The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-03-20
By FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

In all the history Of the world there
has never been such q stupendous EFFORT
to laugh anything out Of the court OF
public opinion as the EFFORT made in 1s2s
10 discredit protection as a governmental
pclicy. With mock devotion to II, many
free traders made speeches in its behalf
that were as able presentations OF the
case Of protection as its most sincere ex-
ponents had ever offered. The free
traders become as lavish In handing out
protection arguments as the most ardent
prOtectionists themselves. Duties were
piled on with unrestricted hand; duties so
high. so absurd. so uncaIled-for, that they
served TO give the measure clear title
to It's popular name-the tariff of abom-
nations. When II came through the leg
islative mill a more grotesque grist was
never seen It seemed that the laughing
it-out-of-court programme was going TO
succeed
Although an ediflce OF such horrid and
shocking design and proportions, It
served all the main purposes for which
proper structure is built The unex-
pected success that attended the working
OF the measure after 1t became law turned
the tables on the trainers, and the proteo-
ton that had been made sport Of had
the hast and best laugh.
There were two dominant notes in the
tariff legislation Of 1Scs The first was
the effort TO make Il ridiculous; the
other, the effort to make 1t q sort OF
political football in the Presidential field.
The tariff had hitherto not been q strict
party question, but more Of a sectional
issue Now kOme observers began TO Ese
8 Presidency in it, The effort to make a
President out OF Il cropped out in the
House proceedings on the famous
woolens bin OF 1877. A strong eff
fort was made TO unite all the
forces Of free trade against Adams
time 70 capture enough protectionists to
insure the election OF Jackson Il was
necessary TO strike New England by
refusing Its manufacturers relief. without
seeming TO reject protection by q direct
liquidation. Led by James Buchanan.
the effort to make political capital out or
woolens bill in the House was entirely
successful.
Politics was played in the Senate with
equal success. Martin Van Buren, could
have cast the vote that would have in
sured the passage OF the woolens bill
but he remained silent, and thereby forced
Vice President Calhoun to vote. so as 10
place on Mr.. Calhoun's shoulders what
ever odium might attach 10 the defeat OF
the bill. The woolens bill was defeated.
but both sides prepared for the struggle
OF the next Congress. When the Tween
ueth congress organized IL was found
mat free trade was again In the saddle
4 VI
was elected Speaker. though the protec-
tionists declared that his election was ac-
complished by promise Of concessions to
them. The organization Of the House was
a triumph for the Jackson party.
Inc bill which was to be the basis Of
the act Of 1S2S was reported TO the House
on the last day Of January. Though II
was drawn by free traders. and the re-
port thereon made by free traders. there
was not a word hostile TO protection in II.
Imagine John Sharp Williams. Champ
clark and Bourke Cochran bringing in a
bill and a report with protection written
IN every clause. Yet that was exactly
what happened in the Twentieth Con
gress. only the names were different.
The protectiOuists understood the hol-
low pretenses Of the bill, and one OF them
said right out In meeting that il the COM
mittee had sought TO frame the worst
bill possible. IL could not have brought in
one that served their aims more fully
The newspapers Of the country refused
10 approve the measure. When Il came
up for consideration, of all the States
south Of the Maryland line, II got only
tne votes Of three members from Virginia
and those Of Kentucky. II finally passed
the House by vote of 105 to 81
After passing the House the measure
was taken in hand by the Senate. which
proceeded promptly to out-Herod the
House. After serving as a political foot
ball in the Senate for some weeks. the
measure was finally passed The House
cOncurred in the amendments made by
the Senate, and the act was signed on
May Is. The approval Of Mr.. Adams was
not given because he liked the measure,
but up to his time no President had ever
vetoed an act Of Congress except on con-
stitutional grounds Andrew Jackson was
the first President who ever vetoed a
measure on the grounds of expediency.
The opposing sentiments In the enact
mcnt Of the tariff Of denominations IS
illustrated by the debate on the approval
Of the title of Mr. Wilde. Of Georgia,
wanted TO add, in order to show what the
measure was for, the words and for the
encouragement Of certain manufactures"
John Randolph. of Virginia, opposed that
amendment, saying that the bill referred
10 no manufactures Of any sort, except
the manufacture Of a President of the
United States. Others sought 70 write in
the title that It was intended ito increase
%
transfer the manufacturing capital of
New England TO other States" and many
other such propositions. OF course, none
OF them was accepted
When the news Of the passage OF the
act Of 1898 was received in New York
many Of the ships in port lowered their
flags 10 half-mast, in token OF what they
believed to be the death blow 70 American
shipping. In Charleston, S. c., the same
course was pursued. Here il was the
British vessels which took the initiative.
Many OF the American vessels, thinking
the lowering Of the British flags was due
20 some bad news from home. followed
suit out OF respect to the Britons
The act OF 1928 was passed only after
the most strenuous campaign Of education
that had yet been seen in America Heze-
kiah Niles was early in the field with his
Register, published IN Baltimore. he es-
tablished such a wide reputation for can
dor and fairness, and proved himself such
an unselfsh devotee of the truth first and
protection afterward. that his Register
gathered to itself a greater influence in
directing the currents of public thought
than any other single agency in the coun-
try. He printed both sides. And he did
not resort TO the doubtful expedient of
printing the weakest speeches in favor Of
free trade and the strongest In favor of
protection. He selected the strong speeches
Tor the former as faithfully as the latter.