Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1909-08-05
TARIFF Bill
What the People viii Pay Less
and More OT---PTeSIdent
Taft'S Fight For Down
ward Rev sion.

Hon. Serero e. Payne of New York.
who also had a part in framing the
Mckinley and Dingley acts Actually
il should perhaps be called the Payne
Aldrloh bill as the chairman of the
senate finance committee mas had
quito as much to do with debating its
final provisions as Mr. Payne On this
line of reasoning, however, there are
those who insist that it should be
called the Taft bill. as the hand of
the president has been seen in all
the moves that have shaped It from
the days of the Republican national
convention that nominated him and
adopted a plank for tariff revision up
until the hour of the final fight in
conference committee, when the big
man in the White House made mis-
historic fight for free raw materials
and for carrying out the promises of
the party.
It is the first time there has been a
change of the tariff laws in twelve
years. the Dingley act having gone
into effect in 1897. The inception of
that law was strikingly like that of
the present. In each case 1t was en-
acted by an extra session of CON
gress, called as the first act of an in
coming administration. More note
worthy still, each of these extra SEES
sions was called to meet on March
Is, the first one having been issued
by William Mckinley of Ohio, the
last by William Howard Taft Of Ohio
The agitation within the Republi-
can party for revision of the Ding
ley act has gone on from the days OF
the Iowa idea" until at last it culmi-
mated in the plank in the last Repub-
lican platform beginning:
"The Republican party declares I'M
equiyocally for a revision of the tar
iff by a special session of congress
Immediately following the Inaugural
ton of the next president"
In his campaign on that platform
Mr.. Taft construed this plank as
meaning revision downward, a point
that he insisted on in his speeches
and finally clinched in his inaugural
had so changed relative to the Ding
ley act that they will permit the re-
duction of rates in certain schedules
and will require the advancement OF
few, If any" That meant revision
downward. which was recognized sub
5tantially by the house bill, but was
changed to actual revision upward by
the senate bill 1t was at this point
that the president quietly but firmly
injected himself into the fight in the
conference between the two houses,
the house standing behind him and
forcing the senate to yield. The
Payne bill in its present form is the
result
The first tariff bill enacted in the
United States was that of the First
congress. The opening section of
that bill stated that, in addition to
securing money for the support Of the
government. the tariff was adopted
for the encouragement and protec-
tioa of manufactures. From that
time political parties of national
scope have clashed on the issue OF
the tariff as to whether or not it
should be more than "for revenue
only"
The expenses of the war Of 1912
.uecessitated a material increase in
the tariff, but an adjustment occurred
two years after the close of the war
through an act prepared by Henry
Clay.
A horizontal reduction of the tariff
took place in 1888. Twelve years
later, under Folks administration, a
bill drafted by Robert ]. Walker sec
rotary of the treasury. was adopted,
standing mildly for the protective
policy. This bill lasted until 1857,
when a reduction to 20h per cent oc-
Cured on the average duties. Act
ually free trade system, this low
tariff proved adequate for all govern
ment needs until the outbreak of the
civil war, when an increased income
was pecessitated.
The Morrill, act of 1861 increased
duties about one-third and The tax
was extended to include tea, coffee
and sugar. Internal revenue was col
lected, beginning in 1862, and two
years later the duties we're raised so
per cent for a period of ninety days.
After a succession Of tariff meas
ures to the wars close a cessation Of
this form of legislative activity oc-
Cured. But in 1870 and 1872 reduc-
tons were made down the list, some
of which were restored in 1874, max
ing the average duty Ssh per cent.
A tariff commission was appointed in
1882 which prepared bin that was
put on the statute books, lasting six
years. 1t was at this time that James
G.. Blaine took most active part In
tariff discussions. 1t was in the early
eighties that William R. Morrison OF
Illinois, Democratic chairman of ways
and means, prepared his well known
horizontal reduction Of 20 per cent on
all taxed products. which was de-
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