The Washington herald., 1909-03-24
By FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

When the Twenty-ninth Congress met
the free traders were able 10 count
safe majority, and It was not long in
getting down TO the serious business of
revising the Whig tariff OF 1872 That law
had proved a great revenue producer. and
the Treasury was piling up too big a sur
plus for the financial health OF the ma
ton. The demands for revision Of the
tariff had been heard the year before, but
nothing in that direction was done by the
Twenty-eighth Congress-further than 10
discuss the matter in an academic way
a bill reducing duties was introduced, but
was promptly tabled by a vote OF 1O5 to 99
The election in 1874 was perhaps the
greatest -you-please race the coun-
try has ever seen. Polk had received the
nomination for President by the opera
ton OF the two-thirds rule in the Demo-
cratic convention. while Dallas thought
10 be a high-tarin man, was made his
running mate-in order 10 make sure Of
the Pennsylvania vote. Clay was the
Whig candidate and in protection centers
Polk was held UP as a better protection
tst than Clay. In Pennsylvania the Dem
ocratic rallying cry was Polk and Dali
las and the tariff Of 1S42." The Pennsyl-
vania Democrats even went so far as TO
assert that the tariff Of 1872 was Dem
ocratic measure. and the Wings were
dared 10 repeal II, transparencies in
torohlight professions showing this ehal-
lenge. On the other hand. the South
thought Polk a free trader. Polk and
Dallas were elected by a large majority
IN the electoral college. although they
failed to poll majority OF the popular
vote.
II the Pennsylvania people voted for
Polk and Dallas under the impression
that they were voting for the tariff Of
1912 they soon found out their mistake
About the first thing Polk did was TO sp-
point Robert J. Walker, a native OF Penn
sylvania. but a Senator from Mississippi
his Secretary OF the Treasury. He was
as much Of a free trader as ever John
Dalzell or Pig Iron Kelly was a protec-
ZIONIST And the first time Dallas was
called on 10 cast a deciding vote Il was
cast for free trade. Walker sent to
Congress his report. which is TO the free
traders what Hamilton's Report on
Manufacturers" is 20 proteetionists. He
should be collected from the people than
was essential 10 an economical adminis-
tratiOn or the government; that no duty
should be imposed upon any article above
the lowest that would yield the largest
amount OF revenue; that below this point
protection could be applied; that luxuries
Should pay the maximum duties and the
necessities Of the poor the minimum, and
that everything should be taxed on a
percentage basis, abOlishing all specific
duties.
This report was regarded as such a
notable paper that even the British
House Of Lords had Il reprinted for the
use Of Parliament II was a shock TO
the protectiOnists, especially those who
had voted for Polk on the assumption
that he was a better prOtectionist than
Clay They felt that Walker had offend
ed against the proprieties Of Office IN
using his annual report as a vehicle for
q preachment Of free trade doctrines. The
free traders responded that # was no
more than some Of his protection prede-
cessors had done.
When Congress got down TO its work
Of changing the tariff. the first thing
done was TO hear Srgument on resolu-
ton offered by Mr. Stewart, OF Pennsyl-
vania, 70 refer the tariff question 10 a
committee. with instructions that no
changes should be made in the tariff OF
1872. There was such little support given
10 this proposition that the proponent did
not press II &C a vote It would have
been like asking the Congress that made
the Dingley tariff bill 10 reafirm the VIII
son tariff.
The Ways and Means Committee re-
ported a tariff revision bill in due time
A Democratic Senator said In the course
Of the debates that the measure had been
drawn in the Office Of the Secretary Of
the Treasury. and that the committee
had merely fathered what others had
done The debate on the bill in the House
started on June Is and continued until
July g. Nearly all the speeches were of
the set variety, and few OF them con
tained a syllable that was new
There was one interesting passage in
the House debate. A Northern member /
had brought in statistics concerning saw
ings under the Whig tariff, showing how
the deposits in Massachusetts, savings
banks had increased. A Southern member !
was prompted thereby 70 make the charge
that the Northern free laborer made more
money out OF his labor than the South |
ern ssS-.:-E owner made out Of his slaves. |
and used that conclusion as a justihca-
tion Of slavery. and at the same time as /
proof that the tarin was so high that It /
practically robbed the Southern slave
owner Of the earnings OF HIS slaves labor. |
The Journey Of the measure through |
the Senatorial labyrinth was fraught with /
many incidents The high and low tariff |
forces were evenly divided. TO a man. The
Senator who had the deciding vote was
a prOtectiOnist who had been instructed /
by his legislature TO vote for low tariff
Senator Jarnagin. Of Tennessee. On
every possible preliminary motion he
voted with the protectionists. but when
It came 20 an essential vote he cast
his for low tariff. His vote referred the
bill to the Senate Committee on Finance
only a week before Congress was 70 ad- |
5ou-n. The report which that committee
was instructed TO bring in would have
taken more than a week TO prepare. It /
looked as II the measure were lost
The committee admitted IN the Senate |
the next day that It did not even open
a single paper in connection with the bin /
or dip a single pen in the ink to prepare |
the report, although II was called to-
gether at 5 O'Clock IN the morning for /
that purpose Thereupon a motion was 1
made to take the bill out Of the hands |
Of the committee and Immediately to con- |
slider It in the Senate. The Tennessee /
protectionist here decided that Il was 4
incumbent upon him TO vote for this /
motion. and It was carried. Then a SEQ /
ton Of the bill was stricken out. which