Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-10-01
HISTORY OF AMERICAN TARIFFS

HISTORY OF AMERICAN TARIFFS.
In the two previous articles on the
History of the American Tariffs" the
conditions prevailing throughout the
country under the first free trade and
the first protection eras have been out
lined. The changing of the tariff in
1915 marked the beginning of the sec
ond free trade epoch, the law at that
Tune adopted remaining in effect until
S24. In this year protection was again
restored and until 1888 the country
again enjoyed the benefits of it's re-
gime.
| 1t has already been shown that I'M
der the protective measure of 1889 and
the amendment of 1912, even though
| the country passed through period
of war. all American industries and
general business prospered to an ex--
tent never previously known, all the
working people were profitably en-
| ployed, and the farmers were enjoy
ing the full reward of their labors In
1916, however, there came a revolution
of feeling, inexplicable but such as at
times has been experienced in the his
tory of this country. The protective
law of 1889 and the amendments of
| 1872 We're repealed. Some of the leg
| islatOrs Of that time claimed that it
was the object to retain certain fea-
lures of protection, but the bill enact
ed contained greatly reduced sched-
ules that proved totally inadequate to
conserve to the best interests of the
people of the United States. The bit
ter experience of the next few years
demonstrated the fact that inadequate
protection was practically as .disas--
trous as free trade. Added to the
weakness of the bill in this particular
there was combination of circum--
stances which augmented the disaster
which followed the change in the tariff
laws.
During the war England had been
deprived of the American markets and
at its close found it's warehouses burst
ing with unsold products of it's fac
tories Compelled to relic on itself
during this period industries of all
sorts had sprung up in America that
supplied the wants OF it's people for
manufactured articles. Britain want
ed to recover the American market for
| itself and at the same time destroy the
| factories which had sprung up in all
parts of the country. This object is
shown in the staten ent of Mr. Brough-
man in the house of commons in
1916:
at is well worth while to incur
loss on the first expectation, in order,
by the glut, to stifle in the cradle those
infant manufactures in the United
States which the war has brought into
existence"
To this end her merchants flooded
the states with their accumulated
wares, which were sold far below cost.
The tariff law of 1916 proved totally
inadequate as a barrier against this
inundation. Great depression in all
| lines of business followed. Working
men were thrown out of employment
and in comparatively short time the
distress had become general. Property
was almost valueless. There were no
sales except those of the sheriff There
| was no market for the products of the
farm. The cry of distress went up
| from all parties of the country and de-
mand for relief was proclaimed at the
doors of the legislatures, state and ma
| tional.
In 1918 an amendment to the tariff
was enacted, but this merely imposed
duty on few articles that previously
were free and did not furnish any re-
| lief. A vivid picture of this period is
given by Horace Greedy:
cat the close of the second war with
England peace found this country
dotted with furnaces and factories,
which had sprung up under the pre-
carious shelter of embargo and war.
| These, not yet firmly established,
found themselves suddenly exposed to
a relentless and determined foreign
competition. Great Britain poured
her fabrics, far below cost upon our
markets in perfect deluge. Our man
ufaItures went down like grass before
| the mower, and our agriculture and the
wages of labor speedily followed. FL
nancial prostration was general and
the presence of debt was universal. In
/ New England fully one-fourth of the
| property went through the sheriff's
mill and the prostration was scarcely
less general elsewhere. In Kentucky
| the presence Of debt was simply in
i lDleTdDle. III VIEW IOTk Gu6 ledulIlS
merchants in 1917, united in memor.
j ial to congress to save our commerce
. as we'll as our manufactures from ut
ter ruin by increasing the tariff du
ties"
1t has been estimated by eminent
authorities that the depression in the
value of property under that state OF
things was fifty per cent. For several
years this dire state of affairs contin
ued until the people driven to despera
i ton would endure it no longer and in
j 1924 congress passed new tariff
measure, in response to general de
mand for strong protection law. Yet
notwithstanding this demand the bill
was. vigorously opposed in congress.
j But the champions of protection
were active and among the most earn
J est was Andrew Jackson, then a Unit
ed States senator and now one of the
patron saints of the democratic party
In speaking on the policy Of protection
at this time he said:
i Providence has filled OUR mountains
and our plains with minerals and civ
en- us climate and soil for the grow
4 ing of hemp and wool These being