Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-12-09
HISTORY OF THE TARIFF.
Succinct Review of the Cause Of Leg
islation Beginning With the War.

isidtioI ooS'HHihS WIN the "a''
The Morrill, tariff of 1851 was con-
fessedly an imposition upon the pa
triotlsm Of the people. 1t was a war
measure pure and simple. The sacri-
flee demanded of the country by the
exegencies Of the time was not to out
last those exegencies.
Since the Walker act of 1S47 the
country had experienced wondrous
growth and prosperity under revenue
tariff. Protection had never been,
even by its friends, advocated and ad-
vanced, as other than an expedient to
develop our Infant industries" No
body argued that 1t was not a tax on
the consumer. Nobody pretended that
after 1876 adjusted itself to a revenue
system, and everybody, the manufac-
turers included, was satisfied. So
much so, indeed, that in 1857 New
England willingly assented to a still
further reduction Of the revenue du-
ties.
After the war of secession 1t began
to be whispered in Republican circles,
1--WE have freed the negro, now let US
free the trade" William B. Allison Of
Iowa, ara James A. Garfield Of Ohio,
with James G. Blaine in close sympa-
thy, led and instructed by David A.
Wells-all Republicans-were prepar-
ing to redeem the Republican promise
Of 1861, that the protective duties
should not Cutlast the needs of the
war, Allison and Garfield and Wells
going the length of becoming members
Of the Free Trade Golden club, Of
London.
The Greedy campaign Of 1872 di-
verted Garfield and Allison and Blaine
and ultimately drove them back into
the protectionist camp. BY 1876 the
Republican managers had discovered
that the protective tariff was a gold
mine Of campaign money, and the
movement toward lower duties, and
the fulfillment of the promise made
when the Morrill, war tariff was en-
acted fell to the Democrats, reinforc-
ed by number Of so-called free trade
Republicans. In that year the demand
that "all custom house taxation shall
be only for revenue" first appeared in
national Democratic platform.
Thenceforward the policy, "a tariff
for revenue only" became Democratic
gospel law. 1t was so absolute and
universal that the party rose en- masse
to what was called Mr.. Cleveland's s
free trade message Of 1887. 1t was so
absolute and universal that in the ma
tional Democratic convention Of 1892
1t was carried by an overwhelming
vote and made mandatory. Had Mr..
Cleveland only lived up to 1.-THE
country having been prepared by a
campaign Of progressive education
covering two decades-we would have
had as result Of the victory of 1892
a tariff for revenue only, and in all
likelihood have escaped the free silver
upheaval, which came to the front
partly as reaction against Mr.. Cleve-
lands tactless handling of great op-
portunity.
This Is now ancient history. Dur
ing fifteen years the tariff has occupied
a subordinate place in Democratic
councils. The protectionists have had
everything their own way A politi-
cal generation has grown up which
knows scarcely the rudiments of the
question as we discussed 1t between
1870 and 1885. OF the group Of rev.
enue reformers who stood by their
guns shoulder to shoulder in every ma
tional Democratic convention and ev-
cry congress for twenty-five years, the
editor Of the Courier Journal Is the
sole survivor.-Louisville Courier
Journal.