The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-08-08

Aai ahO 4 II
performing every duty that devolved
upon him. In 1881 when Edward b.
Duoley declined to be a candidate
Tor Congress, the friends of General
Machay brought him FORWARD to rep
resent that district. and he was elect
eo, and for nine terms he continued
to serve the people of the Cape Fear
IN the Congress of the United States.
Entering into public life at twenty-
Mn and at a time of great political
agitation II turmoil. he SO steered
MS oarque as TO avoid shipwreck,
and a steadfast and undertaking ad-
herence 70 his political principals he
SO strengthened himself in the con-
Hdence of his constituents that to-
wards the end of his career he was
opposed by no competitors. In his
Garner years there was only one
party, that Known as the Republican
party, Of which Clay and Adams and
ackso and Calhoun and Crawford
were all members. But Jackson
quarrelled with Clay and then with
Calhoun, and grave issues arose be-
cause Of the tariff and nullification by
South Carolina, and because of Jack
sons fierce onslaught on the National
Bank and his removal of the depos-
its. Also within the State there was
a fierce conflict raging between the
East and the West over the inequali-
1hNo - - LAG ~
ton.
General Mackay possessed OF great
wisdom, avoided the rocks and shoals
of the uncertain sea of politics, and
year by year attained a higher posi-
ton in the confidence of his party as
sOciates. He adhered with consist
ancy to the administration, or regu-
lar Republicans, and although many
Of his friends followed Calhoun on
tho oro hanJ and Henry CLAW on the
other, and eventually allied them
selves with the Wing party, he re-
manned the champion Of the regular
Democracy. When in 1910 the Wings
swept III state, he was still re-elect-
ed to Congress from his district.
In 1S43, General MacKay was a
chairman of the Committee Of the
Ways Means, and drew a tariff
bill that, however, failed to pass; but
his report on the tariff was widely
circulated md was received as the
best expression of Democratic
thought In 1916, Robert j. Walker
was the Secretary Of the Treasury,
and he desired a still larger reduc-
ton Of the tariff. In conformity with
the views of the administration, the
tariff act Of 1916 was prepared, large
~ in conference with Secretary
Walker. and was introduced by Gen
eral MacKay, the chairman Of the
committee in the House. 1t was the
best tariff that lax been proposed IN
many years; and was the overthrow
of that system which Henry Clay for
g quarter Of g century had been build
ing up.
It passed the House, but in the Sen
ate the vot., was doubtful. Two years
before Mr.. William H. Haywood had
been eiected to the Senate under in
structions for tariff reform, but he
considered this measuree as too far
raching for him to support it. Still
his relations with President Polk and
with the Democratic party were such
that while unwilling to vote for that
particular measure, he was unwilling
to embarraSS the administration and
the Democratic party by defeating it.
Should he not vote, there would be a
tie in the Senate and the casting vote
of Vice-President Dallas would pass
the measure. Mr.. Haywood therefore
determined not to vote, but to resign
in preference. SO at the last moment,
when the vote was being taken in
the Senate Chamber, seeing that the
result would be a tie, he announced
his resignation and withdrew from the
body.
AS this tariff bill was the lowest
that had for many years been enacted
into law, SO it was in its effects the
best that ever was passed by Con-
gress. 1t is true that many fortunate
circumstances combined to promote
the prosperity of the country, in the
years following, in an unusual degree.
But the great prosperity on Which
the country then entered is also large
~ to be attributed to this measure of
the wise statesman of the Cape Fear.
For fifteen years no effort was made
to repeal it. Indeed, While every SEN
ator and Representative from New
England opposed it, yet so sa%tisfac-
tory had been its operation that the
! entire country was thoroughly con-
tent. What had one been the great
and absorbing tariff issue. threaten
ing the dissolution OF the Union, had
passed utterly away. and at the cleo
ton of 1856 the subject Of the tariff
was not mentioned in the platform
Of any political party. That greaet
custom of the tariff was apparentlv