Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1832-01-25

consumed NY lllmSeH Dr his Sihscs' iAio WV"
ron England, his wines from France, his horses
mules aud hogs from the west-bls corn from
Mary land-wooden ware. potatoes, and other no
tions, from New England; and assure our New
England friends, that although We do not reiish
all their notions, there are some that we Pr'.e
very highly. Bull sir, if the consumer did' 10
every case. pay the whole amount oil the lax, anu
the consumption was in exact proportion to poPu-
ulation. could gentlemen even thentail TO see the
wide difference in the operation Of the protect
ing system ON the two sections, when they censi.
der that the tariff States are renaunerated, and
more than renunerated, for any tax which they
may paw, in the bounties they receive. while we
receive no remuneration whatever. II TINS DC
doubted, will apply test. which. l think, can,
not possibly deceive US. DO our New England
brethren not understand their own interests
Do you think, sir, that they would be very apt
to fall in love with taxation and court the lmpo.
sitiun of burthenss How comes 1t. then, that
they have been taught to believe that ''taxat'on
is no tyranny but on the contrary, the great
est of earthly blessings? Why is it, that they
would regard as the heaviest of calamities, the
reduction of the public burthenss Is it not clear
then, that they regard the duties as bounty to
their industry, and that they know that they have
the power to indemnify themselves for all that
they pay in duties.
But, Sir, there is another view Of this matter
which demonstrates, think still more plainly, the
inequality Of the system. allude to its effect
upon the people of the south, as producers OF the
articles which are exchanged for foreign commo-
dities There are very able men, Sir, VINO nave
undertaken to prove that we suffer from this sys-
TEN chiefly in character as producers. 10
nv mind, it is morally certain that the people OF
IN n.
port burthen nearly, if not entirely, equal to
the whole amount IF the tax levied ON their i'm
portarions. The precise manner IN which this ope.
rates. is problem not so easy of solution. will
endpavor to explain, however very briefly, my
conception Of the process.
We will suppose perfectly free trade to be
carried on between the Southern States and Great
Br,,ain-that is to say. that the articles on both
sides we're admitted. duty free. In this state OF
things. progressive tar, equal to five per cent
per aunum, is imposed on British manufactures
for the protection of our own. The trst duty
of five per cent. wond doubtless, be added to the
price Before this progressive duty had adVanc'
ed many steps, however, the period would arrive
when no additional charge could be sustained by
the consumer without reduction OF his consump.
ton. The next five per cent. then imPosed.wouid
have to be sustained by the merchant, or the To-
reign manufacturer, or the producer OF the cotton,
and would most probably be divided among them
In this manner as the system progressed, the
profits uf the merchant would be reduced TO the
lowest scale; those of the manufacturer would al
80 be- brought down, and the southern producer
would, in his turn. be compelled to submit to a
reduction in the price Of his productions Each
successive step in the further progress of the sys-
fem would sink lower and lower the price OF his
cotton. until it was reduced to the very lowest
sum that would pay the expense Gifts production.
The very next step must, of course. annIhliate
the trade by rendering it Improbable to all con-
cerned. Sir, there may be difference OF opln-
ion as to the point to which we have now arrived
in the progress of this system; (for let 1t be re-
membered that the system Is still progressiag)
but to nv mind il is clear that we have long since
passed the point at which any further reduction
Of profits could possibly be extorted from the mer-
chant or the manufacturer; and that every sue
cessi,e increase Of the tax, for years past has
fallen almost exclusively upon the producer. Inc
proof of this is to be found the fact that cotton
has. within few wears. been gradually falling
unI it has lost more than two-thrds "f Its value'
and now barely pays the expense Of its production,
bringing down with it the wages of our agricultu-
raj labor and capital to the very lowest point
or now bears nearly the whole OF the tax, while
the gentleman on the other side contend that 1t
IS r,axim universally true that the " consumer
DAYS the tax" am inclined to think that the
truth lies in the middle. can certainly conceive
state OF things in which the producer would, as
such. pay. nearly the whole of the tax; but'excePt
where the tax IS a very moderate one, or IS lnpo'
sed upon the absolute necessaries OF life, tIs I'M
possible that the whole Of the weight could be
thrown upon the consumer No one. surely,
would contend that if any community were in the
habit of consuming fifty millions Of foreign goods,
imported. duty free. they could afford to consume
anv thing like the same amount under duty OF
so per cent, if the whole duty were added to
the price. But whether the tax be In general
paid by the p oducer or the consumer. or be d-
vided between them. to my mind it is clear, that
in the actual condition Of things, the burden falls
most unjustly aud unequally on the Southern
States | will illustrate this. We will assume
tina, South Carolina annually exchanges eight
millions of dollars worth Of cotton and rice Tor
foreign goods. paying doty of FIFTY per cent,
LII