The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1842-02-11

cognsant with the affairs OF Government, may
be deluded by the term, but every gentleman upon
this floor knows that "tarif" is but another word
for "taX." Let me expain-not for the under
standing OF gentlemen present, but of those who
may not be 80 well informed upon the suhect, and
who may possibly give my remarks pcrusa-
| The Government Of the United States, in all It's
various departments Of civil, military aud naval,
is supported mainly by this system Of indirect tax-
alton. In the State which have the honor in pant
10 represent the Government is supported by direct
tax, Every man is presumed to be taxed acc, rd-
Ing TO his property and knows distinctly what he
pays. But the general Government is supported
by the tariff system; by indirect taxation. Let me
enlarge little. BY the laws Of tho United States,
n great proportion of the almost innumerabo num-
Der and variety ofarticles, which arc imported in
TO this country from foreign nations, are not per-
nilted to be landed and sold without first paying
TO the Government duty,o certain per cent, upon
the amount so imported, This is the case whelh-
or the articles are made ana manufactured in foreign
countries or are the growth and products Of for
eign climes. Such is the case with woOllcn, cot
ton, linen and silk goods with tea, coffee, sugar,
and molasses, salt, iron, steel, and thousands Of
other articles which are imported into this country,
and which might be enumerated Upon some IL
duty of 20 per cent. or Of twenty dollars upon cV-
cry hundred, is charged and collected; npon 9TH
ers less; and upon some, more. The duties are
paid at the place where the goods IRE entered,
whether at New York, Boston, Philadelphia, or al
whatever city the vessel may land; and the mer-
chant who imports them and pays the duty, Of
course charges so much more for the articles when
he comes to sell them. The city retailer, or the
country merchant, who purchases of the wholesale
importer in the Cities has also 20 pay higher or
IL, nrIon far ibn Nyb Ihpv he
in proportion TO the high or low duties, And in
turn when he sells 10 his customers, has to charge
them in the same way; So that, at last, it is the
man who wears the coth-whose family uses the
tea and the colce-who has upon his farm hoe,u
spade, or an axe, these ME the people who pay the
duties and support the Government. And thus in
proportion as the rate of duties Is increased, the
consumer, who buys and uses the articles, what
ever they may be, pays an increased tax; and in
proportion as the rate is decreased, The consumer,
pays diminished tax. This rate Of duties is cal
led the tariff of duties and the tariff is consequent
~ high or low, rs the duties are high or low. ly-
cry man can see therefore, that the tariff is in
creased or diminished and he pays higher or
lower price for his goods, so are his taxes incrcas-
ed or diminished And the poor man who uses
pound of tea in his family, pay just as much tax
for that article rs he who is worth his millions
does for the same quantity.
Now, sir, permit me TO examine, for few mo-
mcnts, this principle Of protection, shout which
we hear 50 much. We have manufactured in this
country many goods Of the same kinds as those
which are manufactured in foreign countries, and
imported uo this might instance great num-
bcrs, but will name only two, woolen and cotton.
Broahcoths and cassimeres ,shilngs and shecing',
and the gicat variety Of wOolen and cotton ia
IA mn mn nr m ftpt IA md
foreign countries, and the protective lnriIf man
contends that duties should he laid 50 hgh upon
the forcing goods, as to keep them all or nearly al
out Of the American market, and thus enable the
manufacture here 10 have the sole control of bust
ness. | will take n case, III order to make myself
more clearly understood. We will suppose that,
in accordance with the views and wishes of the
manufacturers at Lowell, Massachusetts, Congress
shall proceed to lay duty Of fifty per cent upon
cotton CLOTH so that If u hundred dollars worth of
that fabric shall be imported into this country, il
will have to pny duty of fifty more, and then Of
course be sold for one hundred and Gly. lfthere
were no duty, the goods could be purchased for
one hundred dollars, and that heing the rate for
which imported cloth could be bought, the Low
ell cloth would of course he sold for the same n
mount, fof the same quality. But the duty off
~ per cent. on the foreign article raises the price
thus much, and the Lowell manufacturer advances
the price of his goods in the same proportion -
The Lowell manufacturer, however, is enabled to
sell the same quantity for less than one hundred
and fifty dollars, and thus control the market and
prevent nporlailOns. Whenever, therefore, du-
ty Ia so high MS TO stop imporlaticns, i, is pocc-
tive duty, because it protects the manufacturer
from importing competition. II shuts out all for
cirn goods Of the same kind In cuse he can manu-
facture his cloth MS cheap as the foreigner, then
he reaps the full amount ofthG tuty, being n clear
profit of fifty, dollars for every hundred. But sup
posing he cannot manufacture it for css than one
hundred and twenty dollars, still he makes his tlir-
~ dollars. This duty being 50 high no importa-
lions take place, and consequently 10 revenue is
collected for the Government; but the whole duty
is for the protection and benefit of the manuclctur-
or, and for him alone. And, sir, the people who
purchase the coni, all the various classes of socie-
~ who use it, are paying this fifty per cent tax for
the protection and enrichment Of the manufacturer
This case which have traced ont Is supposable
one, and | have stated it in round numbers for the
purpose of Illustrating the principle of protection
have calculated it ns clearly as can in 50 brief
Il manner; but believe sufficiently plain 10 hold
up 10 view The injustice o! The protective system
There can be no injustice in the whole body of the
people paying twenty, thirty. forty, or fifty per
cent Tor the benefit oil one class any more than Tor
another. Such course, it is true, enriches the
manufacturer, but it begglls the consumer, and
bankrupts the Government. DO gentlemen tell US
that we ought to be willing 10 submit TO this tax
because the manufacturer buys your produce and
your cotton and that we should be proud Of pro-
ccling the Anne lean against the foreigner sir,
permit me 10 say That this argument is f.llacious
and deceptive in the extreme. The manufacturer
cn.1ot purchase and cCnsnme scarcely hundrcdh
part Of our agricultural products. We must, sir.
have foreign market for our producing classes, il
we would enrich those classes. Why, sir, during
the past ten years the exports Of our own produ-
tions to foreign nations have averaged about one
hundred millions Of dollars annually. The value
Of our domestic exports during the past year, a
mounts to SlO6,O59, 6sj. This immense amour,
cannot be consumed at home We are an -gricul-
ura people. The great source of our wealth
growers gu, Of The earth; and, although by this
=" American SYSTEM" we may proicc, and enrich
the manufacturer, yet we do it not so much at the
expense of the foreigner at the expense of the
great mass Of American producers and consumers.
Bat who is the manufacturer that is thus protect
edi II i, your oyerarown, mammoth establishments,