The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1830-06-23

occasion to complain as any other region.
Having pointed out what consider some oil the
leading in the opinions and reasoning oil the
member from South Carolina, now come to a very
interesting and important portion of the matter IN
debate. have hitherto met his arguments, and
examined them, as if it were question on whom
the burden OF taxation is devolved by the impost
laws, having, as believe, established the fact
that far duties operate as taxes the sout Goes
not participate beyond its just proportion, snali
now proceed to point out what appears to me 10 De
the operation and effect of the revenue system.
The great cause of complaint has been, that these
laws by imposing duties on imported goods, raise I
the price, and subject the consumers to tax, be-
il is said that duty is tax and IT 1t has the
effect imputed to it, | agree that the assertion Is
well founded. As complaint has identified itself
mostly with cotton and woollen fabrlcs shall con-
fine my remarks principally to them.
We manufacture these articles, and the argu-
ment is that not only foreign fabrics, but our own
increased in price equal to the amount OF duties
But nothing can be more evident than the lastly
of this reasoning in its general application for cot
ton cloths daily sold in the market from SIX to
eight cents yard which if imported, would be
subject to duty of thirty-fve cents the square
yard. 1t would be difficult to persuade man, that
he pays of thirty-fve cents the yard, when the
article costs but six cents. This remark is appllca-
bic to .arTe portion OF our manufactures, ano
shows how inattentve TO n,a.ters Oh iac' gen''ee"
are, who declaim against duties as oneroue !Aes'
If duties are taxes the fact is capable of clear
demonstrative proof for If duty of dollar yard
be levied on CLOTH it will Immediately be worm
dollar more, and every one who buys Viii nnd MN
self paying the tax, provided such Is the ehecl Oh
duty. Yet easy as it seems to to tepnpf
to do it, but all have contented themselves with
asserting and on all occasions reierating the as
serton that duties are taxes grievous, burdensome
taxes, grinding down and expressing the poor, and
xohbipg the rich.
There is good reason for this, as no such proof
can oe adduced-we have experience in this mat
ter which will afford much useful instruction, if
we but listen to it. shall go no further back than
1921, when the complaints, which have reached to
this day, began. The tariff of duties was then in
creased, and it was then insisted with prophetic
confidence, that goods would rise and the law bear
upon the public with grlevous weight, but time
proved that the prophets were not inspired; for
goods declined Notwithstanding the duties, until
they were sold at prices ruinously low.
Then came the much abused law Of 1923, which
do not approve in all respects, and the same de-
spending tone again heard the misery
and rum from taxes was again depicted in strong
colors, but history again run coulter to prophecy
for goods fell instead of rising, and were never
known SO low in the market during the last year
These are strong and very conclusive facts. If
they fail of producing conviction, as | have no
doubt they will il is in vain for me to attempt the
hopeless task Of doing it, for there will be unbe-
levers.
Taxes are popular theme the very term itself
excies jealousy and often resentment, for great eff
forts are made to establish conviction in the pub
lie mind that the people are laboring under heavy
burdens where =. exist and they often called
upon to against their best interests under the
delusive hope of lettering their condition-this
may account for much of the complaint we hear
though entertain no doubt of the sincerity of gen.
t!emen from the south, who oppose the tariff on
this floor.
As they charge us with false reasoning, when we
assert the competition of our manufacturers with
foreign productions reduces the price, instead of
burdening the consumer with tax, shall proceed
chi hats such iS buff ba nafir araffn 0f
the protecting system, and that those who assume
that duties necessarily taxes are in deep
Labor lies at the bottom of most human affairs. All
property no matter by whom possessed, nor to
what use applied, is the fruit of labor. The rich
are made so 10y amassng together the earnings of
those who toll from day to day. 1t is period
Of general peace and plenty, provisions and mer-
example, and yet there is mach distress and en-
barrassment; we hear by every arrival of the mon
ey pressure in Europe. and we have felt it here ;
many are perplexed to understand this state of
things but if we go back and trace the history of
events, we shall find there is no mystery in it.
From the commencement of the French Revolu-
ton forward for twenty-five years, Europe was in
yolved in a succession of disastrous wars; she had
armies and navies numerous beyond all former ex-
ample, fed and sustained at the public expense,
while they devastated the country and destroyed
the property of individuals.
The peace of 1915 which restored general repose,
disbanded by far the larger portion of these troops
put stop to demands for levies, and those
svho had been fed and sustained by the labor of 9TH
ers. began to work for their own support In this
way the laboring population was greatly increased
and the annual products of labor greatly null
tiphed. The natural effect upon the markets of the
world is precisely what have witnessed. The in
crease reproduction in all branches of industry has
overloaded the market with almost every kind of
thing to which human labor applies ITSELF and the
value has fallen, and fallen upon principle famil-
lar to every boy that sells eggs from his basket
tape from the counter-when an article is abundant
il is cheap; when scarce, it is dear.
Let US now bring these facts home, and see in
what manner they have borne upon the affairs of
this country. During this long and destructive
war, our country was a neutral power, and the
natural state Of Europe threw into hands great
and profitable trade which took off agricultural
produce at great prices, and the nation advanced
IN wealth, and power beyond example.
Our workshops were then in England, and we
paid her laborers for NEST Of the manufactured ar
ticles we purchased. We gave her the best mar
ket she had for her surplus products, and paid ex-
travagant prices. The gentleman from South Car
ona has told US, that England sustained herself in
this contest against the world, by dsbursing annu-
ally, an hundred millions of public money. which
gave vigor andlactiyIty to business but all the ad-
vantages derived from that must have been
far short Of the value of her trade with u.s. She
drew from a large share of the resources by
which she subsidized Europe, and maintained her
self against the almost undivided front of that con-
tinent Her population labored for US, and took
from us the money to pay the heavy taxes imposed
upon them. Yes, Sir, the United States by giving
employ to the laborers of England, contributed
largely, very largely, to build up the power and
wealth of that enterprzing country, and it may well
be doubted whether she could have sustained her
self through that arduous conflict WITHOUT this re-
source.
The peace of 1915 constitutes new era in our
affairs. The controlling influence in the trade of
the world, which the chances Of war had thrown
upon US, persisted when repose restored Ma
tons whose affairs had been deranged under the
wasting influence of war, and whose citizens had
sought precarious existence, where it could be
bad, returned to the cultivation Of the earth and
resumed the arts of peace. The ocean expanded
its bosom to receive them, and channels Of trade
which had been obstructed by British power, were
opened, and business renewed. The commerce
and traffic, which we had enjoyed under an unnat-