The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1843-08-10

age possessed by any other State in the
Union.
Correspondence of /. Y. Weekly Express.
To the People IN general, and 10 The
members Of the new Congress in par
hcular.
Fellow Citizens.-The only legiti-
mate mode of paying a public debt
is by public taxation.
Various modes of taxing arc adopt
ed, some dictated by cunning and ar
tifice when a government being afraid
to act openly with the people, man
age TO bleed them in Unseen parts.
But one thing is certain-no govern
ment can raise money for public pur-
poses without adopting some form OF
taxation, or drawing from the people
in some shape or other the means re-
CURED.
The node now generally deemed
the most acceptable is by imposts-
that is by duties on imports. The
leading reasons why this mode meets
more favor, is found in the belief, first,
that duties imposed on imports fall
on he consumer, who can by self de-
NAL or economy limit the tax on him
self, and he who can afford to con
sumo most, pays the most tax. Sec
ondly, a duty on imports is pro tanto
a protection to the producer of SINH
lar articles at home. These reasons
with others that couldbe mentioned,
aid in renderingthis mode of raising
money eastobjectionablet 10 the mass
of the people. Governments generally
are found most willing to adoptit in
preference to any other, because Il
more direct system of taxing might
render the governingpower offensive
to the mass.
A Tariff of duties for revenue,
measurably ceases to produce even
ue when it reaches protection, provid-
ed similar articles on which a duty
is imposed can be produced at home.
Take for example hemp, tea, sugar, or
any leading %staple-let all duties on
these be removed, and it is certain
they can't well be produced here for
the simple reason that the people in
other countries where they are pro-
duced, are compelled to live as our
people will not consent to live. If
our miners and manufacturers, and
hemp growers would consent to live
as those Of other counties do, we
might compete with the serfs of Rus
STA, and the operatives of England
and other nations. We impose then
a duty for revenue and protection both
finding that a duty for revenue
only will not protcct-a certain rate
Of duty say twenty per cent on GER
tain productions, would bring more
revenue than a duty Of one hundred
per cent, because al the former rate
we may only reach a portion of the
advantages the foreign producer pos
sesses through longer practice and
better skill, and also by the small
share the laborer gets for his labor
(small wages and little or no meat.)
But by imposing the latter duty, or
one that more than overbalances those
advantages, thenthc duty is protective
the revenue ceases, for the foreign
supply cases, and the home supply
increases.
Thus may be seen the line that
separates a duty for revenue from a
duty for protection. In the one case
the treasury Of the nation is filled at
the expense of the industry of the
people, and in the other, the treasury
box is scantily supplied, whilst the
pockets of the people are filled, land
their bellies too) by the fruits oftheir
labor.
If this position is true-(and it
challenges contradiction)-then the
question, the very simple question,
between the people and their law
makers and public servants, is this
20 A large public debt exists in
the shape Of State securities, signed
and sealed by State authority a debt
contracted with good intentions, to
raise means TO contribute to public
benefit, and this debts to be paid.
Itcan only be paid by taxes-and
two modes of taxing arc alone pre-
sented. One is for the General Gov
eminent to adopt a,strictly revenue
tariff, which shall admit foreign pro-
auctions, and which duty shall be SO
adjusted as to shut out nothing, or in
other words, have no protective feature
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