The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1897-08-14
SENA TOR AENERY
PROTECTION

Senator McEnery in his speech
to the Choctaw Democratic Clut
attempted to justify his support O
the Dingley bill by asserting thai
protection to American industrie.
was 4 recognized system Of the
Democratic party which had re.
ceived the sanction and approba.
ton of such eminent Democrats
as Jefferson, Jackson and Calhoun.
Referring to Jackson he says
he thus gave emphasis to his views
in his second annual message:
s'The power to impose duties on
imports originally belonged to the
several States. The right to adjust
those duties with q view to the en-
couragement of domestic branches
of industry is 50 completely identi-
cal with that power that it is diff
cult to suppose the existence of one
without the other. They have dele
gated their whole authority over i'm
ports to the general government,
without Limitation or restriction
saving the very inconsiderable re-
servation relative to their inspec-
ton laws. This authority having
thus entirely passed from the States,
the right to exercise it for purposes
of protection does not exist in them
and consequently if it be not pos
sessed by the general government it
must be extinct. :,
From the foregoing i: will be
readily seen that General Jackson
merely stated that Congress had the
constitutional power to levy duties
on imports, but there is not a word
in the quotation to indicate that he
approved or recommended protec-
ton to American industries as a
proper governmental policy. In
his message to Congress of Dec. 4,
1882, in reference to this tariff,
Gen. Jackson said:
ssThe soundest maxims of
public policy. and the pr;nci-
pies upon which our Republican
Institutions are founded, rec
ommend proper adaptation of the
revenue to the expenditure, and
they also require that the expendi-
,ure shall be limited to what, by an
economical administration. shall be
consistent with the simplicity of
the government, and necessary to
use sufficient public service. In
affecting this adjustment, it is
due, in justice to the interests of
the different States, and even to the
preservation of the Union itself,
that the protection afforded by the
Y0H ~ ~ r>$
the National Industry, should not
exceed what may be necessary to
counterfeit the regulations of for
ply of those articles of manufac-
pendence and safety in time of war.
If, upon investigation, it shall be
found, as it is believed it will be,
that the legislative protection
granted to any particular interest is
greater than is lndispensably re-
quisite for these objects, recon-
mend that it be gradually dimin-
ished, and that as far as may be
with these objects, the
whole scheme of duties be reduced
to the revenue standard as soon as
\ just regard to the faith of the
government, ana to the Preserva-
lion of the large capital invested in
of domestic industry,
will permit.
''That manufactures adequate to
The supply of our domestic con-
would, in the abstract,
be beneficial to our country, there
IS no reason to doubt; and to eff
Eect their establishment, there is
perhaps, no American citizen who
would not, for a while, be willing
70 pay a higher price for them.
But, for this purpose, it is presumed
hat a tariff of high duties designed
Tor perpetual protection, has en-
'ered into the minds of but. few of
our statesmen. The most they had
is temporary and gen
.rally incidental protection---"
1t is therefore apparent that IN
reference to the tariff, to which
Sen. Jackson refers particularly, he