The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1909-08-12
What the People VIII Pay Less
and More Or---President
Tafts Flight For Down
ward Revision.

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 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.
Taft and the Chicago Platform.
The agitation within the Republican
party for 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:
"The Republican party declares I'M
equivocally for a revision of the tariff
by 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, a point that he
insisted on in his speeches and finally
clinched in his inaugural address
when he said that conditions had so
changed relative to the Dingley act
that they will 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 &C
tual revision upward by the senate bill.
1t was at this point0that 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 N it's present
form is the result.
Tariff an Historic Issue.
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."
In 1926 the tariff was jumped up
few pegs, and year later it went
higher, from 81 to IL 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 threay9ned to secede President
Jackson had to dispatch warship to
South Carolinian waters.
"a horizontal reduction of the tariff
took place ins1S33. Twelve years later,
under Folks administration, bill
drafted by Robert j. Walker, secretary
of the treasury, was adopted standing
mildly for the protective policy. This
bill lasted until 1857, when a reduc..
ton to 201a per cent occurred on the
average duties. Actually a free trade
system, 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, act of 1861 increased
duties about one-third, and the tax
was extended to include tea, coffee and
sugar. Internal revenue was collected,
beginning in 1852, and two years later
the duties were raised so per cent for
a period of ninety days.
Reelection of Cleveland.
After a 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 3S1a per cent A tariff
commission was, appointed in 1882
which prepared a bill 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 dis
cussions. 1t was in the early eighties
that William R. Morrison of Illinois,
Democratic chairman of ways and
means, prepared his we'll known hcr-
izontal reduction Of 20 per cent on all
taxed products, which was defeated.
During Cleveland's first administra-
ton the Mills bill was powerful is
sue, and in 1888 the tariff fight re-
suited In the election of Benjamin
Harrison to the presidency He stood
for high protective tariff. AS re-
suit the Mckinley bill was enacted,
putting the duties over the marks
reached during the civil war.
But the revulsion which followed re-
suited in the reelection of Cleveland
in 1892, with a Democratic congress.
Then resulted the Wilson bill, provid-
ing for wholesale reductions, particu.
larly as regarding iron and steeIman-
ufactures. 1t should be noted that the
Dingley bill 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 SEES
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 a comparison between
the old Dingley tariff rates and those
Of the new Payne bill.
LUxURlES.
TO Soc