The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-08-11
REMARKS OF
MIR. JOHN HASTINGS, OF OHIO,
ON THE TARIFF BILL.
Delivered in The House Of Representatives.,
On the 9th Jsly, 1912

Before proceed Mr. Chairman, to notice some o
the details and bearings of this tax bill from the Com
miitee of Ways and Means, that may have escape
the attention eft gentlemen who have preceded me- Ie
state fact that may be worth consideration ant
induce reflection All Governments that nave ever
read of up 20 the prescott time, whether desPo.'ns
limited moDarchies, republics, or oiher 'aie,y' al
agree in one common feature--,drtng iaoo 70 "e 70
lief of eapitaI With an occasional alteration or so
this is the oppressive un ust action OF all ana oa
policy or what you will il is evidently Aihu oi niue
rent instructive, sympathetic secre, 'ha' 'ney a., ""
delstand and agree in II rs tue thee Is some u',
ence occasionally among Governments IN the ihode
or nrocess of abstracDg from the labor OF the many
to aggrandize the few, to comie the INDUSTRIOUS "
support the idle The genun legitimate Iui-oiooa
ed despotism will do the summary, clear thng, az
once-cut of head carry of the property OF the
subject without question or ceremony out the more
refined Christian Governments 90 differently 10 WORK
by the action of a curious nice subtle, lnsnuaiing'
little operator of three letters called "ar they keep
grinding and squeezing, and scraping, and wearing
out the mind and body and property OF man. woman,
and child until all becomes exhausted, nothing iet
but the mere skeleton OF what has been Al the
sumo time the motive of action in all IS the saIneto
make the producer do the work. pay, and Tight whlle
the idle exclusive uxuraes and riots In the consump
ton of the fruits of the producers labor. AND our
own Government has been in the same habit since
ever have known it-taxlng labor TO the reiief OF
capital but a habit that am In hopes u VIII nave
to get rid of pretty soon by the hat OF the IeoPe o
il is very plain from the condition of The country, ana
the Governments embarrassed movements, that 1t is
behind the People and they will have to put u rish.
We all know that the Government must be support
ed and that has been maintained heretofore by the
income from the public domain and by indirect TAXA
ton called tariff or duties on IMPORTS and the OIL
before is OF the latter Description, ior the pup
lie lands are gone and by provision In the bill are
il seems to continue gone. Well, 1t is voiumnous
bill comprising fifty pages and an ABLY drawn up pi,
and well printed bl-but 1t appears to me, at least,
revenue bill that will be very difficult OF digestion,
and may not sit easy the stomachs OF those who
swallow it, unless made more pala,able and whole
some by remodelling and reconclng It's conflicting
proportions, removing its crudities, and substituting
more sound material.
In relation Mr. Chairman, to the amount OF mo-
ney to be collected from the People to dctray the ex
penses of their Government and no more, tue Will OF
NV constituents and the conviction of my own Judg-
ment is that heretofore, the first item OF revenue TO
be appropriate ed towards that purpose should be the
proceeds of the sales of the public lands and that the
indirect in the shape OF duties on Imports TO make
up the remainder should be levied equally and inn
partially in reference to the various industrial pur-
suits of the American People, as may be practicable.
And such is the guide by which will be directed IN
nv course upon this new tax bill; Dill that, to
man of plain simple, single-eyed purpose, indicates,
if it should become law series OF distracng and
pelexinp consequences to the sections, and classes,
and interests it may be supposed 1t Will beneh and
disturb and unhinge and dissasiy The stralgh-tor-
ward and more direct avocations that are not en-
braced in the scheme Such, believe, with the most
respectful Difference the committee that drew up the
bill will be the effects and results of the dispares
and partial tendencies ofts PROVISIONS whether for
protection positive or incidental for revenue OF for
ALL their discriminating operations will be perpexIng
and oppressive, and unsuccessful IN execution How
ever be that as it may my mind is single and sraght
forward upon the whole subject; in taxation, as IN
all other legislative action governed by insio-
late rrepressbe regard for the Peoples equal rights
in their pure entire amplitude believing that their IN
teprty is the only security for the pepetuaion of free
COVE nment. Under this firm convction l adhere to
the sentiments maintained during the extraordinary
session Of last summer, in my remarks on tins floor
when the Tax bill of that day was under discussion
perhaps may well quote the proposition itself
"As | put myself upon the plain, unerrlng, broad
ground of equality OF taxalion direct or INDIRECT and
that the Peoples rights, and the Constitution, and
the harmony of the Union through impartial axalon
imperiously demand in every act of legislation, an
entire, unqualified regard for this Democratic funda-
mental principle of fee government equal rghts-l
offer plain, simple proposition, arising out oi the
subject of this BILL and that Isl that the import duties
upon all products that raise in ouI soil, and
upon all fabrics that we can manufacture should be OF
ad valorem denomination, OF such per cen age as
would together with the proceeds OF the public lands
pay the expenses of the Government, and no more
that products which our climate will not permit TO
raise should in duty Free that the duties should
be paid in cash down, and that gold and silver; and
the fish bounty laws repealed" This is the general
proposition that submitted 10 The Peoples Represen-
Iaves for their consideration then, and | submit the
now with the incumbent addition of the neces
sary checks and guards against fraudulent invoices
and other revenue Manifestations having In this po-
stion single eye to the good of the whole, not per-
hitting my Imagination to be led away by particular
interest OF section clique, class individual. md
believe me, Mr.. Chairman, we mistake the matter
egregiously if we supp hat any other kind of in
direct taxing legislation will satisfy the will of the
American People generally; they have began to in
vestigate and scrunize closely the bearings and eff
fects of the taxing power in its application heretofore
their independence and prosperity and the hour
is rapidly approaching when they will contne its tx
ercse to impartial regard for the inviolability of
their equal rights do not think could do any good
by grabbing in the arcana ofhgures, and speculation,
and conjecture, of what the public expenses or ex-
portatons may be- what the imporation5 on
which TO predicate tax may be, for plenty has
been said upon all this to Inform and contound
and perplex have variety Of truth, error hypo-
thesis, calculation, and Imagination but one thing Is
certain and that is, that the public expenses, from
the way we going on, will be quite plenty and TO
spare for the people to paysome twenty five millions
at least, If not thiTty-ior need not talk about
what they might be with wisdom and economy,
had better speak of what they are and what the pco
pie will have to pay, what will be exac ed from labor
until they enforce salutary change themselves
they may think best As u the concctGra calculations
of importa,ons by taking the average of the last six
or seven years, " hch have beet, doing, think
we decevlng ourselves with the mere chickering's
of iancy-moonshine in well. Is not the scene
changed? Has not the paper money Illusion by
which the country was inundated with foreign mer-
chandise evapora,ed, leaving only "weck behind ?"
Or is it expected to revive again and deceive the peo
pie once more with its pictorial Establishments Have
not the States two hundred and twenty millions of
debt to pay, and the General Government upwards
OF twenty millions, and increasing prospect, am
airaidl And yet, we figure up heavy uporiaons
paper on which to levy tax through consumption
to pay expenses, interest, and debt ! No, sir we
may import and tariff we WILL but the people will
not buy; those who live upon the industry the labor
of others, may buy and get in debt again, but labor
itself, the great pay-ai cannot afford to buy what
have been heretofore called goods for they would
out evils as they have already done may be misla-
ken, but this is my opinion, and the clrcumsta noes
L..I ln0l