The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1842-07-27
From the EiOJe.
TAN ON COTTON BAGGlNG.

Tie bill now IN progress Dc!ofe th2 House
contains tax Oh Gotten haggimg O. i've cents
the sarare yard. Under The DILL of 1882, it was
three a"d half cc::;;ty the sqnar yard. And Mr.
UIvi:. ct i,ontuckv, admitted in his remarks
ti,t Tie manufacturer had fourished under this
duty, and that the manufacturers had trlpled Il!
tic last I2H years.
Tic chairman of !i,a committee, OR. FIJI
mrrc.) stated that t!:;S dnly Of five cents the
square ward was only about - per cent ad va
lurom; this shows total ignorance of the sub
iect The articles from Inverness Or Dundee
costs from ten To thirteen cents But the duty
is five cents the square yard, and the article Is
from forty two to iorty-tour inches wide. NOW,
l!l;rty-six inches square is the square yard; and
this leaves from six To eight inches by thrly-sN
inches Oh every running yard, 10 DC taxed over
the ten or thirteen cents the running yard which
is the cost of the article. Then, instead OF be-
inr - per cent. ad vaiCrcm, if the article cost
ten cents, il is five cents on the thlrty-sIX inches
square, besides the six by thirty SIX, winch
would also make very nearly onc cent additional
tax in the running yard-that is, icriy-tWo to
Ecrtv-lour inches wide. 1t would then, in fact
be very near six cents, it would be GO per cent
ad va!oram; ard if it cost thirteen cents, Ii
wonld be little over l5 per cent. This, then
is The tax in reality imposed upon the single ar
tic!es OF cotton bagglng. This differs, III o;ic
respect, lro'n any other article upon which you
impose faxcs. It is consumed exclusively by
the cotton planter. Tic argument as to other
things is, that they are consumed generally by
The whole community, and thus equAtlze tnchi-
sclves Ev all bearing them ai.c, according to
their consumption. But here is an article nI
prime necessity TO one class alone in the COM
lai;aiiy, uEon which tax is imposed OF the
h;uhest rate, under the bold and ignorant as
scr:;on that it is little below the gancra! daies
imposed upon other articles for revenue. II
take: with large bales Of cotton six yards, and
with small five 10 five and half yards per bale.
Enw, with The tax at six cents the running yard,
(?s we have sliown,) it amounts 10 iilirty-slN
cents per bale; and every planter who raises
100 bales, thus pays 80 dollars as a tax TO Ken
lucky to prepare his cotton for shipment, and is
a direct tax upon exports. We have not calcu-
lated the tax upon rope also. But suppose that
the cotton crop amounts to 2,000,000 bags. the
ax on cotton bagging would amount 10 $780,
O0O. Does any one suppose this Kind OF unjust
and reckless legislation is to last! II so he is
mistaken: for when the majority III Congress Is
changed, (and changed it will be,) the first
ching will lie to movc upon such objects as are
clearly unequal and unjust, and upon which an
unfair tax has been levied by the leaders of mo-
noDolv. The consequence of this unfair move
in the Kentucky delegation, 10 secure enor-
nous profits TO those few who have control over
the cotton hagging market, will be to endangcr
finally their stability and permanent prosperity.
The argument of MIR. Davis was, to protect
their labor;against the cheap labor of Asia, en-
gagged in furnishing a cheap article for cotton
baGging. sc. And yet we hear it said that Ash
a'ic cotton is destined to destroy American cot
ION planters by lis cheapness. H.ow, we sub
init if the gentlemen who make this cry ought
not also to have some regard for American labor
engaged in raising cotton, as well as that en-
gagged in cotton bagging; and yet they impose
taxes upon the producer OF the raw
material for the exclusive benefit Of their labor
in utter disregard Of the right and interests Of
those from whom they receive the greatest bcne.
lit. If these things arc persisted in, 1t will
drive the cotton planter to use his own cotton
for bagging, and to raise his own supplies en-
tirelv; and then the Kentucky monopolisers of
cotton bagging will be indebted to the eralted
,cisdom of their present Representatives for
having killed the goose for the golden egg.