The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-08-13
REMARKS OF
Mr.. JOHN HASTINGS, OF OHIO,
ON THE TARIFF BILL.
Delivered in the House Of Representatives.,
On the 9th July. 1912.
Concluded.

Delivered in the House Of Representatives.,
On the 9th July. 1912.
Concluded.
Yet, before proceed, and to avoid being misun-
dsrs ood let me do justice to my candid intention by
adding that there those OF other Glasses and pro-
fessions who will study the general good and egis-
late periodically the farmercertainy there are
and Heaven forbid that it should be otherwise; but
mean for farmers to have, in the general sense,
share of legislators more essentially of themselves
this Aoor and the business of the country will be
more impaItiay done, and agricultural interests,
which are the primary ones will have that justice
melted out to them which they are entitled to-
How comes it, in this Tax will, that you levy du-
ty leather of from 33 to 40 per cent and the same
shoes, while on dry and sailed hides you lay du-
~ only OF about from 5 to 10 pei cent, giving be
advantage hun, the farmer, of from 25
to 30 per cent? How it that you lay duties of
from 10 to 90 per cent wooen fabrics, and only
per cent wool of cents down, thereby giving the
manufacturer advantage of IS to 60 per cent. over
the farmer You aware that the farmer has
nearly the whole of the that support his State
and county governments to pay, yet in this bill you
the harness leather for his horses and his shoes
40 per cent tho and steel for his ploughs
and harrows, and spades and shovels and hoes and
pttchorks and log-chains, and horseshoes, and wag
ontire, some IS per cent. his sugar SO to IS per
cent his wfe's pots and pans, and cups and sau-
GERS, 80 per cent. the an-climate products that
he cannot raise his farm, in his garden such
tea, coffee, and Spices 100 TO $50 per CENT
the very bullet that he puts in his rifle to shoot per-
haps, the enemies of his country, 100 per cent. /;
is be favored with five per cent. the former and
from TO 10 per cent. the latter, both at present
duty free Besides doing injustice the farmer by
importing coarse wool duty Free doing it to the
country, by discouraging its increase. Look at the
condition of our soldiers during the last on the
Canada frontier La whole regiment, in the dead of
winter, without blankets What is the consequence
of this diAerential duty on wool, in Oho2 Nearly
the whole of the sheep this State are less
of the fine wooded breed the farmer naturally looking
to the duty favoIed article above cents. Wretched
policy, in legislation, think do not know what sol-
diers blankets like now but know that years
ago, when had occasion to know them through an
acquaintance with a contractor manufacturer, they
were composed chiefly of cheap wool from South Anne
RIGA, kind of long hair, it might have been called,
that had to be chopped up with axe, containing
very little more warmth than horse-hair and these
some at least of the blanket appliances furnish
ed that day the soldier who fought the battles
his country, to protect him from the incemencies of
winter weather.
May not the farmer, with great propriety, ask the
advocates of such extraordinary dscrmnative taxes,
what they mean do they mean to tax him for them
selves, but not themselves for him? Well, be this
it may have hesitation in pronouncing that
when he comes understand the matter, he will,
said BEFORE enforce justice at the ballot box he will
permit such injurious discriminating differentiai
taxation, matter how specious in pretext. He
knows, to be sure, that indirect taxation cannot be
equal in its operation results, but it can be in its
special detail and provisions. He wishes to pay
cheerfully his share of supporting his Government,
but, of course, unwilling that more should be i'm
posed on him by partial Legislation TIE farmers, Mr.
Chairman, in Ohio, at least, making progress in
the investigation Of this thing of indirect taxation,
and am of opinion that there can be no false issue
devised that will divert them from it their attention
il turned to the truth-that they The broad indus
trial class of the community bear the heaviest charges
towards supporting Governments, Federal and State,
and that it s therefore, incumbent on them 10 see that
the indirect taxes with which they burdened to
that effect be levied equally and impartialy, by
avoidance Of the dlscrimnative sophlsry and the i'm
posing falaces belonging to it,
Their Investigations will carry them also into the
field of discrimination which occupies Congress at
this moment, but it will be to discriminate between
fact and fiction, soundness and sophstry practice and
profession between impartial legislation for the
WHOLE and partial legislation for class, and privilege
and local interest, and sectional pursuit: and be-
tween undsguised direct taxation, and cloaked and
hooded tortuous, insidiOus nsinuatng, indirect tax
alton. And they will investigate too, the principle,
rather scheme of Observation-Disclosures where it is
special policy, it is not positively opposed to Demo-
cratic institutions, and whether the object of tariff
of protection is called has not in all been
antagonstical to the benefit of the whole People of
have the experience, the positive evidence before our
eyes, the situation and oppressed condition of the
lacorlng population of those countries that have at
all times had the highest rates of duties Ostensbly
the intention held forth is to benefit the community
whole, but that object has yet been attain
ed the result is to increase the wealth of the veal
thy. 1t has two-fod purpose-to stimulate certain
productions artifcally, and thereby produce large
surplus and indirectly to increase taxation, while
both nure to the advantage of the few and wealthy,
A. otc <h, ynll
and the wealthy being invariably the great tax
sumers. If there is to be dominant interest in a
Republic, the general agricultural is the only one
that should be permitted-any other would be dam
gerous to free Government, and absorb nearly all le
gislation In saying general agricultural mean
as it is in country ndividualised, not where it
can be controlled in masses
As a surreptitious dominant interest, we will in
stance banking, which had well nigh corrupted the
whole legislation of the Republic; the mercantile
and next, it would seem, will follow the manufactur-
ing, unless controlled in time The general legisa-
ton of the country has been almost exclusively for
these particular interests while the agricultural has
scarcely been thought of.
The American Union, consisting of such power
full galaxy of sovereign Republics to be really happy
and independent should be neither exporting nor
an importing PEOPLE particularly they should, in the
aggregate do every thing within themselves rs far as
possible. The evils accruing from over imports ara
obvious and those attendant over exports, beyond
the imports the result Of improper state of
cietv, for the surplus production of no country will
be very great unless it be artically caused by an
undue inequality in the state of its populationthe
many working exclusvelyIfor the profit of the few.
Money is power commensurate with its uses /; mo
ney in diffusion is power in diffusion; that is, money
in the Peoples pockets is power difused among the
People; therefore the People should not permit one
dollar more to leave their pockets through the scheme
Of taxation than will be sufficient for the necessary
expenses of their Government it is abstractng pow
from diffusion to concentration taking it from the
People and giving it to the Government--very unwse
in Republic. Above all, action towards weakening
di6used power in the People and concentrating it in
the Government, the device of indirect taxation on
consumption is the most nsdous in progress and par
tia in operation. But trust that the farmers and
workers viii put all these things to rights for if they