The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-09-02
"J.S.C. !" TELLS THIS
Mr.. Clarkson's Sketch of the Growth
of the Protection Idea
in Iowa.
How Senator Allison and Others Saw
the Light-Genesis of the
Mckinley Bill.

Frens ne y.sr,.ss n"reo''' Room 49, fo''
Washington, Sept. 1.-The present day
leadership of Iowa in the tariff reform
movement within the republican party
lends interest to the story which James
S. Clarkson tells. In a review Of the
life of Colonel George c. Tichenor Of Iowa
in the Register and Leader of Des Moines
he asserts that in 1873 both parties in
Iowa were fairly on the side of free trade
Senator Grimes, whom he describes as the
great intellectual leader Of the repub-
lican party" was virtually a free trader,
and was training Allison and other re-
publican pupils Of the day in that direc-
ton. The republican platform in Iowa
| for several years had been either silent
on this question or else had declared the
party as being in favor of a tariff for
revenue only Clarkson relates that
| when his family bought the Register his
father imposed but one condition upon
it's editorial policy and that was that
| 1t should advocate the policy of protec-
ton. The young man asked: What Is
protection? Is it not dead so far as Iowa
and the west are concerned?" Clarkson
| adds that a study of the subject made
him thorough believer in protection
"1n all it's unselfish and patriotic phases,
| although never then or since in it's greed
Ter and more mercenary forms"
Because Of its devotion to protection,
! the Register supported Judge Wright, an
old whfg, who was for protection, for the
senate against Allison, who was for rev.
enue tariff. Clarkson relates that Judge
| Wright, In replying to the notification of
| his election raised such a storm by de-
! laring for protection that a large number
or the republican members of the legis-
lature united in a letter to him saying
that they would not have voted for him
II they had known that he was a pro-
| tect1onist. Judge Wright stood by his
| however no or r.
ard was thus firmly planted in Iowa
and Its adherents thereafter rapidly grew
IN number and power. BY the next
senatorial contest the Register supported
Allison because he had in the meantime
| been converted to protection by the
| change Of sentiment in congress-" OF
Ttchenor himself, the subject of the ar
t1cle, Clarkson writes that although a
protectionist, the more he investigated
| the subject in all its bearings and con-
sequences that more judicial and con-
SENTATIVE he became" He never allowed
himself to be used by greedy interests
In pampering up schedules by which
| the government could be made to guar
antee great interests a profit Of so or
| 100 per cent, but always held an even
| balance between protection greed under
republican rule and free trade reckless
ness on insanity under democratic rule
In the same article Mr. Clarkson re-
Veals some very interesting inner history
concerning the authorship Of the McKin-
ley tariff. 1t will be recalled that Colonel
T1chenor, who was one of the general
appraisers in New York at the time of
ms oeatn' had Tor ten years been spe-
cial agent of the treasury, spending much
OF his time studying customs and admin
istrative tariff laws here and abroad. It
is said that no American official ever
gained such an insight into the tariff
systems OF Europe as he. Secretary Fair
fircf
ton, commissioned him, although a repub-
lican, to investigate the customs service
of New York. - :;
But 1t was In the last session Of congress
OF the first Cleveland administration that
Colonel. Tichenor accomplished the task
whlch MIR: Clarkson now emphasizes. Fol
Senator Allison of his own state he pre-
pared tariff bill to be offered as q
republican substitute for the democratic
Mills bill which was then before con.
gress. This measure, somewhat modified
was finally agreed upon as the bill >o1
the republicans of the senate. Ticheno1
believed that whoever got the credit fol
the protective tariff act that the mex
republican congress was sure to pass
would, on the strength of popular identi
tcat1on with the issue, be made presiden
OF the United States, and he desired thi.
honor for his lifelong friend, Senator
Allison. But there was no tariff legis
lation in that congress, and when in thu
next, in the Harrison administration. thu
: time came for action Mr.. Mckinley, a:
, Mr.. Clarkson says, had the good lucl
y to be defeated for the speakership b,
= Mr.. Reed and to become chairman O.
the ways and means committee.''. Clark
son AYERS that the Tichenor- Allison bill
I so closely resembles the Mckinley &C
of 1890 that Comparison of the tariff
. bill as finally presented in the house b,
Q Mckinney, from the ways and means com
mittee, with the original Allison bill, will
show to anyone who cares to examin
, into 1t that the two bills vary but slight,
and only in the fact that the Allison
measure was a, little more conservative
IN Its rates of duty" Clarkson thu
) I>claims for Tichenor the credit of pre-
pairing the bill which subsequently mad
Mr.. Mckinley president of the Unite,
States. w. w. Jermane