Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-03-31
AMERICAN TARIFF LAWS.
LE-CoIoniaI Tariff Laws
BY FREDERIC j. HASKXN

so far as those early days were con-
cerned.
There Were good times just after the
Revolution. The money England nau
spent In the prosecution OF the war mao
remained in the colonies; also that
raised by France to help the patriot
cause along. Consequently the colonies
experienced that strange paradox Oh
having passed through devastating
war, and at its close having more
money than at anyltim before It's pc
of the latent tastev for English gew-
gaws," and It was not long before the
heavy expectation of specie left the ma
ton practically shorn of funds.
This was the state of affairs when the
constitutional convention met. Tnat
body deliberated q long time over the
revenue clause, and some of the earlier
drafts seem to indicate that congress
was to be given the right to law duties
against imports for the sole purpose OF
raising revenue. But the later drafts,
along with the final one, changed the
punctuation. Hence the constitution
turned upon the placing OF a coma.
There is perhaps no comma In history
that has turned the scales OF national
policy more completely than the one
put into the revenue raising clause by
the makers of the constitution.
That the convention was cognizant
of the protective tariff idea is shown
by the fact that Pennsylvania then
had on her statute books a tarin law
for protecting home industries. Near
ly all of the other states had similar
laws though the idea was not set forth
as boldly in the preambles as in the
- TDAxa cxyl xy0f
listed from the beginning of the Eng
lish colonies. The charter of the Vir-
ginia company authorized tarfm OF
21h per cent against products imported
by British subjects, and 5 per cent
against those of foreigners.
Massachusetts levied the first pro-
hibitive tariff. 1t was not intended Tor
''protection" from outside dangers,
however. but those inside the BODY
polite. It was held that extravaganza
was wrong, and in order to enforce
simple living prohibitive duties were
laid on the Importation OF those things
regarded as an extravaganza. Among
the items prescribed as dispensapie by
the forefathers were such 1uxuries as
silk and velvet. This seems TO nave
been the first prohibitive tarin ever
levied in the United states. 1t was -
pealed in 1886.
The women of the colonies took a
strong hand in the matter OF cutting
off importations from England. Wnen
the imports and exports for the con-
federation period were reckoned, 1t was
found that the imports had exceeded
the exports by an amount equivalent 70
SIS per capita. This, of course. called
for the expectation of that amount or
specie. When the women saw the cir
culating medium dwindling to such an
extent they did not sit around weep
ing because they had no money to buy
the foreign creations of fashion. but
declared that they would wear home
spun. The ladies of Hartford, Conn.
took the lead and were Immediately
followed by those of Halifax, N. c.
These were followed by the women OF
other states, and soon the ladies of the
whole confederation had taken the
pledge to retrench In their domestic ex-
penses and to give preference to home
made goods at all times.
Not to be outdone by the patriotic
women, the men began to organize
similar association. Richmond led on
with strong movement, and was soon
followed by Boston and Germantown.
Pennsylvania soon became the foremost
of all the colonies in this movement.
Their favorite theme was not so much
the extravaganza of foreign purchases
but the encouragement of home indus
tries If Massachusetts, was the pioneer
in advocating this principle, Pennsyl-
vania was the leader in its develop
ment And while New Jersey has
veered around from free trade to pro-
lection, Pennsylvania has ever re-
manned the worlds staunchest advo-
cate of the protective system.
Copyright 1909 by Frederic j. Haskin)
Tomorrow-American Tariff Laws.
UI-The First Federal Tariff.