Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-09-29
REPUBLICAN STATE TICKET.
REPUBLICAN COUNTY TICKET.
HISTORY OF AMERICAN TARIFFS

ShpSl NiSoF uoIlH mCGtIO>
HISTORY OF AMERICAN TARIFFS
From Thursdays Daily.
Jerry Sullivan and his democrati,
supporters propose to make free trad,
their chief weapon in the campaign
this fall. They will attack and at
J tempt to break down the republican
policy OF protection that has stood a!
a safeguard to the interests of al
! American people. enabling them tt
enjoy the full rewards of their eff
forts. The destruction of this polio,
being the avowed object of the demo
cratic party it will be well for the
voters to review briefly the history Of
American tariffs that they may intel
ligently judge as to which policy has
been the most beneficial to the coun
try.
The tariff history of the United
States divides itself into five free
trade and five protection periods. 1t
is the record of this history that high
tariffs have always brought pros
perity to the people, while low tar
lifts, or free trade, have invariably re-
suited in unsettled business. condi-
tons, want and poverty to the peo-
pie. In this article the first free trade
period will be considered.
During the entire colonial period of
our history from 1920, commerce was
carried on under free trade rule and
especially under the confederation
from 1888 to 1881 at the close of
the Revolutionary war, was this prin-
ciple given a thorough test. The
shameful treatment accorded the col
onies by Great Britain is known to
all students of American history. Be-
ginning with 1899 parliament passed
q law prohibiting the shipment of
wool, yarn, cloth or wooden manufac-
lures of the English plantations from
any of the colonies under penalty of
forfeiting both ship and cargo, and
the payment of a $500 fine for each
offense. In 1882 parliament prohibit
ed the expectation Of hats from prov
ince to province. In fact throughout
the entire eighteenth century, Brit
ain sought, to conduct the commerce
of the colonies to her own benefit and
SO we'll did she succeed by her oppres-
siye and unjust measures that in It'll
the imports of the colonies exceeded
their exports by $1S,75O,O00, an i'm
mense sum in those days. The navi-
cation and kindred acts and their dire
effects on the colonists is known to
all Americans. 1t is no wonder that
the colonists rebelled and waged to
a successful finish the Revolutionary
war.
During the period of the confederation
(l7S3 to 1882 each state believed in it's
competency to regulate it's own COM
merce and each imposed such re-
strictions thereon, which it thought
would best enhance its own trade,
regardless of the effect upon its neigh
Dor. British merchants and manufac-
turers Sought to retain the markets
OF the new states and prevent the
establishment of factories to supply
home demands. They, therefore, flood
ed this country with their wares at
such prices that Americans with their
crude means of manufacture, could
not compete. AS a result of this
course in about three years. time near
ly all the money from the colonies had
passed into the hands of the British
erS.
Domestic industries were suspended
laboring men could get no employ
ment and were without money to buy
the necessities Of life, even though
they could be had at low prices. mer.
chants were forced into bankruptcy
and the farmers followed this great |
army into the whirlpool of general
disaster. Statesmen and economists
are generally agreed that the calamit-
BUS experiences of these years had
their beginning in free trade. An
eminent authority thus sums up the
causes of disaster in that period:
Free trade was the starting point.
It was quickly followed by imports in
excess OF exports; then by glut of |
foreign products; then by suspension
OF our own manufactures; then by |
gradual but complete loss of all our |
specie; then by the stoppage of most
of our business, then enforced idle
ness OF our laborers and artisans: |
hen by universal debt: then by |
crushing depreciation of real estate; |
-hen by positive inability on the |
part of nearly everybody to pay their
1ebts; then by general distress and
financial ruin; and finally by insurrec- |
ions and rebellions which threatened
destruction to the life and liberties OF
he nation.
Aroused by dire necessity our fore
athers OF that period came to the
'ealization that strong centralized
government was necessary IL they
we're to survive as q nation. True to
hese false doctrines Of English DO
itical economy, till they had been
,arried to the brink OF destruction,
hey had the good sense to see the in
'dYisability of holding to the teachings