The Ohio Democrat. [volume] (Canal Dover, Ohio) 1840-1900, 1842-04-21
BY KITCHENER & MATHEWs
From til q Union Democrat.
ATARIFF. .-

mers, Planters, Mechanics, LaboreTS,. Fro. .
fsssional Men, Merchants, &c. &c., when
laid for revenue only.
Before we proceed in our examination Of
the arguments in favor of Protective Tariff,
let Us further consider and illustrate the ef-
fecls Of Tariff taxation in general on the df-
feTent interests Of society. ,-,.-.
Al the present rate Of expenditure, il will
take at least thirty. FIVE millions Of dollars an
nuAlY TO carry on the Government and make
any progress in payment of the national debt.
This is two dollars head for every man, wo-
man and child, black and white in the United
States This amount is 10 be paid by tariff
Of duties on imported merchandise, equal to
one third of its value. -. -
Nov, who pays this taxa Thslo1ign pro
ducer or manufacturer does Eol pay ii!4or his
articles are sold TO our merchants before tits
collected. Our merchants themselves pay il
TO the government when they land the goods
in this country. But does it finally come out
Of the merchants2 Not at all, or only so far,
as they are consumers. They add the tax 10
the price Of the goods, with profit upon it,&
make the next purchaser pay it back 10 them.
The second purchaser and the third do the
came Thing, until the goods are bought for con
sumption by the Farmer, Planter, Mechanic,
Laborer, Professional man, and all others
who use or consume such articles. Ofcourse
il is these who ultimately pay the tax 10 the
government, increased by the profit Of one,
Two. three or more dealers Ifthe tax or du-
ty be thirty per cent, the profit Of the first pur,
chaser raises it TO at least thirty-hree & one
third 10 about forty-three, and go on, increas-
ing ten TO twenty-five per cent. as they pass
through the hands of each successive dealer.
But for the purposes ofilluslration, we villas
sumo that the duties are thirty per cent, in-
creased only to thr,y-lhree and one third
when they come into the hands oflhe consu-
mer. This Is an addition Of fifty per cent to
the price ofthe goods as it would be IL they
were not taxed.
The consequence is, thatih Farmer, Me-
ohanic, and other consumers pay FIFTY
PER CENT. more for what they buy than
they would otherwise have to pay.
What we are most anxious TO effect is, 10
make these classes fully sensible of the real
effect of this system upon their Industry and
interests.
Can It be the interest ofthe Farmer 10 make
him give THREE bushels Of wheat, corn,rye
oats, potatoes, or three pounds Of meat, but
ter, cheese, wool, &c. for that which would
otherwise cost him but TWO2
Suppose the government were to permit for
eign goods to come in free, thereby reducing
the:prces one third, and instead Of tariff,
were to station itN officers at the Farmers
doors to take for the use Of the government
one third of all the produce, meat, poultry,
wool, and whatever else they send out TO sell,
would they not consider ii monslrous taxi
II, instead Of a tariff adding. fifty per. cent.
to the price Of merchandise and groceries, The
government were to take from the Mechanic
and Laborer one third OF the money they now
spend for those articles,or rather should make
them work for the government one day out Of
three during the period now occupied by them
in earning that portion oftheir money, would
they no, consider il In'olerable -oppression2
There are no classes who spend larger
portion oftheir income 10 purchasing foreign
commodities tha Lawyers, Doctors, and Di-
vines. What interest have they 10 paying 5O
per cent more than the regular and fair price
for those commodl;iesl
And what interest have the merchants them
selves in this system2 They, 10 common with
the Farmers, are taxed fifty per cent. on their
consumption Of foreign commodities; and as a
class they consume more than any other Yet
it. bs not increase their profits. fla third of
the capital invested in goods were not requi-
red to pay the duty, they could purchase 6fiy
per cent more goods; and il one third Of the
Farmers and Mechanics surplus were not re-
quired TO refund this dptyto the merchants,
those classes we6ld buy more goods. The
consequence is, that the merchants, like the
farmers. are made by tariff 10 paya tax on
tho amount Of foreign goods consumed in their
families without the least return Indeed ahigIi
tariff is injurious 70 their business by lessen
ing, and in some cases annihIating the ability
ol other classes 10 purchase Of them.
Letus take another view Of The effects o.
Tariff Taxation upon the industry Of people
Trade, SO ia. as producers are concerned
10 but an interchange ofcommodities between
producerso OF different countries or Of the same
country. The merchants and all those en-.
ployed in buying, Transporting and selling. ar,
but the agents OF the producersI for thei
services out of the articles bought, uanspor
ted and sold, or out Of the moneys receive,
for them, (which amounts to the same thing,
If the producers could make these exchanges
without The aid Of ,hess agents, they %oll
gel much more-n return for their products
would enjoy among themselves the ENTIRE
A,,i1o IF I'M F,1utu nd,