The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1910-06-30

the Whole House on the state of the
Union and having under considera-
ton the bill Or. II. 25552) making
appropriations for sundry civil ex-
penses of the Government for the ifs
cal year ending June 80. 1911. and
for other purposes
Mr.. Morehead said:
Mr.. Chairman: AS IL Is manifest
that in the coming campaign one OF
the principal issues will be the tariff
in general and the Payne bill In par
ticular as expressing the Republican
idea of what protective tariff
means, 1t is but just and right that
the voters should know the truth and
have the light OF history thrown up
on the subject, that the people may
be made familiar with the results of
putting the Democratic idea of free
trade into law. as far as it is possible
10 do so consistent with the revenue
needs of the Government.
Possibly the nearest approach to
free trade we have ever had was
the amended tariff act OF 1857, which
brought disaster and suffering to this
country such as 1t has never exper-
fenced before in time of peace. This
condition is most fittingly described
in the first annual message of Presi-
dent Buchanan, which was, in part,
as follows:
Washington, Dec. s, 1857.
"Fellow-Citlzens of the Senate and
House Of Representatives:
"But first, and above all, our
thanks are due to Almighty God for
the numerous benefits which He has
bestowed upon His people, and our
united prayers ought to ascend to
Him that He would continue to bless
our great Republic in time to come
as He has blessed it in time past,
Since the adjournment Of the last
Congress our constituents have en-
loved an unusual degree Of health.
The earth has yielded her fruits
abundantly and has bountifully re-
warded the toll of the husbandman
Our great staples have commanded
high prices, and and up till within a
eral, and mechanical occupation have
largely partaken of general prosper
ity. We have possessed all the ele
ment of natural wealth in rich abun
dance, and yet, Notwithstanding al
these advantages, our country in 1t!
monetary interests is at the present
moment in a deplorable condition
In the midst of unsurpassed plenty
in all the productions of agricul-
ture and in all the elements in ma
tional wealth, we find our manufac'
turers suspended, our public work re-
tarded, our private enterprises of diff
ferent kinds abandoned, and thou
sands of useful laborers thrown out
of employment and reduced to want.
This tells us how public enterprises
we're destroyed, how business was
suspended, and how want and suf'
fering invaded the homes of the
wage earners all over the land under
free trade before the war.
But this was not all the story, fol
in his second annual message OF De
cember, 1853, President Buchanan
tells how this paralysis of the bust
ness of the country had affected the
country's revenues and had so re-
duced them that the Government hao
to sell bonds in order to raise funds
to meet the necessary expenses of the
Government Here is that part o.
his message:
washington, Dec. 6, 1858.
"Fellow-Citizens of the Senate and
House of Representatives:
ITO supply the deficiency, Con
gress, by the act Of December %
1857, authorized the issue of $40,
100000 of Treasury notes, and THU
proving Inadequate they authorized
by the act of June IA, 1858, a LOAF
payment of appropriations made b,
law"
The War Between the States fol
lowed Buchanan's administration, tn
cost of which was so great that tn
question of protection and free trad
did not enter so much into Legislation
for many years as did the matter @
revenue. But by the time of tn
first administration of Mr.. Clevelan
and that of Mr. Harrison the countr
had reached a condition where gu
debt was so reduced and our wealt
so increased that the time had com
when the question of protection an
free trade became paramount, an
the Mckinley bill was passed EN-
bodying the Republican idea of pre-
lection. This law was attacked a
bitterly then as the Payne bill no.
is, and the people were so deceive
about it that the result of the elet
ton of 1892 was to put the Demo
csratic party in power in every de
partment of the Government for tn
first time since the war. The M
L.