The Washington herald., 1907-12-01
As Non, the Tariff, Partic-
uiarly That on Paper, Was
an Issue in First Meeting
of Americas Lawmakers
Under the Constitution.
BY FREDERIC j. HAskIN.

slXtieth time. This new Congress VIII
serve two years, and will complete 120
years OF the history OF the United States
under the Constitution. The difference
between the assembling of the First Con-
gress and the Sixtieth Is the measure Of
the most wonderful romance that the un-
folding leaves Of history have yet re-
vealed TO man.
The First Congress met in New York
City on March 4. 1883 There We're bat
eleven States then, as Rhode Island and
North Carolina had not yet ratified the
new Copstitution. On that first day thew
were but eight Senators present and only
eighteen Representatives. Only i've OF
the States were represented. Circulars
were sent out to the absent members
fervent appeals were made. and many
pessimists believed that the new govern
ment would fail because a sufficient num-
Der Of men could not be persuaded 10 I'M
dertake the hardships Of a journey to
New York TO sit in Congress.
After four weeks a quorum was obtain
cd in the House, and that body was or
gRnized on April J. Five days later Rich
ard Henry Lee. of Virginia, arrived, and
made up the quorum of the Senate. The
Two Houses then met together and can
vassed the vote of the electors cast for
President and Vice President. George
Washington was declared unanimously
elected to the highest Office and John
Adams to the second place. Messengers
were dispatched to notify those gentle
men, and Congress bded its time and
talked.
Charles Thomson. the secretary. sent
TO notify Gen. Washington Of his election
reported to the Senate that he was much
impeded by tempestuous weather. bad
roads and the many large rivers 10
cross He accomplished the Journey
from New York 10 Mount Vernon in
seven days. The same journey now re-
quires six hours. while the notification
might be sent in the winking OF an eve.
Gen Washington set out for New York.
after taking two days to order the affairs
OF this estate. On April 30 he took the
oath of Office. and the government under
the Constitution was launched.
The Sixtieth Congress Will meet to-
morrow. and there will be a quorum In
both Houses Of the Senators and Repre-
sentatives from forty-six States. The ma
chinery Of Congressional procedure will
be running as smoothly as If there had
not been break for a century. There
Will be one new State delegation, Okla
Eoma, sending the largest number OF
Representatives ever sent by "A newly
admitted State. There will be some new
faces in both Houses. Wondering faces,
but the veterans are in the large ma
jority- There is no question of party
supremacy in the balance and the
minority viii protest nightly for public
consumption and then try TO save all il
can by courteous treatment Of the powers
that be.
The House and Senate will each grind
along, each viii have its say, and on the
disagreeing votes the measures Will go
10 the secret conference committee room,
where legislation is handled with the
rapidity Of chained lightning. The first
clash between the two houses of Con-
gress resulted in a victory for the House
Committees had been appointed TO con-
slider the question Of what title should
adhere to the Office Of the President. The
Senate committee. inclined toward arts
tOcracy. decided that he should be adj
dressed as His Highness, George Wash
ington, President of the United States
of America and Protector of Their Iibcr-
ties" The House. being nearer the plain
people and inclining toward democracy.
insisted that he should be addressed IN
all communications after this fashion:
ITO the President Of the United States"
Thus II is that the President has no title
or style OF dignity. Although he has fire.
quenty been addressed as His Excel
& "A 1T
the practice
The first bill introduced into the House
was a tariff bill The first public Gues-
ton discussed in Congress was the tariff
question. In every Congress the tariff
has been in evidence. sometimes in legis-
lation. sometimes only in talk It has
been ten years since Congress has been
permitted 10 do more than talk about the
tariff. and the edict has gone forth that
II viii not be touched at this session of
the siXtieth Congress. Yet it is prob
able that the Congress which assemblies
tomorrow. sometime during its career of
two years. will have the tariff as an acute
question. II it should by chance complete
a new tariff bill. that document would
much resemble an unabridged dictionary
in size.
The first tariff bin, as introduced by
Representative James Madison. was not
so complex 1t was sixty-six words in
length. and proposed specific duties on
liquors. sugars tea, coffee and cocoa,
and an ad valorem duty on all other
articles. But this simple tariff bill did
not stand, even in those simple days.
X was merely the basis TO he referred 60
a committee and there worked out The
committee. as has happened in times
more recent. did not hesitate 10 accent
aid and assistance from outside. and thus
il happens that the first tariff bill as It
passed was. in most part. the handiwork
OF Alexander Hamilton, Secretary OF the
Treasury.
Among the first petitions which came
TO the House of Representatives were two
on the subject of the tariff one from
Baltimore and one from Philadelphia. The
merchants aud tradesmen Of the Mary
land metropolis prayed TO Congress for
protective tariff upon all such manu-
featured articles as may be made in
America. The Pennsylvanians-an his
tory hath oft repeated itself-were more
specifically practical They prayed for
tariff schedule to protect the paper mill
industry from the pauper labor and more
abundant rags Of Europe This paper
tariff question was preci1itated in Con-
sress just two weeks before George Wash
ington took the oath of Office as the first
President Of the United States.
Again the Sixtieth Congress may bark