Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1909-08-13
Tariff Bill.
What the People Will Pay Less
and More For president
Tdft'S Fight For Down.
ward Revision.

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 his historic fight for free raw
materials and for carrying out the
promises of the party.
1t is the first time there has been
change of &e tariff laws in twelve
years. the Dingley act having gone
into effect in 1897 The inception of
that law was strikingy like that of
the present. In each case it was en-
acted by an extra session of congress,
called as the first act of an incoming
administration. More noteworthy still,
each of these extra sessions was called
to meet on March Is. the first one
having been issued by William McKin-
ley of Ohio, the last by William How
ard Taft OF Ohio.
The Tariff Plank.
The agitation within the Republican
party for a revision of the Dingley
act has gone on from the days of the
iowa idea" until at last it eliminated
in the plank in the last Republican
platform beginning:
1.-The Republican party declares IN
equivocally for a revision of the tar
if by a special session of congress i'm
mediately following the Inauguration
Of the next president"
In his campaign on that platform
Mr.. Taft construed this plank as mean
ing revision downward, point that he
insisted on in his speeches and finally
clinched in his inaugural address when
he said that conditions had so changed
Twill permit the reduction of rates in
certain schedules and will require the
advancement of few, if any" That
meant revision downward, which was
recognized substantially by the house
bill, but was changed to actual re-
vision upward by the senate bill. 1t
was at this point that the president
quietly but firmly injected himself
into the fight in the conference be-
tween the two houses, the house stand
ing behind him and forcing the senate
to yield. The Payne bill in its present
form is the result.
First Tariff Bill.
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 govern
ment. the tariff was adopted for THE
encouragement and protection of man.
ufactures" From that time political
parties of national scope have FLASHED
on the issue of the tariff us to whether
or not it should be more than for
revenue only"
The expenses of the war of 1912
necessitated 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.
In 1926 the tariff was jumped up a
few pegs, and q year later it went
higher. from 81 to II per cent.
When, in 1882, a bill establishing
protective tariff policy was passed
South Carolina refused to recognize
the validity of the increased duties
and threatened to secede. President
Jackson had to dispatch a warship to
South Carolinaian waters.
A horizontal reduction of the tariff
took place in 1888. Twelve years later
under Folks administration, bill
drafted by Robert ]. Walker, secretary
of the treasury, was adopted, standing
mildly for the protective policy. This
bill lasted until 1857. when a reduGEon
to 201h per cent occurred on the aver
age duties. Actually a free trade sys-
TEN, this low tariff proved adequate
for all government needs until the out
break of the civil war. when an in
creased income was necessitated.
The Morrill, Bill.
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 were raised so per
cent for a period of ninety days
After Il succession of tariff measures
to the wars close a cessation of this
form of legislative activity occurred.
But in 1870 and 1872 reductions were
made down the list, some of which
were restored in 1874. making the av-
erage duty 3S14 per ceSA A tariff
was appointed in 1882
which prepared bill that was put on
the statute books, lasting six years. 1t
was at this time that James G. Blaine
took a most active part in tariff dis
cussions. 1t was in the early eighties
that William R. Morrison of Illinois.
Democratic chairman of ways and
means. prepared his well known hor-
izontal reduction of 20 per cent on all
taxed products. which was defeated
During Cleveland's first administra-
ton the Mills bill was a powerful is
sue, and in 1888 the tariff fight result
ed in the election of Benjamin Har-
rison to the presidency. He stood for
a high protective tariff AS a result
the Mckinley bill was enacted. putting
the duties over the marks reached dur
ing the civil war.
The Wilson Bill.
But the revulsion which followed re-
suited in the reelection of Cleveland
in 1892. with Democratic congress.
Then resulted the Wilson bill, provid-
ing for wholesale reductions particu-
larly as regarding iron and steel man
ufactures. 1t should be noted that the
Dingley bin in 1897 retained practi-
cally the iron and steel duties laid
down in the Wilson measure.
Though William Mckinley was elect
ed on the financial issue in 1896, his
first act after being sworn in as presi-
dent was the calling of an extra ses-
sion of congress to repeal the Wilson
German tariff bill. The result Of that
session was the Dingley law, named
for its author. Nelson Dingley. Jr., of
Maine. which put the schedules prac-
tically back on the Mckinley basis.
Following is comparison between