Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1844-03-14


! ny The ingenious contrivance of an artii.
cal and false valuation. These articles
are used by. the wives ad daughters oil
every farmer, planter. and laborei- in the
United States, who have no false pride to
prevent; It; and it is difficult to estimate
the immense quantity which would be
imported anil consumed under moder
ate duty. But when these articles come
to the custom-house. the importer is re-
CURED to pay from 81 to five times their
| original cost; not to raise revenue, but
10 exclude them alto2 ether, and give the
domestic manufacturers the exclusive
right to supply the market at their own
/ prices.
BUS now come sir. to the question.
is this revenue Tariff? If the Senate
can be satisfied that an average rate of
2o per cent duty would yield more reve
nue. than the existing duties. can thew.
consistently with their constitutional
power-with any principle of sound pol
icv-and without violating the principles
OF everlasting justice, permit their stat
ute-book to be longer furnished by law
imposing these unrishteous burdens, not
tor the legitimate purpose of raising rev.
nue., but tor taking money out of the
| pockets OF one class of the community
and putting it into those of another
But sir, an idea has got abroad-and |
am sorry to say, that many of the friends
OF free trade have been deceived and be.
trayed by it, as many patriot soldiers
have been deceived by the holding out of
false colors-an idea has obtained cur.
rency, that, although you cannot impose
duties Tor any other purpose than that OF
revenue. yet you may rightfully impose
revenue duties with arse discrimina-
ton for the protection of domestic man.
ufactures.''. Sir, ,his is part of the
new system of tactics to which the man
ufacturers have found it necessary to
resort. They say one thing, and mean
another. What do they mean bysa arise
discrimination Obviously discrimi-
ration that will exclude imports and d.
qalaaish .renenue. "A wise Discrimination
Pray. what is your whole system of rev.
enue---levied, as it is. exclusively from
duties on imports but an enormous dis
| elimination in favor of the manufactur-
ers AID their cmfederates, and against
all other classes? a.
1 A duty of 20 per cent. on foreign i'm
ports. while no corresponding duty is
imposed upon the domestic mauufactu
rers with which the foreign comes in
competition, would be the most UNEQUAL
system of ;taxatioI that-exists- the
/ Whole civilized wurid, even if all pfutrr-
/ tive duties were repealed. Yet we have
made up our minds to submit to this I'M
equal system of taxation, by which the
whole manufacturing interests is not on
ly excepted from taxes but receive enor-
nous bounties, by means of the duties
imposed for revenue. And it is in the
face of all this that statesmen, gravely
! talk of revenue duties. with wise dis
J examination in favor of domestic manu-
features now propose to explain my
view of "a wise discrimination! 1t
seems to be very prevailing idea that
the South insists upon the system Of hor
izontal duties. Now, sir. this is a very
great mistake. For myself, insist that
I determinations are proper and necessary
with reference strictly to considerations
of revenue. In my opinion. two kinds
of discrimination belong properly to our
system of revenue. The fist is, to i'm
pose the highest rate of duties upon
those imports which will yield given a.
mount of revenue with the least bur-
den to the people. The second is, tc
impose the highest rates of duties upon
articles consumed By the wealthy, and
the lowest upon those consumed by the
poor. Now. sir, the simple application
of those two princirles-the justice and
policy of which would seem to be almost
self eyident-would reverse the whole
| system of your legislation on this sub
ject. For whereas you lay duty of 15C
j per cent. on coarse faesscs, and only sc
per cent. on the finer qualities, | would
impose duty of rs per cent. on. the
I more costly fabrics, and only IS upon
the inferior qualities. This would be a
discrimination that would increase rese-
nue.. and at the same time. diminish the
burdens Of the poor instead Of increasing
the bounties of the rich. =. 81 a..
The other kind of discrimination. hav.
ing. in view the largest revenue, with the
least burden. requires thata. lower rate
of duty should be imposed upon impor
ted commodities, which come in compe-
tition with domestic manufactures, than
upon articles, the like of which are not
produced. in the United States. Fine
silks, fine muslins, tea and coffee. are
commodities not produced in the u. S,
If you impose duty of 90 per cent. or
twenty millions of these imports, it viii
yield revenue Of s4 100000, and i'm
pose Just that burden, and no more. u
pom the people. But if you impose du
ty of 90 per cent. on twenty millions o
, cotton manufactures. you raise the same
} amount (s4,Oo0.OO0) Of revenue. and i'm
pose burden of $l2,00o.o 1000 Oh tht
; people. This results from the facts, tina
for every dollars worth of manufacture.
Won imp0rt there arc two doilorss ,yo.4t