The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-13
TARIFF.
History or the Act Under which Customs nu
ties Wore Paid for Three Years.

History or tho Act Under which Customs Du-
ties Wore Paid for Three Years.
Speaking Of tariffs" said Assistant United
States Treasurer Joseph H. o'Neil Of Boston to
q Sun reporter the other day. did you ever
hoar of the snap tariff Of 1927 Not Well Tn
not surprised. but 1t is o fact not generally
known, that Senator Dawes Of Massachusetts
gave the country q tariff under which the reve-
nues were collected for about three years.
"The circumstances attending the prepare
ton and passage of this act, the Tariff bill of
1872. are among the curiosities OF legislation at
Washington. Ihave often heard Senator Dawes
tell the interesting story. AS l remember the
story, the Forty.second Congress convened on
March 4, 1871. James G. Blaine was elected
Speaker by Western votes. There was a good
deal Of talk about places, and a reso-
luton was offered requesting the Speaker to APP
point the committees at once. After consider
able discussion the motion was tabled, the
Speaker declaring 1t as his opinion that the
early announcement Of the committees by him
In the preceding Congress was premature. He
deemed 1t advisable to acuuaint himself with
the character of the members before placing
them. and hence he did not announce the COM
mites until the second session. which met on
Dec. 4, 1871. Mr.. Dawes, much to the sur
prise Of everybody, was made Chairman Of the
Ways and Means Committee.
1.-THE committee consisted Of nine members,
six Republicans and three Democrats. as fol-
lows: Henry L. Dawes Of Massachusetts. Horace
Maynard OF Tennessee. William d. Kelley OF
Pennsylvania, James Brooks OF New York. Gus.
tavus A. Finkelnburg OF Missouri, Horatio C.
Burchard OF Illinois. Ellis H.. Roberts OF New
York. Michael C. Kerr Of Indiana, and James b.
Beck OF Kentucky. Mr.. Dawes had never served
on the committee before, but Mr.. Blaine. who
had aaryad With him In many ropuraeaaa eperv
his ability and worth.
There were only two high tariff men on the
the committee. he allowed Mr.. Finkelnburg to
P TsRSF Of the the G ma,io Ss ns OF the hS' c oRRTGiHte or The fRs de- dc:
bate lasted for weeks. Mr.; Dawes taking very
Little Part Sr II Ri Ii FINALLY mn1iyt talk II . ended o and 4. The , vote
the enacting clause, the bill being unsatisfactory
to the high tariff men.
recommit, with instructions to report his bill
listing law. He sat down. forgetting to move the
previous question. when Mr.. Dawes. quick to
s1SstitutiP y his bill" biii. which iae nobody but himself
an s%S On On the !as sso a% nj sss.,I I'm $ }sss S Ia along S2s;r
nearer their ideal Of q tariff measure than the
II was carried. and tho Dawes bill was snbsti:
tuted for the Kelley act: A motion to recommit
diAteiy reported and It passed the House. When
II went over to the Senate there was a DISPOSE
ton to amend 1t materially, but the Senate was
told that 1t was the Dawes bill or no bill at all,
and 1t became a law ms 1t passed the House.
"The bill provided a horizontal reduction OF
10 per cent. on all dutiablc articles, and the
country prospercd under It until 1875. when itf
author. Mr.. Dawes, moved for Its repeal. The
Treasury. which in 1873 was OVERLOOKING
according to the report Of Secretary Boutwell,
that the revenues OF the Government exceeded
the expenditures by $40, OO0.o 900. was depleted
by the DAniC OF 1879. and Mr., DaweS's motion
for repeal was based on the ground that the aci
did not yield revenue enough"