The Washington herald., 1909-03-16
By FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

tecting" home industries. Nearly all OF
the other States had similar laws, though
the idea was not set forth as boldly in
the preambIes ss In the case OF PennsyI-
vanis- Tariffs had existed from the be-
ginning OF the English colonies The
charter Ct the Virginia Company autho--
lied a tariff Of 21z per cent against prod
Ucts importd by British subjects and 8 per
cent against those Of foreigners.
Massachusetts levied the first prohibi-
tive tarih. Il was not intended for pro
lection" from outside dangers. however.
but those inside the body polite Il vas
held that extravaganza was wrong. and
IN order 20 enforce simple livinE. urohibs-
tive duties were laid on the importation
OF those things regarded as an extrava-
gance- Among the items prescribed as
dispensabIe by the forefatherS were such
luxuries as silk and velvet. This seems
. 20 have been the first prohibitive tariff
ever levied in the United States Il was
repealed in 1895
Virginia went a step further. and levied
a pr0hibitive tariff for the protection OF
the public morals TIE importation OF
sugar and rum had been carried on SO
rapidly that the Virginia house OF bur
gesses decided IL a menace to The. morals
OF the colony. and promptly put I'd the
tari1 bars against II. In 1852 NIassachu-
setts passed what was probably the frsr
really protective tariff ever enacted in
America Il was set forth I'm the pre-
! amble that the tariff was ITO uphold her
( own staple products. in later years
I Virginia protected herself against the i'm
po-tatiOns OF North Caroline tobacco
some Of the colonies levied tariffs 10 en-
courage stock breeding az home Il IS 70
be said however that ~ no instance did
these duties ever 90 as high as the tar
i1s have all gone since the civil war.
Some Of the colonies levied export duties
as well as import duties For instance.
Connecticut wanted 10 husband her SIN
ply Of lumber. and therefore SCI q high
duty on all such expectations Even New
Jersey, which had declared for free trads
50 far as importatiOns were concerned
I levied export duties on the products OF
I the forest.
Conditions have changed nightly since
those times. Where New Jersey WAS
I then free-trace colony, South Carolina
7 was FOR high tariff IN the development
/ OF general tariff schedule the Palmetto
State went the farthest. A larEe num-
I Der OF articles were taxed. and the rates
/ were higher than elsewhere The usual
duties % eli the colonies were IN the
I shape or ad valorem duties OF from
I 10 per cent In great many Instances
I there were frauds from Uudervaluation.
/ and specific duties gradually succeeded
7 the ad valOrem duties The duties were
/ not always collected II IS said that II
I the officials az the port OF New York
I were able 20 collect the required duty
/ on One-ffth OF the dutiable goods they
/ thought they were doing well
The women OF the colonies took
! strong hand IN the matter OF cutting OF
/ impOrtatiOns from England. When the
/ imports and exports FOR the Confedera-
| ton period were reckoned, Il was found
/ that the imports had exceeded the ex-
I ports BY an amount equivalent 70 SIS per
/ capita This. OF course. called for the
I expectation OF that amount of specie.
I When the women saw the circulating
medium dwindling 10 such an extent they
did not sit around weeping, because they
Z had no money 20 buy the foreig~ crea-
/ tions OF fashion. but declared that they
would wear homespun. The ladies' ot
Hartford. Conn. took the lead, and we're
/ Immediately followed by those OF Halifax,
/ y c These were followed by the won
en- OF other States. and soon the ladies'
OF the whole Confederation had taken
1 the pledge 10 retrench IN their domestic
] expenses. and 10 give preference 10 home
made goods at all times.
Not 10 be oUtdOne BY patriotic women.
the men began 10 organize similar as
( sOciatiOns Richmond led OF with a
strong movement. and was soon followed
I by Boston and Germantown. Penusyi-
vania soon became the foremost OF all
/ the colonies IN this movement. Their
! favorite theme was not 50 much the ex-
travaEance OF foreign purchases but the
I encOura cement Of home industries II
Massachusetts was the pioneer IN advo-
eating this principle. Pennsylvania was
the leader in the movement. And while
I New Jersey has Veered around from free
] trade 70 protection. Pennsylvania has
! has ever remained the worlds stanchest
advocate OF the protective system.
(Copy-ight. Isos. By Frrde7ic J. Haskin)
TO-mOrrOw-America Tariff Laws,
UI-The First Federal Tariff.
I