Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-03-17

!
the opinions OF eight millions OF free
citizens and the fortunes and dcstinieS
Of ten millions? Sir, | will not an
ticipate or forbOde evil. ! will not per.
nit myself to believe that the Presi
drncy OF the United States will ever
be bought and sold by this system OF
bounties and prohibition: hut l must
say that there are certain quarters OF
this Union in which ii a candidate for
tine Presidency were 10 come forward
with the Harrisburg Tarin in his hand.
lnothing could rcsist his prrtensions II
his adversary were opposed - this
unjust system OF oppression
Hamilton Not the Founder.
Although hamilton is usually cited
as the fO,nder OF the system. II really
began before him. The first tariff
bill was passed in 1889. As originally
reported it was a tariff for revenue on
w. Mr.. Madison. who reported II to
the House. was opposed TO protection
on principle. but he yielded in som"
particulars 70 the advocates OF that
doctrine. so that his bill became Il
tariff for revenue. with some slight
incidental protection. the average rate
| OF duty being eight and one-half per
| cent. ad valorem. All of our tariffs un-
| til 1876 were OF this sort. In their
| support the argument was made. on
which Hamilton had laid great stress
| in his report in 1871. that the compe-
titiOn OF domestic manufactures would
reduce the prices OF goods and pre-
vent anything like monopoly. He did
not foresrc the combinations of the
present da:. organized to do away
with competition.
The War of 1912 and the embargo
acts which accompanied it stopped
importation for the time being. hav-
ing the effect of prohibititory tariff.
When the war ended. the protected
classes were again subjected to the
competition which prior to the war
they had met successfully. They de-
manded more protection and obtained
it, The tariff was advanced first t.
81 IL per cent. average. and then by
leaps and bounds till 1928. when II
reached an average Of - per cent.
| The latter has passed into history as
the tariff OF nominations.
1T was followed By Clay's compro-
mise of 1889. which reduced duties 10
20 per cent. by slding scale extend
ing over a number OF years Mr..
Clay was during his whole public life
he standard bearer Of the "American
\ System" OF tariff protection. and l re-
call to you some words that he used
n a debate In the Senate in 1888. jus
1tifying his course in advocating this
tariff reduction. He said:
! NO one, Mr.. President, in the COM
mencement CT me protective policy.
ever supposed that 1t was to be per
petual We hoped and believed that
Temporary protection extended to our
infant manufacturers would bring
them I'D and enable them TO withstand
competition with those of Europe. If
the protective policy were entirely to
cease in 1912. it would have existed
twenty-six years from 1916. or eighteen
from 1924, quite as long as. al either
of these periods, its trends supposed
might be necessary.
He here voiced the then prevail
ing opinion of the country. that the
protected trades were no longer in a
state Of infancy. In fact. the infant
industry argument was then suppressed
! ed ir the pauper labor argument. 1t
was contended for the first time that
the tariff sh ould be used 10 compen-
safe the American producer for the
higher wages that he had to pay as
compared with his foreign competi-
tor
Threadbare Argument.
. "As this argument has at times
done great service. although now
quite threadbare. dwell upon it
moment. Inasmuch as the law puts
the tariff benefits exclusively in the
hands of the capitalists. and provides
no means for giving the wage workes
his share. the argument virtually is:
Let the government create rich men
and they will take care Of the poor.
il is short step then to say LEI
the government take care Of every
hOiy'. a doctrine abhOrred Of all souno-
thinking men. But ii is not true mat
the unduly enlarged profits are auto
matically divided among the workmen
helping to produce them. Advances
in wages have not been due. AZ rule.
to desire on the part Of employers
&c share profits wi h the wOrkmen. but
rather TO the organization of the work
men,
Protection did not come to an end.
however, in 1872. On the contrary
IL was augmented IN that year from :"
rer cent. TO an average of 80 per cent.
The mex, tariff. enacted in 1886. was
reduction to g per cent.-the
Walker Tariff. This was followed To-
q further reduction 10 an average OF
% per cent in the wear. 1887.
1T is interesting TO note that the
industrial infants which Clay. the pro
tectionist leader Of his time had SAID
IN effect were expected at the time Of
the IariR changes in 1916 and IVA
to become OF age about the year ls+2.
were neither destroyed nor injured bv
the walker Tariff. Nor did the pros
per.ty of the nation suffer while the
movement was in the direction Of