The Washington herald., 1909-03-25

men WHO KNOW LDc A4ArA0C A-AoNp-- u
events Of 1850 that the election Of Abra-
ham Lincoln as President was due 10
the tariff and not the result Of slavery
agitation. II such be true the civil war
was more directly due TO the tariff than
to slavery. James G. Blaine took this
view OF the matter. and expressed Il
fully IN his Twenty Years in Congress"
He points out that the national excite
ment over bleeding Kansas was much
stronger in 1856 than IN 1850. and that in
spite Of this fact the country went Demo-
cratic IN 1856 and Republican in 1850 To-
Pennsylvania he gives the credit of hav-
Ing turned the scales. It was then said
or Pennsylvania as it has later been said
Of New York that as it goes In a national
election, so goes the Union In the gu
bernatoriaI election OF 1850. Curtin, after
ward war governor. made the tariff ques-
ton the issue. and won on a high taTif
platform. The same Issue was believed
to be the one that gave the vote Of Penn
sylvania 10 Lincoln, and II that be true,
It was the issue that gave Lincoln 10 the
Union
IN the Presidential election Of 1885 there
was not much said ABOUT tariff. The
Walker tariff had worked so well, at least
10 outward appearances. that the whole
country seemed to acquiesce in II. But
the following year found the strong boxes
OF the government overlooking with
money to such a degree that It became
necessary 10 reduce the revenues A bill
permitting the lowest tariff in the history
Of the country was then introduced. It
was not long IN reaching the point OF
consideration. There was much parlia-
nentary maneuvering in the House and
Senate. The latter body dominated the
situation, and secured the passage. in
practical entirety, OF the measure intro
duced by Senator R. NJ. T. Hunter. of
Virginia
One of the most remarkable things
about the tariff Of 1857 was that many
industries which were dominated by
thorough going protection spirit. did ali
they could. and actually spent much
money TO make the bin as nearly free
trade measure as possible. Il was shown
that a single wooden mill spent SS7. 900 in
its campaign fer free trade These man
ufacturers knew full we'll that there was
no chance OF protection for their products.
Their next best course was 70 secure free
raw material, and their energies were
spent in that direction.
1t was not long after this until the
panic OF 1857 came on. All protectionists
attribute Il 10 the low tariff. All free
traders do not Most historians take
middle ground. and find causes not dis
similar 20 the panic OF 1907. BE that as
# may, the following year saw such def
scits IN the revenues that Justin S. Nor
rill hit of the situation by saying that
the government was Obliged to go to
bed without its supper every time i'm
ports fell short million dollars a week
at the port OF New York. However, the
low-water mark Of Treasury receipts was
reached Just about the time the measure
went into effect. and from that time on
there was a steady rally back to normal
conditions.
When the first session Of the Thirty
sixth Congress met, Mr.. Morrill,, Of Yer
mont. introduced practically the same
tariff measure he had tried in vain to
have considered the previous year. His
bin was really more satisfactory to the
low tariff people than to the advocates
Of protection II was stated that il was
but little more than a recurrence to the
Walker tariff, the only difference OF i'm
portance being that specific duties were
inserted instead OF ad valorem rates.
The House passed the measure. but the
Senate decided to postpone consideration
until the next session Jefferson Davis
favored the Morrill, bill. asserting that
81 was a more Democratic tariff than
the one OF 1857. and adhered more closely
TO the rates Of the Walker tariff.
When the second session Of the Thirty-
sixth Congress met. the Senate put 156
amendments onto the Morrill, bill. l55 Of
which were accepted by the House, and
the measure went into effect IN April
1851 After this came a succession of
tariff acts for raising funds for the pros
ecution OF the war. One was passed IN
August, 1851, and carried with it an in
come tax, as well as a direct tax OF So
100000. Another. placing a new rate OF
duty on tea, sugar. and coffee, was pass
ed during the following December IN
1862 the tariff was raised even higher,
and only ninety-nine articles were left
on the free list In 1854 still further in
creases were made, and the free list cur
tailed even below the ninety ard nine
articles. In those days the statesman
who could suggest new subjects for tax
alton was regarded as a patriot
Immediately following the close OF the
civil war the burdensome internal reve-
nue. taxes were repealed, and Justin S.
Morrill, led a movement for a revision
OF the tariff-upward. He felt that wool
and woolens, especially, needed addition
al protection. The House passed his
bill. The Senate thought the matter too
important and the weather too warm to
consider the measure so late in the ses-
sion so they put the bill in cold storage.
Tho following winter the Senate emended
It and passed It after midnight on Feb
ruary I. 1861. In the House, meantime,
Morrill, had drafted a new measure. and
presented Il as a substitute for the one
already passed But at the critical time
he withdrew his substitute and through
an effort TO settle the matter through
a suspension OF the rules. everything was
lost. A bill passed under suspension
OF the rules requires a twO-thirds vote.
and Mr.. morrill, had reckoned without
his host in presuming that he could get
such a majority.
In the course Of the debate upon the
measure Thad Stevens said that Il sa-
vored too much Of free trade for him.
Another member remarked that II that
was a free trade bill by the Holy Sail
ors he would hate TO see one that was
a protection measure" Another man OBJ
jected TO the repeal Of the duty on cof-
fee. why" said he, I'VE need prctec-
ton for coffee. Do We not make a great
deal OF It. There are many worthy ma n
ufacturers OF coffee in the United States.
They make It OF chicory. beans. peas. rye.
wheat, dandelion roots. and many other
things. They need protection"
Although the general tariff bill was de-