The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1897-11-27

panic OF
, political revolution of 1910 giyfhg ell|
, reins OF government into the hand
of the wings. At that time the whig'
were protectionists of a pronounced
type, however the tariff was not mad,
an issue in the election of 1910, bu
, flushed by victory the party proceeded
to put its theories into practice
aud the whig congress of 1912 passed ;
protective tariff law, the first really
protective measure in the history O
the nation.
In the national campaign of 1884,
protection was made the issue, Henry
Clay, the then greatest apostle of pro-
lection, was the nominee of the whig
party. The democrats nominated
James K. Polk, and put forth a plat
form denouncing the tariff law of 1S42
and declaring for tariff for revenue
only, also favoring the annexation OF
+ Texas as slave state, measure most
unpopular in the North though ac-
ceptable to the South lat that time
there was very little manufacturing
in the South-cotton was king, but
in the North manufacturing was
making rapid advances. Nevertheless,
with all the opposition to slavery in
the 13 free states, on the tariff for
revenue issue, seyen of them gave
their electoral vote to Polk. Thus
emphatically repudiating the high
protective measure of1S42.
| Polk was elected by an overwhelm-
ing majority and with him a demo-
cratic congress, which in 1916 enacted
the Walker tariff-a revenue tariff as
demanded ip the democratic platform
| of 1844-and which remained virtually
unchanged until 1862, when the de-
mands of the civil war required in
| creased revenues and the "war tariff"
as it was termed, was enacted. The
Walker tariff proved adequate as a
revenue MEASURE supplying all the
means necessary for conducting the
government, and the census taken in
1850 shows the nation to have been
more prosperous under its workings
than at any other period. 1t was
popular with the people, and in his
Twenty Years in Congress" Mr..
Blaine says of it that it gave more
general satisfaction than any other
tariff law ever passed.
During the progress of the civil
war, and for several years thereafter,
the requirements of the government
were so great that the people sub
mitted uncomplainingly to increased
taxation. and in consequence tariff
duties were steadily increased, both on
lines of protection and for the pur-
pose of creating revenue. This con.
tinued until 1890, when the Mckinley
law was enacted. 1t was the highest
tariff ever enforced to that time, and
proved SO obnoxious to the masses,
that at the next congressional election
following it's passage, when the tariff
was made the issue (the republicans
endorsing and the democrats denourc-
ing the Mckinley law in their plat
forms) it was overwhelmingly re-
pudiated by the people, the democrats
carrying every state in the union, ex-
cept Maine. Vermont and Washington;
that is, electing majority of the con-
gresham at the election held in Nov
ember, 1890, gaining majority of $50
in the house, and defeating Mr.. Nc
Kinley. Again in 1892 the tariff was
made the issue, and again the people
expressed their disapproval of high
protection and burdensome taxation,
the democrats electing the president
and majority in both branches of tie
national congress.
The Wilson law, as it finally came !
from the senate, was not a fulfillment |
of the voice of the people expressed at |
the election of 1892, but mongrel OF |
of protection principles and revenue
measures-a tariff law as Mr.. Waiter
son very appropriately remarked that
a democratic dog wouldn't bark at. |
Imperfect as it was when it passed the
house, it was so ammended in the
senate as to foster trusts and mon
opolies, and had it been made the sole
issue in 1896 it would have been re-
jected by the people.
When the republicans again went
into power last March, their first act
was to convene, congress and pass
high protective measure that is now
on the statute books, and is even
more obnoxious than the Mckinley
law which was rejected by the people in
the elections of 1890 and '92. What
will the masses do with it at the next
Will they or will they not
endorse it? In connection with the
money question the Dingley law will
oe put on trial before the people at the
elections to be held next year. Will
not history repeat itself? Will not the
great masses, who must ere another
Tear shall elapse feel the effects of in
creased taxation arise and with their
7otes denounce the measure?