Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-03-14


if no, universally taught in the institutions OF learning
throughout Chri,tendm 10 Wing aud Tory Liberal an"
Conservative, Democrat and Fcdcia'i>t, ana mus sac
toned by the general assent of the learned, Tie Prac
cal and the experienced, whenever and wherever pecn
mary ntcres, has controlled The expression OF opinion
Such free trad teaches that, the true interest oil every
People to admit the products Of other nations Tree from
all save revenue duties matter what Restrictions vi
prohibitions on imporations may be imposed oy o'ter ;
unless temporary retaliation IS likely 10 hoGce ie re-
movai of those restrictions ami prohibitions. While We
the advocates OF free trade, thus understood ana
hope for its future attainment, we are content uhaer
the present exigcncies oil The nation, 10 acqesce III
what inevitably entails protection, TO some extent, by
agreeing TO moderate "hori-ontai scale o1 duties ad
hitting all imports whether coming into competition
with domestic products or not the terms, or
discriminating for revenue only. This alternative IS
asseoted to- in order that there may be for the
imputaton Of Interfering with or violating established
interests. At the tinc, ii is certain, that duties
intended as a tax 10 support Government, aud
TO be levied fairly aud equally on all property, IN
tere,s, and occupations, must discriminate against
protection, and be laid chiefly o. those imports whch
do not into competition 18th domestic proiucts
else the sugar planters, aud owners OF salt aud iron
works. and such like interests would each, on imports
similar to his products, not only pay no part oil
the tax, but would receive on The advanced price OF
those products vastly than the aggregate tax paid
by them 10 Government, on all the imported articles
consumed by them. Thus, under q horizontal scale oil
duties some Of the wcalihest interests in society
would be wholly exempted from the support OF Co.
yernment, and the accumulated burden be thrown on
the shoulders of the rest oi their fellow czcns.-
IT, then, fairness and equality of taxation require
discrimination asaia, The protected Interests how
hagranty unus; aud n!quitous is it 10 discriminate III
their favor and lay the highest duties on those articles
which equality of taxation demands should be subjected
to the least 1t is also obvious, that the largest and
most permanent may be raised BY taxing most
heavily articles produced solely abroad because such
taxation cannot stimulate anlagonsc domestic pro-
ducions and thus end in prohibition. Equality,
however in tie imposition Of duties on all imports,
is all now demanded and such NANTES justice should
be accorded in Difference less TO the spirit Of
the Constitutions than the true policy OF the IA
ton In lieu OF tie observance OF these sound and
liberal principles, under the Ubiquitous law OF ISL,
the rapacty oi protected interests has oustIipped
even the dictates Of cautious policy and ny craving all
has sipnally exhibited the fully and INJUSTICE alike 10
the Government and the people OF allowing ,hem any
thing The Distribution system expected 10 serve
both as a preext aud for the Imposition of high
protective duties and had such protective duties real
lied the rapacious expectations ot IT'S projectors, wond
have amounted the taxation of the whole people, in
order 10 effect the distribution of the nett proceeds after
the deduction of the double expenses of collection and
disbursement, in unequal measure back 70 the same
people, through their organs, the State Governments
The failure however OF the Tariff, through It's own
excess even sufficient Tor the wants OF
the Government, has made the Distribution system
amount the yet glazing absurd " OF borrowing
money the faith OF the Government, itself P'anged
in debt and needy borrower, IN order 10 give 1t away
in unequal proportions among the people VIII" are to be
burdened with payment. THIS, II - ina niaIred, is
palplbly the ei-c oil any Distr button Law for, how
ever it NAV be pretended that such ds!rihu MI
10 be made OF the proceeds OF the public land sales -
clear the casua! observatory that the Withdrawal!
Of such proceeds from the ordinary revenues o: The
Government imposes the necessity OF raising an equa.
amount by taxation; and if that expedIent fa under
the present Ubiquitous Tar IT, 1t has failed Of raising
equivalent amount by loan.
