Evening journal., 1909-07-31

voted on for final passage, over forty
Republicans who had grievances Of
one sort or another against certain Of
the provisions of the bill stated that
they would vote against It. They had
it In their power 10 defeat the meas
ure and force the president to call
another special session in September
or October. They had the party lead
ers plainly worried for a time, but
the able peacemakers at the capital,
including President Taft himself, sue
ceeded in calming the ruffied waters at
last.
HISTORY OF THE BILL.
The new tariff law will be known in
history as the Payne bill. taking its
name from the chairman Of the house
committee Of wars and means. the
Hon. Serene +. Payne Of New York,
who also had a part in framing the
Mckinley and Dingley acts. Actually
it should perhaps be called the Payne
Aldrich bill. as the chairman of the
senate finance committee has had quite
as much to do with debating it's final
provisions as Mr.. Payne. On this line
Of reasoning, however, there are those
who insist that it should be called the
Taft BILL as the hand Of the president
has been seen in all the moves that
have shaped it from the days of the
Republican national convention that
nominated him and adopted a plank
for tariff revision up until the hour of
the final fight in conference committee,
when the big man in the White House
made bis historic fight for free raw
materials and for carrying out the
promises Of the party.
II is the first time there has been a
change OF the tariff laws IN twelve
years. the Dlngley act having gone
into effect IN 1897 The inception Of
that law was strikingy like that Of
the present. In each case It was en-
acted by an extra session Of congress.
eaHed as the FIRST act OF an incoming
administration. More noteworthy still.
each Of these extra sessions was called
to meet on March 10. the first one
having been issued by William McKin-
ley Of Ohio, the last by William How
ard Taft OF Ohio
The Tariff Plank.
The agitation within the Republican
party for revision Of the Dingley
act has gone on from the days Of the
Iowa idea" until at last it eliminated
in the plank in the last Republican
platform beginning;
sgT,ho pnr,,blsoo,, ,,art,- dorforoe -,
equivocally for a revision of the tar
iff by special session Of congress i'm.
medlately following the Inauguration
Of the next president"
In his campaign on that platform
Mr.. Taft construed this plank as mean
ing revision downward point that he
insisted on in his speeches and finally
clinched in his inaugural address when
he said that conditions had so changed
relative to the Dingley act that they
will permit the reduction Of rates in
certain schedules and will require the
advancement Of few. IL any" That
meant revision downward, which was
recognized substantially by the house
bill. but was changed to actual re-
vision upward by the senate bill. IT.
was at this point that the president
quietly but firmly injected himself
into the fight in the conference be-
tween the two houses. the house stand
ing behind him and forcing the senate
to yield. The Payne bill in its present
fern is the result.
First Tariff Bill.
The first tariff bin enacted in the
United States was that Of the First
congress. The opening section OF that
bill stated that. I'm addition TO securing
money for the support Of the govern
ment, the tariff was adopted for "the
encouragement and protection Of man
ufactures." From that time political
parties of national scope have clashed
on the issue Of the tariff as 60 whether
or not it should be more than "for
revenue only"
The expenses Of the war Of 1912
necessitated a material increase in the
tariff, but an adjustment occurred two
years after the close Of the war
through ans act prepared by Henry
Clay.
In 1926 the tariff was jumped up a |
few pegs. and a year later 1t went
higher, from 81 to Al per cent
When. in 1882. a bill establishing a |
protective tariff policy was passed.
South Carolina refused to recognize |
the validity of the increased duties |
and threatened TO secede. President /
jackson had to dispatch a warship to
South Carolinaian waters.
A horizontal reduction OF the tariff |
took place in 1888. Twelve years later,
under Folks administration, a bill /
drafted by Robert J. Walker, secretary !
Of the treasury, was adopted, standing |
mildly for the protective policy. This /
bill lasted until 1857, when a reduction
to 20ls per cent occurred on the aver i
age duties. Actually free trade sys-
TEN, this low tariff proved adequate
<or all government needs until the out
break OF the civil war, when an in
creased income was necessitated.
Tho Morrill, Bill.
The Morrill, act Of 1861 increased
duties about one-third, and the tax
was extended TO include tea, coffee