Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1842-09-21
Congressional.
II

Tariff and The ReSTicfire Policy: deRc-
cred in the House Of Representatives.,
June 20. 1912.
The House helm. in Committee of The
" hole on The stale of the Union. aud The
tariff bill being before them fer cons;dera-
tion-
Mr.. PlCKENS. Of South Carolina, nd.
dressed the committee as follows:
Mr.. CHAIKEAS: The bill upon your ia
Bile has ,wo obiects-rhe first 10 raise re.
venue for tho wants of ,hr government !;
and, secondly, to afford. by restriction,
protection TO large interests connected with
| domestic manufactures. !, wii! be my nb-
| iect, a, present, TO confno myself princi
paily 10 the frs, branch of the subject. and
reserve wha, may havc 10 say on other
topics to some other stage Of this discus
sion.
The chairman Of the Committee Of
WAYS and hleaus (Mr. Fillmore) has cs-
,ima,ed that S27 100000 Of net revenue
W ~ necessary for the annual expenditures
Of this government; and. hy his bill, he
proposes 10 raise lha, revenue exclusively
ou, of the foreign imporlatiuns Of The couu-
try. The gross amount proposed to be
raised is S32 900 OG0; but $4,000. GOO arc
allowed for expenses and drawbacks. If
| | understand him correctly, he rested his
estimates and calculations upon supposed
| average Of imports 10 The amount Of Sl07,
600. .00U. From this be deducted SIS.
600 600 Of goods re- shipped or re.expor,ed,
upon which duty would be refunded in The
| shape Of drawbacks. or would not be col.
| lec,ed under wnrehoasing system. This.
then, would leave $50, 600 600 of imports
from which revenue would be collected
Tbeu, again, from this would be deducted
near Si2.0GO.000 Of free ar,icles-abour
$4,000. 900 in specie. and S6000.000 in
free goods: in all. Sl2.0U0,000 We then
have balance Of $1,000, ,G00-or. he
lieve. according ~ the calculation of the
chairman. $4,000. .000-oul OF which you
are TO collect taxes TO the amount Of ST.
5OO,G0O. This, then. would amount to a
general average OF abou, lhity six (36)
per cent. Thirty six per ceui. upon ST.
600, 600 would be S27 100000. Now. the
srea, practical question for this committee
and The couulryi is, eau that amount be
| raised from foreign commerce, in the pre-
sen, stale of The commercial world!
There never was n period when more
E;sshersiss ssnf pcfsadedttewhois
community. Not only are the finances Of
this government, in low aud difficult silu-
alton. but the States are (many Of them)
| in a Ear worse condition. The corporations
and companies Of associated wealth in The
States, Together with individual citizens,
are all under the deepest embarrassment
and pros,raliou. Taxation, al this juno
ture. is a question Of the decpcsl interest to
all portions Of this cummuniiy. And why
Is il that foreign commerce should be Sc
! lccicd as the sole source Of al enormous
revenue TO support wasre(ul government!
| l. commerce more prosperous Ihau other
branches of national industry Why
should We burden i, exclusively! There
never was q period when il needed more
your fostering care. The chairman (Mr.
F,Ilmorc) cannot drive me into a discus
s,ou upon drec, taxation or exciscs. am
not to he drawn off upon any collateral
issues he may choose to rni,e, by way Of
diver,ing public attention from the unjust
and-imprac,icable provisions OF the bill
upon Your table. hold him to discus.
sion upon the specific measure he has pro-
posed. lie must prove the Affirmative. |
shall advance the negative. He being in
power. and AT the head ut the finance COM
millee. it is with him and his party To sus-
tain the credit of the government. and show
The soundness OF his measure for that pur-
pose We have no power left. but 10 ex-
urniue the specific measures proposed. We
have before Us. II present, tax of 80 per
cent. upon S77, 10000 worth Of imports.
advocated as the great aud only measur"
10y which YOU arc 10 raise S27OOO,OOO OF
revenue. shall not ut present discuss
the question as to who is To pay this tax.
| shall not say that 1t falls entirely upon
the producer of those cxpnr,s which are
exchanged for The imp"riatious that you
design TO tax by his bill. Blu, the doctrine
lha, i, falls exclusively upon the consu.
mer, is as far from truth TO say the least
Of iD as to say ,ha, falls upon The produ-
Ger. As well might you any that dircc,
tax upon houses will fall exclusively upon
consumers. The arsumeu; in tha, case
| house would reimburse himself for the iii.
rec, Tax in the increased price OF rent. So.
! in like manner. the same arsurneu, would
be advanced u, to The operation Of excise
duties. The producer of the domestic
goods. upon which an excise might be le
WED, would indemnify himself in the en-
HANGED price ot his article when sold.-
But. sir, is this true! Ii might he il you
could get the enhanced rent. or the in
creased price upon the goods sold. II is
clear that. If il could be got with the tax
imposed, il could also be got without the
tux. The truth! is, that the Tax, whatever
! il may he, aud whatever form il ma. as.
sumo, falls finally, for the most part, upon
productive labor, in all its branches. An
impos, tax falls, in the firs, instance, prin-
cipally upon the producer of exports, by
lessenins demand abroad; and, in the Sc
cond instance. upon all branches of do
mestic labor and capital, connected with
commerce; and, in The third instance. upon
The consumer. Il finally falls upon the
producer, The merchant, and the consumer;