The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-07-22

Tariff Liquidation.
Now that the tarif bill has been passed
by the house and Is nearing It's adoption
by the senate. 1t is interesting to review
the history OF that class Of legislation
since the founding OF the republic by the
fathers OF the country. Prior to the
present Measure there have been eIgh-
teen important tariff acts, beginning in
the very earliest period Of the nations
existence in 1889. and even In that re-
mote period the principles of protection
advocated by the Republican party were
recognized in that act, specific duties be-
Ing levied on nails and other iron manu-
features. glass, curdage and hemp, In
dustEles that were then In their very In
cIpIency. The general rate OF duty i'm
posed by the act vas s per cent ad
yalorem. luxuries being taxed much
higher,
Twenty years elapsed before another
act was passed. In the meantime. says
the st. Louis Globe Democrat, In an ex-
cellent review of the tariff legislation OF
the country, the protective principle In
corpurated in the act of 1883 had been
growing steadily, among its most ardent
defenders being Calhoun, the great
southern commoner. The second bill,
passed In 1916. imposed an average duty
OF 20 per cent, but textile fabrics, at that
time in greatest danger, were protected
by a duty OF 20 per cent. In 1894 Henry
Clay became the great champlGn OF pro-
lection and another bill, which fosteFed
the growing, but somewhat feeble
industries of the land, was pass
ed. AS great as had been the
growth OF protection sentiment four
years later another measure became a
law which Imposed still higher duties, the
general ad valorem duty being 40 per
cent.
A new act was passed in 1882, which
abolished the miNlmum system which
had been Incorporated in the former act.
The rate on wooden goods In this measure
was fixed at 80 per cent ad valorem. The
following year the so-called compromise
act was passed. The Idea OF the act OF
1888 was gradually to reduce the rate OF
duty until in 1912 a general rate of 20 per
cent should be reached, which proved
disastrous to certain branches OF Indus
tries, the reduction In 1912 proving to
have been too sudden. A bill was passed
in that year which restored certain rates
In the election OF 1874 the Democrats
came into power and an inpractlcable
bill was passed the following year.. An
other bill making a still greater reduc-
ton in duties was passed in 1857.
This was followed by a panic in COM
merclal and financial circles, and 1t was
not until Just before the war broke out
that a new act was passed in 1861. The
material change in this measure was
from ad valorem to specific duties, and
in which the protective system was re-
newed. The armed conflict between the
north and south demanded more reve-
nue. and the act of 1862 was framed to
meet the extraordinary expenses OF the
government. The p|rolongatlon OF the
struggle between the states did not ease
matters, and still higher rates were nee
essary to meet the charges of the gov
eminent. and then 1t was that the meas
ure of 1864 was passed which imposed a
high rate of duty on every conceivable
article. The passage OF this act was fol-
lowed by unexampled prosperity, but In
1870 a general reduction was made, the
most noteworthy being in the rates for
pig iron from 50 to 81 per tor
In 1872 a further reduction was made
along all lines, but panlcky conditions re-
suited from this act, ndin1S75anactwas
passed restoring all duties to the place
a n-to. D., 1879 Tho not NJ