The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1909-08-11
THE PAYNE TARIFF Bill
What the People Will Pay Less
and More T---PreSident
Taft'S Fight For Down.
ward Rev sion.


who also had part in framing the
Mckinley and Dingley acts. Actually
it should perhaps be called the Payne
Aldrich bill, as the chairman of the
senate finance committee mas had
quite as much TO do with debating its
final provisions as Mr. Payne. On this
line of reasoning, however, there are
those who Insist that il should be
called the Taft bill, as the hand OF
the president has been seen in ali
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 his
historic fight for free raw materials
and for carrying out the promises of
the party.
II 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 IT 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 IF Ohio.
The agitation within the 2epubli-
can party for a 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:
1.-THE Republican party declares I'M
equivocally for a revision of the tar
in by a special session of congress
Immediately following the inaugurs.
ton of the next president"
In his campaign on that platform
Mr.. Taft construed this plank az
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
stantially by the house bill, but was
changed to actual revision upward by
the senate bill. It was at this point
that the president quietly but firmly
injected himself into the night 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 70
securing money for the support of The
government, the tariff was adopted
for the announcement and protec
ton of manufactures" From that
time political parties of national
SIOpt NAoShCu Oi NnO vi
the tariff as TO whether or not II
should be more than "for revenue
only"
The expenses of the war Of 1877
necessitated a material increase in
the tariff, but an adjustment occurred
two wears after the close OF the wal
through an act prepared by Henry
ClaF
+ horizontal reduction of tie tari1
took place in 1888. Twelve years
later, under Folks administers a
bill drafted by Robert j. Walker. sec
rotary Of tho treasury. was adopted
standing mildly for the protective
policy This bill lasted until 1857
when q reduction to 2012 per cent oc
Cured on the average duties. Act
ually a free trade system, this low
tariff proved adequate for all govern
meat needs until the outbreak of the
civil war, when an increased income
was necessitated.
The Morrill, act of 1861 increased
duties about one-third, and The ta1
vas tAlthhth " ihNiuhC tea, 'DItt
and sugar. Internal revenue was col
lected beginning in 1862, and two
years later the duties were raised 81
per cent for 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
tions were made down the list, some
of which were restored in 1874, max
ing the average duty 1914 per cent
A tariff commission was appointed IL
1882 which prepared bill that was
put on the statute books. lasting siS
years. 1t was at this time that Jane:
c. Blaine took most active part In
tariff discussions. 1t was in the early
eighties that William X. Morrison Of
Illinois, Democratic chairman of ways
and means, prepared his well known
horizontal reduction of 20 per cent Oh
All taxed products, which was de
feated.
During Cleveland's FIRST administra
ton the Mills bill was a powerful is
sue, and in 1883 the tariff fight re
suited in the election of Benjamin
Harrison to the presidency. He stood
for a high protective tariff. AS a re
suit the Mckinley bill was enacted