Yes, Southern Democrat dominated. If you look at the make up of the Congresses from the "Nullification Crisis" in 1832, through the election of 1858, you will discover that the majority of the time, the Dems held the house, and held the Senate almost continually. It is in the late 50's, culminating in the Dem meltdown of 1860, that they began to lose grip.
Southerners weren't stupid, tariffs were the only method of raising revenue, Southerners wanted monies to be allocated for DEFENSE, not pork.
Tariffs paid mostly in Northern ports.
sound policy requires such an adjustment of these imposts as to encourage the development of the industrial interests of the whole country ...
Economics is not a difficult subject - the Republican Party advocated HIGHER tariffs (DUH - that encourages 'industrial interests'). These industrial interests are the northern capitalists/industrialists - not the average workers.
Interesting you didn't choose to bold the phrase "of the whole country". Instead, you go directly to claiming industry only benefited the North.
.. we commend that policy of national exchanges which secures to the working men liberal wages...
Note these are NOT agricultural interests - those are referenced next in the plank. These 'working men' are northern workers, employed by the 'industrial interests' ante.
To echo you, DUH. The laborers of the "agricultural interests" of the South were SLAVES. Fat chance prying any "liberal wages" out of the plantation owners for them.
... to agriculture remunerating prices ... The Republican platform relating to the South is for them to simply be compensated for their efforts, no artificial protections.
... to mechanics and manufacturers an adequate reward for their skill, labor and enterprise.... Another reference to northern workers/industry - the Republican plank is one of REWARD (above average renumeration).
Such is your parsed spin on the meanings. In actuality, "remunerating" and "rewarding" are synonyms. And "adequate" reward is now "above average"? Who is trying to pee on whose leg?
The South had protested high protectionist tariffs almost from the founding.
Because they were in the near monopoly position of producing a product, cotton, and didn't need the tariff protection that their Northern countrymen did for their fledgling industrial sector.
So, are you currently a "free trader", or do you think we need to place some restrictive tariffs on, say, China?