Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1844-01-26

an affirmation Of the constitutional ripbt TO dis
crlnlnate, for protection; and, yet before closing
me paragraph he qualities il all away. 1t goes off
in vapor; for he proceeds thlisrs-
Equally clear it is, tbaf8e practice of making
them discriminatory has existed from the COM
nencGfnent OF the government, and constitutes a
feature in every principal tariff bill which is to be
found upon our statute book. They (discrimna-
tions) are, indeed, indispensable to the successful
operation OF every revenue bill there he puts on
the rerenue face) whether the design be to guard
against smuggling on the one hand, when the ma
lure oil the article is such as 10 afford facilities for
mat pracIice, or on the other, prevent loss TO the
~ easury ~ The imposition Of duties higher than
tho value OF the article will bear, and thus prohib-
lting lta introduction into the country"
Here is discrimination dotontodrd TO prevent
smuggling; and speciakcare not to have duty
imposed which may, isbhy case, amount to pro-
hibition. But now comes spice of protection
eff" he proceeds, "itbe, at any time, deemed
necessary TO the safety Of the country to encour-
age the manufacture at home, of the articles ne
cessary TO its defence in case of war, nothing can
be more proper than TO do so by discrimination
in favor of the domestic manufacture inasmuch as
the object in view is to promote the safety of all
at the expense ct ALL"
So then we must wait till we are threatened
with war, and in the condition in which the war
oil 1912 found us, before we may move step in
tho matter of protection. elf at any time, it be
deemed necessary or conducive to the safety of
inc country 10 encourage Inc fnanuIaclure OF drtl-
Giles necessary for defence in war; then nothing
can be more proper than discrimination" for that
object.
Having thus touched upon discrimination in
favor of domestic manuactures"--not, however,
for The purpose of protecting industry but to pro-
vide the means Of defence In war,-he strikes off
into very different sort of discrimination (dscri-
Iniuation TO let in articles free Of duly) in the fol-
lowing manner.
Determinations have constantly been made in
| favor of articles imported for the of phio-
sophical or literary societies, for the encourage
nent of The fine arts, or for the use of Seminarles
of learning, specimens in natural history animals
imported 10 breed, &c. &c. &c.-all founded on
the same principle, m respect'to the universally
Of the benefits designed 10 be secured at the COM
mon expense"
And what has oil this to do with the protective
policy unless it be TO up his hostility to THY
talking largely of discrimination for purposes
which have no relation to it whatever?
He now proceeds to u most insidious, and dis
ingenious argument against projection, which no
addresses, in effect, TO the. poorer classes, in the
following language.
" But above ALL is the power to make them Ids.
crimlnalons) OF inevitable Importance, as the only
means of relieving the poorer classes from tho .
unequal operation of this mode of collecting the
public revenues, and of partially realizing MIR.
Jeflerson's idea of wise and frugal government
I-one which shall restrain men from iuJurlDg one
another and shall leave them otherwise. free to
regulate their own pursuits OF industry and inn
provement; and shall not Take from the mouth of
labor the bread it has earned"
What sort of discrimination tits which is thus
TO favor the pOor--to "realiZe MIR. Jeffersons
beautiful idea"-,o "restrain men from injuring
one another" and to 4" leave them TO regulate their
own pursuits of industry 2" Wight is The same
kind of discrimination OF which he had Just spoh-
en- namel y-adntng articles Tree OF duty nus
is the discrimination which is i" not 10 take from
I,l,a nf aI,a ttn hpap FnpIp
though n discrimination involving not ffeedopl
from duty, but protecting duty, would take the
earned bread from labor's mouth, when itnotori-
ously fills the mouth of labor by giving it. good
wages with steady demand. A protecting tariff
is enlphal!cally the poor mans friend This truth
is written on every page OF the history OF our tar
if poiicy,-a truth which MIR. Van Buren, entirely
overlooks while discrimination for free trade is
: held up as boon for poverty 10 coveI. tie then
proceeds as follows
) "rhe man OF wealth, when he ;,ays' lax in
the form Of impost which inures incidentally TO
the advancement of a special interest, in which he
. Is not concerned" las though the whole commun.
~ rich mud poor were 'not concerned in the pro-
lection of every branch OF our industry is, in q
t degree reconcied by the reflection that, if the
. amount paid was not collected in this form, il
G would be assessed upon him in another, referring
10 direct taxalion by which the emount OF his con-
trbulion in comparison with those OF his less af
n fluent ighbour, would be materially enhanced
But TO the poor man, no such consolation is affor-
II ded The system That is the protecting SYSTEM
t which operates thus tavoraby TO his more fortu
Il nate neighbour increases his tax in inverse ratio
10 his ability to pay. Every additional mouth that
It he has 10 feed adds to The contribution he is obg-
: ed to make for the support of government MIR
e Van Buren, sees nothing but taxes and 'contrbu
d buttons in protecue tariff! II is only by dis
elimination in favor of articles necessary 10 his
comfort, that is, letting in free OF duty, articles
manufactures
4 comfort that the injustice to which he is exposed
r can be niligated. 1t DISCRIMINATORY is, therefore
| power, the constant and faithful exercise o.
f which is, in my judgment, demanded by consider
/ tions. of justice, humanity and sound policy"
l. " hat discrimination is this, which is thus de-
= manded? Our of its connection with what pre-
L cees may be taken and quoted, as it often hat
been, as discrimination for protection; when
II connected with what goes before it is discrimina
u ton OF precisely opposite aracter,-dscrimi
nation in favor Of articles" used by the poor man
8 that u.s. letting them in free of duty, upon the sup
nj position that he is thereby benefited.
1t This is the complexion 10 which Mr.. Van Blu
If rens professions of friendship for protective
h tariff come at last. His conclusion rests upon III,
), assumption that an increase of duties increases thu
At prices to the sane amount, when the whole hsto
ID ry of the protective policy shows that this is
70 true but that in fact, an increase OF duty some
il times even diminshes the price; while with tina
y dininuon is connected another advantage 10 tn,
y consumer-that of the increased demand for labo
l and all its products which full employment Of GU
manufacturing facilities invariably furnishes.
I'd The manner in which protection, acting direcl.
III on articles of manufacture, dhuses its benefit
Of through the whole community, and acts on labo
is in all It's departments MIR. Van Buren, seems no
lis to understand. Tile affects, on the contrary, 1
IN consider protection as irurng TO The benefit OF tn
I'd manufacturer exclusively, whose interests seen
to lin to be built up at the expense of other class
We es, aud especially the poorer classes OF the com
lie munity.
a "The position assumed by your convention" h
says, and ia which fully concur, is, that the in
nj cidenal protection thus derived That is, beior
T." quoted from discriminating tariff for revenu
lie purposes onIy'l is all the legislative favor whic
IT. can at this time, be conferred upon the nanuiac
ne turer, without great Injustice 10 other interests