The Washington herald., 1909-03-17
By FREDERIC ]. HASKTN.

The second act Of Congress ever signed
by a President OF the United States was
the tariff act Of I7S9 George Washing
ton put HIS signature to it on the Fourth
Of July. that year, and il was popularity
styled The Second Declaration Of In
dependence. The first clause of this act
10 be passed upon By Congress was that
relating 10 rum. the making of which
was encouraged to a degree that would
not be approved by the temperance senti-
ment OF to-day. After the House got
through legisls-ing on rum II took up
mOlasses. which was then more Of a raw
material for rum-making than an article
OF diet. Having finished the considera-
tiOn Of that product, the next items
brought up were malt and beer. A leader
started the debate by remarklng: If the
morals Of the people were TO be i'm
proved by what entered into their diet
it would be prudent for the national Iegis-
Iature TO encourage the manufacture Of
beer"
The debates on the different schedules
reveal as wide a divergence Of views IN
that day as there is now. after nearly a
century and a quarter OF debate and dis
cussiOn- Congress was late in getting to
work. It had been called TO meet in New
HOrk on March 4. 17S9. yet il was April
before the House could muster a quorum,
and April before the Senate had a ma
jOrity Of its members present. Il was.
therefore, one month and two DAYS late
in starting the wheels Of legislation Of
the national government.
Two days later James Madison brought
in his tariff bill It provided a specific
duty for spirituous liquors. wines. teas.
sugars, pepper. cocoa, and spices, and ad
valorem duty on other imports There
was a small free list. The bill was laid
over until the next day, when a Mr..
Fitzsimmons got his name down as one
Of the first speakers on the tariff in the
Congress Of the United States. He wanted
10 have the law modelled after the Penn
sylcania idea" just as some Republicans
some years ago declared for the Iowa
idea" This led to an extended general
debate. In the Committee of the Whole
house on the State OF the Union, the rum.
molasses, and malt liquor duties were first
Professionally settled Then came tallow
candles. South Carolina opposed "a tax
on light" which was placed at 2 cents
a pound This opposition did not avail.
however, and the rate was made 2 cents
a pound.
When the steel clause came up for con-
stderation, Mr.. Lee. Of Virginia, opposed
It He said that It would be impossible
TO supply the country with homemade
steel. and that consequently II ought not
70 be taxed more than per cent at the
outside. Mr.. Tucker. Of South Carolina,
thought that q bounty was the thing for
steel while Mr.. Clymer, Of Pennsylvania,
thought there ought TO be duty. and said
that he knew Of cne furnace IN Phila-
delphia which had been made to produce
go tons a year where it had produced only
$50 tons before. He attributed the IN
creased output to the practical application
OF the Pennsylvania idea" He thought
that with q little more encouragement Il
might be able to supply all the steel need
ed IN the United States.
The cordage and hemp duties resulted in
a wide debate on raw materials. The New
England members rose Up in arms against
these duties. as they said IL would hurt
the shipbuilding industry. and opposed
them as earnestly as they had fought the
tariff on rum and molasses. Massachu-
setts, the leading New England influence,
traded low grade fish for rum and mo-
iaSSSS rum SaAIS4Cdr anu was Aedrtlly Op-
posed 70 any restriction of imports from
the West Indies. It was but another evil
dence Of the clashing OF interests that
has characterized all tariff debates from
then 10 now. The duty on cOrdage was
passed through the support Of the South
erners. who were given a duty on hemp.
When spikes. nails. tacks. and brads
came TO be considered the South was in
opposition and New England in support
OF a duty. Mr.. Amos. Of Massachusetts.
drew fine picture OF the industry as be-