Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-04-20


the free traders were able TO count
safe majority, and it was not long in
getting down to the serious business of
revising the Wing tariff OF 1872. That
law had proved a great revenue producer,
and the treasury was piling up too big
a surplus for the financial health of the
nation. The demands for q revision of the
tariff had been heard the year before,
but nothing in that direction was done by
the twenty-eighth congress-further than
to discuss the matter in an academic
way. A bill reducing duties was intro
duced. but was promptly tabled by vote
of los to &c.
The election in 1874 was perhaps the
greatest go-as-you-please race the coun-
try has ever seen. Polk had received the
nomination for president by the opera
ton of the two-thirds rule in the Demo-
cratic convention, while Dallas, thought
to be a high-tarin man, was made his
running mate-in order to make sure o.
the Pennsylvania vote. Clay was the
Wing candidate and in protection eenters
Polk was held up as a better protection
list than Clay. In Pennsylvania the Demo-
cratic rallying cry was Polk and Dallas
and the Tariff of 1872" The Pennsylvania
Democrats even went so far as to assert
that the tariff of AZ was a Democratic
measure, and the Wings were dared to
repeal 1t, transpanencies in torchlight pro-
cessions showing this challenge. On the
other hand, the south thought Polk free
trader. Polk and Dallas were elected
by a large majority in the electoral col
lege, although they failed to poll ma
jority of the popular vote.
If the Pennsylvania people voted for
Polk and Dallas under the impression
that they were voting for the tarin OF
1912 they soon found out their mistake.
About the first think Polk did was to
appoint Robert ]. Walker, a native OF
Pennsylvania, but a senator from Missis-
sippi, his secretary of the treasury. He
was as much OF a free trader as even
John Dalzell or Pig Iron Kelly was a
protectionist. And the first time Dallas
was called on to cast a deciding vote 1t
was cast for free trade. Walker sent to
congress his report, which is to the free
traders what Hamilton's Report on Man
ufactures" is to protectionists. He took
the ground that no more money should be
collected from the people than was essen
ltial to an economical administration OF the
government; that no duty should be i'm
posed upon any article above the lowest
that would yield the largest amount OF
revenue; that below this point protection
the maximum duties and the necessities
of the poor the minimum. and that every
thing should be taxed on a percentage
basis, abolishing all specific duties.
This report was regarded as such a
notable paper that even the British house
of lords had it reprinted for the use OF
parliament. 1t was a shock to the pro-
tectionists, especially those who had voted
n 49,. 49, - a
better protectionist than Clay. They felt
that Walker had offended against the pro-
prieties of Office in using his annual report
as a vehicle for a preachment of free
trade doctrines. The free traders respond
ed that it was no more than some OF his
protection predecessors had done.
When congress got down to it's work of
changing the tariff the first thing done
was to hear argument on a resolution Of
fered by Mr. Stewart. of Pennsylvania, to
refer the tariff question to a comittee with
instructions that no changes should be
made in the tariff of 1912. There was such
little support given to this proposition
that the proponent did not press 1t to
vote 1t would have been like asking the
congress that made the Dingley tariff to
reafirm the Wilson tariff.
a tariff revision bill in due time, A Dem
ocratic senator said in the course of the
debates that the measure had been drawn
in the office of the secretary of the treas
ury. and that the committee had merely
fathered what others had done. The de-
bate on the bill in the house started on
June Is and continued until July g. Near
ly all the speeches were of the set va
riety, and few Of them contained sylla-
Bile that was new.
There was one interesting passage in
the house debate. northern member
had brought in statistics concerning saw
ings under the WING tariff, showing the
deposits in Massachusetts savings banks
had increased. southern member was
prompted thereby to make the charge that
The northern free Iaborer made more mon
CIV ont of his labor than the southern
slave owner made out of his slaves, and
used that conclusion as justification OF
slavery. and at the same time as proof
that the tariff was so high that 1t prac-
ticaIIy robbed the southern slave owner
of the earnings of his slaves labor.
The tourney of the measure through the
senatorial labyrinth was fraught with
many incidents. The high and low tariff
forces were evenly divided, to man. The
senator who had the deciding vote was
nrotectionist who had been instructed by
his legislature to vote for a low tariff
Senator Jarnagin, of Tennessee. On ev-
erv possible preliminary motion he voted
with the protectionists but when 1t came
IN an essential vote he cast his for low
tariff. His vote referred the bill TO the
senate committee on finance only week
before congress was to adjourn. The re-
mort which that committee was instructed
10 bring in would have taken more than
week to prepare. 1t looked as If the
measure were lost.
The committee admitted in the senate
the next day that it did not even open
a single paper in connection with the
bill, or dip a single pen in the ink to
prepare the report, although it was call I!
ed together at o'clock in the morning
for that purpose. Thereupon a motion |
was made to take the bill out of the hands |
of the committee and Immediately to con- |
slider it in the senate. The Tennessee |
protectionist here decided that it was in |
cumbent upon him to vote for this mo- |
tion and 1t carried. Then section OF
the bill was stricken out, which necessi- |
tated sending ii back to the house for |
concurrence. Meanwhile, Senator John |
son, of Maryland, moved to commit the
bill to a select committee, with instruc- /
tions like those given the discharged fl
nance committee. Senator Jarnagin with |
held his vote on this motion, and ii was |
nour I'm m the vice Dresident tn decida IL /