Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-05-29

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| command of wealth and credit competent To the
| formation of such establishments. Thcv were
| formed, therefore, IN the truly republican, inStilu-
,uion of Joint stock companies of which every
class of the community may share in the benefit
propoJtionably to their means aud TO their rcsour-
| ccs--thc poor, even the fccblest and most hcpcss
of the poor, c,nalcs and children, by contain, mo.
| dcratc labor and rcmuncratng waycs--thc widow
and the orphan by the investment al interest of any
disposablc inheritance which may have fallen ia
their lot: the capitalist OF cvcrw degree, however
aiiiucnt or however scauty 10 deserve tho name OF
capital, by participation IN the stock, the mcrchnn.
| the machauic, The farmer by the market both OF
| purchase and sale OF every article required ~ the
management of the concern, and for the sunny
of all the wants of numerous individuals occupied
| IN and by the establishment. Ii would be 4 very
unfair and unjust estimate of these manufactures
To conSi or them, they sometimes represent
cd, the estates of idle and pamporcd lordngs fat
tcnIng upon tho taxation of the indiYcnt. They
arc tho abodcS of llbor:ous industry-,hc priuci-
paliics of the dcstitutc-thc palaces of the poor
| OF these establishments considerable number
was formed during the restrictive system which
preceded the war-a much greater number during
the war itself. They were then fostcred by all the
obstacles which the itself intcrposed to pro-
tcct them from the competition of importa-
| tons from abroad, and by the double duties of
| impost upon all articles thus imported. The re-
storation o. peace was formidable crisis of their
late. The double duties soon repealed. The
SuSn oil foreign importatlons, upon the opening
VI the sluccs OF commerce so long closed, glutted
|
| threatened with universal ruin. At the very close
oil the war they had by the act of Congress- of
18TH January, 1915, been hca willy visited with tax
alton themselves, and those duties only were re-
pcaicu cotemporaneously with the tariff act of
eth April, 1916.
| This act has been recently said to be only tariff
| Tor revenue; but the internal evidence which il
carries with 1T is amply sufficient provo the err
| ror OF that assertion.
1t contains u graduated scale of ad valorcm cu
ties upon dicrcct articles from I per cent to fit.
Teen, to twenty, to twenty-five, and to thirty per
cent. and this graduation is obviously adapted TO
the condition of the several articles according as
thoy stood In competition with similar articles
| nuiacturod within our country.
Inc system OF connecting the protection of do
mcstin industry with the collected by tho
duties OF impost, has, therefore, received it's priu-
cipai development since the conclusion of the last
war with Great Britain. 1t has been, in truth, no
other than Il development of the faculties of tho
nation In the progress of its Improvement
| Ihs system, Mt three several periods, has under
gone full and dcberative revision by the I.egis-
lalivc Councils OF the Union; at intervals between
winch two elections OF members of the House of
Representatives. had intcrvencd-in the year 1920
1854, and 1898. 1t has, at every one of those sue
cessive periods, acquired strength in the opinions
OF the people, and of their Representatives in
Congress AT lis first establishment, however, it
met with opposition from that geographical section
OF the Union which it was for,:cen would derive
from the least advantage, and that opposition has
increased, at every stage of revision which it has
Undergone Inc discussions upon the several ta
rltiS which have obtained the sanction of Congress-
have increased i'll animation, and the collisions of
interests between the different SC ctons of the In
on, have sharpcncG into conflict, which, spread
ing from the Halls of Congress among the peopIc
OF these sections, threatens the permanently of
the Union itself. They have led TO the arguments
which 1t has been of the principal objects of
TINS Report to meet and to reiuc. OF these argu-
mentS, that which contests the Constitutional
power of Congress to protect the manufactures of
f1S ion e
foreign nations has arisen from this controversy
III had never been advanced at the early periods of
legislation under our present organization. To
prove that Constitutional power has therefore bccn
the earnest endcavor of this Report. But waiy
ing that question altogether, if it be admit ed that
the operation OF this system of taxation is unequal
: upon the different sections of the Union-that it
iavoTS one portion OF our common country while
it acts opprcSsivcly upon auo.hcr-that alone in
the opinion OF the Committee, Is Il conclusive rra-
son for abandoning the system, or for so modify
ing it as TO remove the inequality against which
Inconsistencies earnest have been made TO
abandon il altogether, ii would seem to be neccssa
ry to rcnOunce the whole system OF raising a rcvc
nue. by mpost For, if it be true that duties of inn
post are paid, not by the consumer of the article
but by the producer of the article exported i'm nav
mcnt Tor 1T, this result is equally applicable
the duty OF mpost be levied for protection or for
revenue. The object is against the lcvying OF du
Ties by mPos altogether; and if Tie conclusions of
inns argument were correct, if it were trne that
the extraction OF revenues from taxation by inpost
resulted III an inequality of burden upon the differ
ont sections of the Union the Committee would
have no hesitation i'll declaring il as their opinion
that the whole system of taxation should be
changed; and that all custom houses should he
closed Tor ever. Duties of impost not the only
means OF raising revenue, even the only inca ms
OF protecting our domestic industry. If duties of
lmpoS necessarily result III burdens on one portion
OF the community for the benefit of another in
stead Oh coming to the conclusion that those two
portions oil The community are under the influence
ol interests so damctricay opposite to each OF err
that they cannot continue members of one social
compact, tic Committee would rather say, abandon
your system OF taxation, false your revenues by d
rect taxes or by excise; tax your lands; tax your
polls stamp our evidences of title of debts; fax
| the TODD OF your people; tax the windows and the
| furniture of your dwelling houses; tax as other
nations have done, and do he air that you breathe
| and the light of Heaven that visits your eycs-but
| abandon at once your mpost duties, and never
dissolve your Union but with death
Before to this extremity however,
the Committee believe it tho duty of Congress to
use every cXcrtioD i'll their power conciliatc with
each other the two great interests which The course
| OF events has brought into direct collision. The
| occasion is now presented of accomplishing that
| obJccG but III removing and correcting that inc
quality OF which the citizens of one section of our
| country complain, it is incumbent upon the com
mon Legislative protectors of the People to beware
in removing oppression from part of the Uni
on, of transferring it to another. Especially to
beware of converting-pcrhaps the more proper
term would be of pcrvering-the new and unex
amPcd blessing of release from taxation, into a
! fire which shall consume all the manufacturing
establishments of the country.
| If We compare the picture Of national prosperity
| presented in the Message Of the President of the
! United States at the commencement of the SEES
sion with the representations Of the condition of
& by NyI,o linn,