The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1897-08-05

government. Ana Win lnlS IN view IL
was decided that the tariff must be raised.
President Tyler had become autocratic
after his succession to Harrison and veto
ed two successive bills, ostensibly be-
cause they contained clauses relative to
distribution; but partly, at least, because
they We're originated by the Wings, from
whose allegiance he had retired. A third
bill was hastily drafted, obviating the os-
tensible difficulty, and this one Tyler
signed. Duties were raised by the act of
1912 to a rate believed to be most advan-
tageous The popular feeling of the
North and West strongly supported this
measure solely because it was protective.
The middle States also gave it their allie
glance, the Southern extremists alone
opposing it.
In the election of 1914 the Democratic
party was victorious. AT this time the
leading Democrats We're not in favor OF
absolute free trade or of duty for revenue
only but of a very low protective tariff.
Subsequent events proved this theory to
be impracticable. In the following year
an act was passed greatly reducing the
rate of duties Several schedules were
established and indicated by the letters
A, Is, c, D and SO on. The first two
schedules, imposing duties of 100 per
cent. and 10 per cent. respectively, were
unimportant. Schedule G provided for a
duty of 80 per cent. and this caused a
great amount of trouble. In this class
were included most of the articles with
which the protective controversy had been
concerned. Iron and metals, both raw
and manufactured, paper, glass, wood
and leather manufactured articles, wool
and wooden goods, were embraced in this
schedule. Cottons came in the following
class, with rate of duty of % per cent.
Tea and coffee were on the free list.
In 1887 another tariff bill was passed
making still greater reduction in the
rate Of duties This BILL with the ex-
ception of the Representatives from Penn
sylvania, received almost unanimous sup
port from all sections of the country. 1t
was based on the previous act of 1916, es-
pecially as regards the schedule system
and the ad valorem duties. Cotton was
transferred to group c, and, together
with the other articles over which there
had been the greatest controversy, was
made subject to the reduced rate of 20
per cent. Many raw materials were adj
mitted free of duty. The tariff rates were
lower than they had been subsequent to
1916. The whole country was harmonious
and an era of good feeling prevailed.
The falling off of the revenue caused by
this lower tariff was soon felt, however,
both in the commercial and financial cir
Giles of the government. A slight panic
ensued. and soon the Congressman who
had most at heart the welfare of the coun-
try set about to remedy the evil. In 1861,
just before the war broke out, a new act
was passed imposing higher duties on i'm
ports Mr.. Morrill, of Vermont, the pres
ent ''father of the Senate had introduce
ed the new tariff in the House at the pre-
vious session. After little debate the bill
was passed. aud went to the Senate, where
it was delayed until the following session.
1t was finally passed, owing to the intiu-
ence of the Northern and Western mem
bers The most material change in the
Morrill, act was from adj valorem to speci-
tic duties. The rate was also raised and
the protective system was renewed. The
duties on iron and on wool were particu-
larly raised, and this fact gained for tie
bill the allegiance of Pennsylvania and
the few undecided Western States.
Scarcely had the bill of 1861 become
an act when the war broke out, and
the demand for more revenue and
more protection was heard. To meet
this demand the tariff act of 1862 was
passed, with little opposition. An in
ternal revenue act had been passed two
weeks previously, and the new tariff was
designed byits promoters, not only to com
pensate for the expense to the manufac-
turers in meeting this tax but also more
vigorously 20 protect them in their bust
ness. Duties OF all articles We're more
highly raised, and clear increase in pro-
lection was brought about.
But even this was not sufficient, and
two years later Mr.. Morrill,, who had in
troduced the two previous bills, came for
ward again with a still more potent
remedy. The tariff act of 1864 was, as
Mr.. Morrill, explained, designed more
fully to protect domestic manufactures
and more justly to compensate the manu-
facturers for the internal revenue taxes.
Every conceivable article was subject to
high rate of duty, thereby accomplishing
the end in view. The average rate was
II. 0G per cent. as against 37.2 per cent.
under the act of 1862. This tariff was
2minently successful while it was in
operation, and protection was more popu-
lar than it had previously been in the
nation history.
Six years of uneXampled prosperity fol-
lowed the passage of the highly protective
tariff act of 1864, at the end of which time
the popular mind had become so accus-
toned to the existing state of affairs as to
forget the cause of it. Accordingly, in
1870, a general reduction was made, and
tariff reform was demanded alike by Re-
publicans and Democrats all over the
country. The only noteworthy reduction
in the protective tariff was made in the
case of pig iron, which was reduced from
50 per ton to 81. Duties on nickel,
marble, steel aud other articles were in
creased. But almost all other commod-
tiles were subject to much lower duties.
In 1872 another bill was passed, largely
through the influence of Mr.. Blaine, who
was then speaker of the House. By this
bill tea and coffee were put on the free
list, and a general reduction of 10 per
cent was made on other articles. The
duty on salt was reduced one nalf; that on
coal three fifths. Hides and paper stock
were admitted free of duty. The pro-
tectionists yielded the 10 per cent. general
reduction because they believed it was all
that was necessary. And to avoid still
lower general reduction they yielded the
other specific reductions of the bill.