Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 November 1892 — A Bit of History. [ARTICLE]

A Bit of History.

Republican protection has a short and Instructive history. Here it is in a few words, aud the facts and dates here given may be verified by any man who has access to documents. Republicans themselves will not deny these facts and dates, though they will hardly eig ree to the conclusions that must be drawn from them by fair minded men. When the so called Morrill tariff was passed in 1861 the tariff then in force was extremely low; in fact, the lowest since 1816, and the country had not had a really high protective tariff for many yeal*. Speculation in no way connected with the tariff has paralyzed business in 1857, and the Morrill tariff was adopted avowedly to increase a dwindling revenue. It increased duties, but Mr. Morrill himself has declared that it was not asked for and was coldly welcomed by the manufacturers. Senator John Sherman declares that the manufacturers wished to be let alone. That was the first advance of duties after 1857, but it did not mark a return to protective feeling, and Mr. Morrill declared that it was the intention of the aot to restore the duties of 1846. Now, the tariff of 1846 was in the main a revenue tariff. When the country got well into the civil war large revenues becAme necessary, and In July, 1862, an internal revenue bill, taxing domestic manufacturers, was passed. In the same month a new tariff bill was passed. Its authors deolared that it increased duties only in order that highly taxed domestic products might not have to compete with low taxed or duty free imported products. Thus the first dose of Republican protection was merely to make up to domestic manufacturers for the taxes exacted by tho internal revenue. In some Instances, however, duties were high enough to do a gren 1 ileal more than this. Other tariff acts were passed In 1803 and 1864, In each case, it was declared, for the purpose of offsetting the effects of the internal revenue taxes. But the framers of the bill were genuine Republican protectionists, and in many instanoes they permitted the manufacturer* who were to profit by tiie measure to say Just what certain duties should be. The bill was passed In haste, especially by the senate. This practically closes the series of war tariffs, and the tariff as it was after the act of 1864 has been the basis of nil subsequent tariffs with a few conspicuous exceptions and many trifling variations. The averugu rate of duties on dutiable goods in 1865 was rather more than 47)tf per cent. When the war was over oongress began to tako off the internal revenue taxes, and by 1873 all domestic products save spirituous aud malt liquors, tobacco, matches, patent medicines and a few minor articles were made tax free. It must be remembered t hat the excuse for Republican protection to domestic manufactures was the fact that they were for tho purpose of raising internal Revenue, When the latter (.axes were removed, of course the high protective duties shoutd logically have been removed. But they were not. Manufacturers, fattened by Republican protection, demanded that it be continued, and continued it was. In fact, duties in special coses were Increased from time to tituo. v Theory of protection to infant industries was raised and the workingman was likewise put'forwnrd as an excuse for continued Republican protection. In spite of a growing sentiment against the evil system tho interested manufacturers have been able to maintain duties on most articles, aud now we have the McKinley tariff avowedly passed as a radical measure of Republican protection, with revenue as a mere incident. I