Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-03-26

The second act of congress ever signed
by president of the United States was
the tariff act of 1889. George Washing
ton put his signature to it on the Fourth
Of July that year. and it was popularity
styled 1.-THE second declaration of indie
pendence." The first clause of this act
to be passed upon by congress was that
relating to rum, the making OF which
was encouraged to a degree that would
not be approved by the temperance senu-
ment of today. After the house got
through legislating on rum it took up
molasses, which was then more of raw
material for rum-making than an article
of diet. Having finished the considera-
ton of that product, the next items
brought UP were malt and beer. leader
started the debate by remaking; II the
morals of the people were to be I'M
proved by what entered into their diet,
| it would be prudent for the natlonal
legislature to encourage the manutac-
ture of beer"
The debates on the different schedules
reveal as wide a divergence OF views III
that day as there is now, after nearly
century and a quarter of debate and DIS
cussion. Congress was late in getting 10
work 1t had been called to meet IN
New York on March 4, 1889, yet 1t was
| April l before the house could muster
quorum. and April before the senate
| had a majority of it's members present
It was therefore one month and two days
| late in starting the wheels or leglsia-
ton of the national government.
|
| Two DAVIS later James Madison brought
in his tariff bill. 1t provided specinc
duty for spirituous liquors, wines, teas,
snFars. pepper. cocoa and spices, and ad
vaiorern duty on other imports. There
was a small free list. The bill was laio
\ over until the next day, when MT
/ Fitzsimmons got his name down as one
| ~ the first speakers on the tarin In the
| congress of the United States he WANT
| ed to have the law modeled AFTER 'iie
| pennsylvania idea,' just as some hepuD-
lIcans some years ago declared Loa "a
Iowa idea" This led to an extenoeo
General debate. In the committee OF
the whole house on the state OF the
union. the rum, molasses, and mat
| IIC,,or duties were first Professionally set
+Iad Then came tallow candles. south
! Carolina opposed "a tax on light, wMch
was placed at two cents pound inns
onposition did not prevail, however, ana
the rate was made two cents pounu'
|
When the steel clause came up Tor
,orsIderation. Mr.. Lee, of Virginia, OPP
Doeed n. He said that it would be I'M
possibIe to supply the country with nome
A1wy
made steel, and that consequently
| a. No,,ob+ not to be taxed more than 0
nar cent AT the outside. Mr.. Tucker OF
south Carolina, thought that Dounly
| was the thing for steel, while MI Sly
mer, of Pennsylvania, thought INC
I'nt,+ r. he duty. and said that he
! law Of one furnace in Philadelphla
-,rjcb had been made to produce 30 TONS
a wear where 1t had produced only lou
| toms before He attributed the lhcfease =
oI,tn,t to the practical application OF the
| e.pennsvlvania idea" He thought tnat
Nth little more announcement II
might be able to supply all tne s'eei
needed in the United States
|
The cordage and hemp duties resu re u
In wide debate on raw materials. Inc
lNTaru england members rose up in arms
| AGAINST these duties, as they salo II
would hurt the shipbuilding industry ana
Iopnosed them as earnestly as they hdo
fought the tariff on rum and molasses,
IN6ossachusetts. the leading New England
influence. traded low grade fish for rum
and molasses from Jamaica, ana was
heartily opposed to any RESTRICTION OF I'M
ports from the West Indies. II was put
another evidence of the clashing OF IN
terests that has characterized all tarin
debates from then to now. The duty on
Icordage passed through the support OF
the southerners, who were given duty
on hemp.
When spikes, nails, tacks, and brads
came to be considered, the south was in
deposition and New England in support
of a duty. Mr.. Amos, of Massachusetts,
drew a fine picture of the industry as be-
ling 'prodigiously great" He showed how
every country kitchen had its forge, where
all hands, big and little, spent the long
winter evenings making nails. The diff
iferences were finally compromised by
placing a specific duty of one cent d
lpound on nails, etc. After this came salt.
Here again sectional interests were in
conflict, but a compromise of six cents
bushel was the result of the debate.
|
When the duty on coal came to be dis
cussed Virginia was at the forefront in
advocating it. That state then included
the present state of West Virginia, and
Mr.. Blanc declared that there were mines
in Virginia capable of supplying the de-
mands of the whole country ''if some re-
straint was laid on the importation of
foreign COAL"
In those days legislative procedure was
not up to its present state of refinement.
and after the house had thrashed out the
entire question in committee of the whole,
it all had to be gone over again in the
house itself. Here rum, molasses. and
malt liquors again came in for first con-
isideration. Massachusetts was once more
heard in opposition, Mr.. Thatcher saying
it would be no fairer to the south for
him to ask an impost of fifty dollars a
head on slaves, than it was for the
southern members-to support the proposed
duty on rum and molasses. He held that
/ the effects of Massachusetts rum were
mo more pernicious than South Carolina