The Globe-republican., 1901-08-08
HE rs REMINISCENT.
SOME FOURTH OF JULY TALK
BY UNCLE SAM.
Tells How His Managers, from wash
fngton Mckinley Have Invarfa bly,
Succeeded with Protection Laws and
Failed with Free Trade


Fourth of July was a most appropriate
day for a good talk with Uncle Sam
The hearty and hale old gentleman
has been too busy of late to grant an
interview to any one, but a representa-
tive of the American Economist begged
an interview on the Fourth, and it
was granted I found him surrounded
by noisy pack of boys with their
frecrackers and pistols
Don't you mind the noise?"
asked.
BLESS you, no. he replied They
can't make too much noise on my
birthday This is the one hundred and
twenty-sixth Fourth of July I've cele-
brated, and in three different cen
turtles
There have been most wonderful
changes since your first celebration
I remarked.
ssWelI, I should say So Sometimes
I can hardly realize it. But it has all
come about so gradually and so natur-
ally that 1 have been ready for any
thing. 1 get reminiscent on a day like
this and can't help going back and
making comparisons. Just think or 1r,
there is not a person living that was
alive on that Fourth of July when the
old liberty bell rang out in Philadel-
phia Those We're stirring times, I tell
you During the Revolution from 1776
to 1871 and during the Confederation
from 1871 to 1889 I was an unruly kid,
like a boat without rudder, but IN
1889 1 got into long pants, and my
manager whom the people selected for
me was one of the greatest men that
ever lived. I realize more and more
what a general, what a statesman,
what a president Washington was
perhaps my most important birth
day anniversary was the Fourth of
July, 1889. It was on that day, you
know, that my congress passed its
first bill, and Washington signed it the
same day-a Protective Tariff bill
How well remember the preamble to
that law:
. Whereas 1t is necessary for the
support of the government, for the
discharge of the debt of the United
States, and for the encouragement and
protection of manufactures, that du-
ties be laid on imported goods, ETC.;
therefore, be it enacted, ETC.
And how well it worked! All my
early managers praised the act, and
called attention repeatedly to its
splendid results. Washington, Adams,
Jefferson Madison and Monroe were
all good Protectionists- And there
was no material change in the law till
1912, when the duties were nearly
doubled to provide money to carry on
Then came the Tariff of 1916, and
with it widespread ruin
But I thought the Tariff of 1916
was Protective Tariff I ventured to
remark.
1T was intended to be Protective,
but it was not. 1 have always found
that Tariff that is not Protective
enough is not Protective at all It's
either one thing or the other There
and low Pro-
lection It's either Protection or no
Protection.
We'll, the people got pretty tired OF
the first Free Trade period, but, after
a1I-it was, perhaps, a good lesson, for
in 1924 the boys gave me a Tariff that
was a Tariff. My, how things did
humI It was such success that in
1923 the boys increased the duties.
Andy Jackson, who was my manager
in 1882, said we were the happlest and
most prosperous country in the world
Wish he could see US now!
why was such an effective Tariff
so soon repealed, Uncle Sam 90 asked
Why? Just because a lot CT the
boys down South got notion they
wanted to go it alone 1 wasn't going
to have that, so the whole thing was
compromised in 1888, and good times
flew out of the window. You've read
of those times of course, and don't
need to say anything ABOUT IT. II Wds
! awful and it got worse every year
Why horses only fetched so cents, an6
| cows less 1 remember the boys had
| so little money they would tear a bill
/ into halves, quarters and eighths, Sc
| there would be enough to do bushes:
| with That lasted till 1910, when the
people gave me William Henry Har
i rison for a manager and Protective
| Congress- In 1912 Protection began
| again to bring prosperity, and in 1S4'
| my manager, Polk, although he was
| Free Trader, had to acknowledge tina
/ in resources and wealth and the hap
| by condition Of the people and in prog
| ress and greatness we were ahead o
| all other nations
| But there was trouble ahead
| don't want to say anything against an,
| of my boys, but some of them dow
| South were headstrong- The question
| of slavery began TO bother me. too
| Well in 1914 the people elected Poll
| for manager, and with him fellow b,
| the name of Dallas and I must admi
| that there was a little double deaIin4
| during that campaign It's all pas