Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-04-06
AMERICAN TARIFF LAWS
TX Wing Tariff of 1872
BY FREDERIC u HASKEN

it was not expedient to turn 1t over
to the states. q
With this bill vetoed, congress set
to work to frame another. majority,
possibly, was in MOOD 10 pass sne
bill over Tylers veto, but FOUND thal
the necessary two-thirds In polh
branches could not be obtained. In the
preparation of the second act the re-
peal of the distribution proV1so was
again tied to ii, congress eviuently
thinking that the president would not
dare assume the onus of vetoing sec
ond bill. even If In approving 1t he
would have to provide for the repeai
of the inhibition against distributing
the proceeds of land sales to the
states. But in that, congress reckoned
without its host, for Tyler promptly
vetoed the measure. He TOOK the
ground that il was not proper TO uis-
tribute the proceeds of land sales 10
the states so long as they were needeu
to meet the current expenditures OF
the government and that the dlstrlDu-
ton act itself had provided for Just
that contingency. Therefore, he held'
congress could not intimidate MN INTO
signing a repeal OF that provision by
attaching such repeal as rider TO q
tariff measure.
The anger aroused in congress by the
secret service messages OF President
Roosevelt was only a mild form OF
irritation beside the wrath of the
Twenty-seventh congress at this sec
ond veto from President Tyler. Ex-
IRENE measures we're resorted TO. Jonn
Quincy Adams, who had not got along
any too well with congress when ne
was president, was now MEMBER Oh
that body, and was made chairman OF
the committee that was to apply the
congressional slipper to the refractory
president. The committee went so far
a g n a
ment permitting congress to override
a veto by majority vote. 1t also held
that Tyler should be impreached. Tyler
sent in a protest, which was treated
with studied disdain. Meanwhile,
enough votes could not be secured to
override tine veto, and the second tariif
bill passed by the Twenty-seventh
congress was retired to the limbo of
laws that might have been.
The period that followed was one
of the stormiest ever witnessed In the
congress of the United States. SO
closely drawn were the lines of bat
tie that almost a hair turned the bal
ance. 1t was first planned to divest
the vetoed measure of the Objectionable
rider repeating the proviso against
distribution of the proceeds of land
sales, but there were Wings who pre-
ferred no tariff at all rather than one
which prevented the distribution of the
were Democrats who would rather see
things remain in their upset condition
than have congress pass a tariff law
which Tyler could sign. However.
there were patriotic members of both
parties who labored strenuously to
pass a proper tariff measure-and after
repeated defeats they were finally able
to score the ultimate victory.
The expedient by which the vetoed
tariff bill was finally got before the
house again was to divest 1t of the
distribution, clause, and then offer 1t
as a substitute for some unimportant
measure of another nature that was
pending. Such a narrow margin be-
tween the two forces in congress has
seldom been seen. There was the Wild
est confusion. The vote on engrossing
the bill was announced to be, yeas 100.
nays 101. On the veriflcation of this
vote 1t was found to be "a tie. Speaker
White, Kentuckian, thereupon voted
no." and declared the bill rejected. A
reconsideration was moved and ordered,
by a vote of 106 to SO. Again the ques-
ton of engrossment was voted on and
it was-carried by vote Of 103 to 102.
The speaker again exercised his right
to vote, which produced a tie, and he
declared the bill rejected. Then
member who had not voted, claimed
the right to do SO and voted in favor
of engrossment. Another followed
suit, and the bill was declared passed
by a vote of 105 to 1903.
After a number of amendments were
tackled on by the senate the vote on
engrossing the bill was taken and
stood "a to %. That was the test
vote. This is probably the only time
in the history of the country that any
measure of such importance ever got
through on so close a margin. The
change of single vote at either end
of the capitol would have prevented its
passage. The house accepted all of
the amendments of the senate, and the
act was promptly approved by the
president.
Copyright, 1909, by Frederic J. Haskfn)
Tomorrow-American Tariff Laws.
X-Walker Tariff for Revenue Only.