW or TARIFF LEGISLATION.
Elit0r Democrat:
said in previous article that pro
lection WAS the policy of the government
from It's organization. The first tariu
was framed by Alexander Hamilton, aud
WAS signed bv President Washington
.Iuly 4th. I7Sa. The act imposed specific
duties on forty-seven articles, and al
valOrem on others.
The second tariff act passed the house
bv vote Of 81 10 IL, and the senate
without division. and was signed by the
president Aug. lO,h, 1890. This measure
exaeted higher duties. The Act OF May,
1872. and 1874. followed, aud imposed
rates In addition 10 those previously IN
force.
March 81 and July Sth, ls97, and
Nav 18Th. 800, still Increasing duties
were imposed There was a further III
crease March 2dth, l>O4.
la lS0- and lS0S the industrial situa-
ton was suddenly changed. Napoleon
DEGREES OF Berlin aud Milan were follow
ed by the English orders in council, and
the administration retaliated by the
embargo act in December, lS07. The
uon-intercourse act followed in l>09,
and war with England in l>l2. During
the war all duties were doubled a. a
war measure. This act Is known as the
tariff of l>l2.
The additional duties imposed by the
act OF l>l2 were repealed Feb. 18th, 1916,
and new schedules adopted. The
Lowndes-Calhoun tariff Was approved
April 18th. l>l6. and was not wholly set
aside until lSi2, although MANY OF itS
schedules were amended IN l>l92l-24,
when the Clay tariff was passed, largely
increasing the duties on the manufactures
of WOODEN and cotton goods, As well a. the
raw material. Ia ISIS there WAS slight
decrease on manufactured goods. The
average duty on all goods imported from
ISIS 10 -l>32 WAS Isl; on dutiable
goods 81 -. An act was passed IN l>f3
70 correct the Inequalities OF the act OF
l>3S. Railroad iron Was made free Ia a
separate act. Ia l>3 a compromise
tariff was passed reducing duties on a
sliding scale yearly until a uniform duty
of twenty per cent was reached.
IL was during the presidency OF An
drew Jackson that south Carolina re-
fused 70 pay duties on goods arriving az
the Port OF Charleston, aud 'Old liCS-
ory" ordered a warship 20 that port with
Instructions 70 its commander 20 collect
the taxes or reduce the city 20 ashes. IL
i needless 20 say the taxes were forth
coming.
The tariff of l>t2 was a diStinctiyely
party measure, passed by the Wings,
and became operative August 3Oth OF
that year. and changed all existing rates.
IL was amended in March, ISIS, and con-
tnued in force until Dec. 1T, l>t6.
[ nder il all imports averaged 26.92 per
cent. and dutisble goods 81 l. per cent.
This was followed by the Walker
tariff Of l>l6. which passed the house by
vote Of ia 10 -. and was tie in the
senate, the tie being broken by Vice
President Dallas in his constitutional
capacity voting YES. This WAS tariff
for revenue only and continued until
Isl. The tariff of lS57 made still
further reductions, and President
Buchanan was compelled 20 call halt
and implOre congress 20 Increase the
revenue by increased duties. Congress
authorized the issue of 100000 of
bonds drawing 9 per cent interest, and
10 such straits was the treasury driven
that s20.OO0.OOO Of the bonds were
negotiated AZ - cents on the dollar,
and the balance were never sold. nder
the tariff of lSj1 al impOrtations aver
aged 1896 per cent, and dutiable goods
2O.l3 per cent.
The people became restless aud dis
gusted with Democratic legislation and
disguised with the dOmineering spirit OF
- IL ala Cd
Abraham Lincoln president, the candi-
date of the party Of freedom. The party
found an empty treasury, navy scat
tered TO the four corners OF the earth, a
soldiery loyal 70 the Old Flag.
The Morrill, tariff Of 1851 differed ma
teriallv from all thSt had preceded il,
in that il provided for compound aud
difierential duties in a general system OF
specific and ad yalorem, and distinction
in goods imported from different parts
of the world.
During the war of the Rebellion there
were frequent changes for the increase
Of the revenue. There were notifications
of the rates from $50 onward. That
yesr tea and coffee were put on the free
list and duties were lowered about ten
per cent on cotton and wooden goods,
wool. leather, glass and iron, and the
free list was further enlarged, but 10 the
act of lS75 these schedules were Teseind-
ed. In lS79 the duty on some articles
Was abolished.
10 lSS3 a commission tariff was passed,
which remained in force until Oct. 9Th,
1880. when the Mckinley bill took its
place. This bill continued in force until
the present noHlisScrjpt supplsnted IL.
The reader will see that schedules fire.
quently need revising 10 the interest of
labor; that while il appears TO protect
manufacturers, We forget that every adj
ditional factory employs laborers, and
these laborers must be fed, clothed and
housed. will refer 70 only one indus
try which started under the Mckinley
tariff, the manufacture Of tin plate.
Like young giant, it forged TO the
front. and is bound 10 succeed and sup
ply in time our own market.
T.. W. WOODBURY..