Ii is, perhaps, impraccabe for humnn foresight to
perceive all the nsdcus tendencies o the dstrb uon
policy for the subyetsion of Safe sovereignty and in
dependence and the corruption OF free citizens INTO
mere stipe diaries of Federal bounty; but OF its
most palpabe evils strike every man
1t would be bad enough (to take illustration from
Internal Improvement by the General G"vernnentl
TO have the national treasure collected from ALL ex
pended b. the nat.onal councils 10 np-nvcm n's
within particular States though to have the pfeence o;
ustifica,ion such improvements when undertaken By
Congress must have appearance of nationality
recommend them; but tar gr,evou5 would IL be
TO have treasure belonging 10 the nation al large ap
propriated at the WILL and according 10 the c0prces OF
each State upon perhaps the petes local objects
Under distribution system what too becomes Of tiie
control which the people of each Sale entitled 10
exercise over their State Governments, and the hap
py restraints which prevail over the Stale Lcglsla
lures by reason Of their direct responsibility to
their constituencies The amount 10 be paid by
the people of State for their State Governments
would not be determined by them exclusively,
but by the National Congress, IN which Their voices
would be but amon1 many. The expenditures
of each State Government would not b. restricted
BY the liability Of It's Legislature TO answer 10 the
people for the taxes imposed, but would BE- gnagsd
by the lberal,ty of the Federal Master, and deter
mined BY the quota its caprice might dole to its
nendicant States The taxes of the CT neral Govern
ment being indirect it would be impossible to
tain and return to each State, the effort indus
triously made the amount It's citizens had com,rbut
ed and so one would profit by the hard earnings of
another But The effort is not attempted, and
TO the Southern States the system is most ineqnta
bic We contribute 10 taxation proportion To con
sumption, and BY our slaves consumption IS believed
TO be very nearly equal 10 that OF the Tutoring class
es among the whites Of other States We receive
back however, upon them but a. the rate OF three.
fifths while the other two-fths, taken from the
sumption Of slaves Is divided among the white
classes OF other States. Suppos,ng, however, by
some unthou sh,-o! mode of calculation aud di>,rbu-
ton the amount OF revenue contributed by each
State be ascerta'ned and returned how monstrous 10
take from the people Of each the r'gh, Ia determine
the amount OF its contributions for its purposes
and how than idle, how corapng, 10 take from
.bem their money TO return il alter the subtract
ing of the expenses OF 'chng it from hem by insldI
Gus legislation, back to their pockets.
In the Address of the Republican Convention Of the
2nd February, 1912, this Distribution policy was dis
cussed with the comp:ehensNcncs cioquencc and force
for which lis lamened author, John l. l.oaday, was
emneuty distinguished. 1t last Spring elections,
il was the great issuc Wiih that argument hands,
we went before the people at the last Spring elections
and they rendered most decisive verdict in favor.
That issue presented, opponents thought, in
the most advantageous aspect fer them. The Dsri1u-
button law had been passed in the teeth OF our opposition
and the question wheAc. an agent should be ap-
ponted to receive the money Oar party thought il was
not only wrong violate the Constitution themselves but
10 take advantage of lis violation by others Entertaining
this opinion they resisted the reception Our opponents
seeking to take advantage of the unproptous condition
OF the monetary affairs both OF the people and the Co
vernment and appealing 10 what they supposed 10 be the
irresistible necessities OF the cou:ry Loudly proclaimed
the issue to he, ''money or no monty" We met ticn
upon this their own ground and the people taught them
al ,tc polls that they neither so soi, ire
colut. az Federalism has ever considered them The
Executive cf the State N 4 manner deserving
eaton refused 10 appoint agent authorised b! the
Distribution law. The question came before the
Assembly tts WHITES with this difference Al the last
session of the legislature, iirgnias portion of the land
fund was varlously estimated at from 100000, to