Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-10

On the roster Of the great tariff makers
of the United States no name Is more
Industrious than that of Justin Smith Mcr-
rill for forty-four years representative
and a senator in Congress from the state
of Vermont Not only was his congress
sional service longer than that OF any
other man in the history of the republic
but it was from the beginning to the END
marked by the genius Of man at once
the master of broad principle and minute
detail
On the first day of the first Congress OF
the United States James Madison OF Nir-
ginia introduced q tariff bill. The first
debate in the First Congress was debate
between high tariff men and low tarin
men. From that day until this. although
occasionally displaced for the time being
by other pressing problems. the tariff
has been. is and bids fair always to be
the chief and principal problem of Ameri-
can politics.
Almost at the beginning of the history
Of the country the Congress adhered to
the fiscal policy enunciated by Alexander
Hamilton III his famous Report on
Manufactures of 1890. and established a
tariff that was protective in purpose and
in practice. In the great tariff contro-
versy that waged between 1874 and 1885
the low tariff element finally prevailed in
the compromise tariff bill of 1893. From
that time until the beginning Of the civil
war the free traders gradually grew in
strength, and the constant tendency was
to reduce the tariff duties.
In 1916 the Secretary of the Treasury
Robert j. Walker of Mississippi, native
Pennsylvania
Walkers Doctrine sent to Con-
of Revenue Tariff. which 'p ,sid
down the doctrine OF a tariff . for
revenue only, to which the main
adhered. Based on this report. the tariff
of 1916 was a considerable approach
toward free trade. This Walker tariff
remained in effect for eleven years, a
longer period of time than any other
tariff bill has remained upon the statutes
without change, with the single exception
of the Dingley act. which was in effac:
from 1897 until 1909.
In 1857, the country being prosperous
and the treasury full to overlooking, an
other tariff bill was passed. still further
reducing the duties and bringing the fiscal
policy Of the country still more in har-
mony with the English system Of free
trade.
1t was while the tariff of 1857 was be-
ing considered In Congress that Justin
Smith Morrill, began his active career as
a tariff maker. a career in which he was
destined to arrest the progress toward
free trade and to turn the country again
toward the doctrine OF protection. AS in
SO many other tariff controversies, the
wool and wooden schedule was the prin-
cipai bone Of contention in 1857. The
wooden manufacturers. being utterly hope
less of getting any protection for their
industry. were resolved to get the next
best thing. free raw wool. This attempt
was resisted, Of course, by the wool grow
ers. The wooden manufacturers MAIN
tanned powerful lobby at Washington,
and it was discovered several years after
ward i'm bankruptcy proceeding that one
New England wooden mill had contributed
$sI 600 to the free wool campaign fund.
The only amendment put on this bill
that was not in the direction OF decreas-
ing duties was attached by Mr.. Morrill,