Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1845-10-17
GOD. oUn COUNTRY, AND LrBHaTv.


only five times as much in bounties az they |
paid In taxes and bounties united And what
nadef these circumstances, do they modestiy
demand OF the federal government. and of a
free trade democratic administration Simply
that the bounty Of twenty per cent, resulting
from revenue duty, be raised to fifty by a
protecting duty, swelling their clear and real
income derived from the system of federal tax.
alton, from eight to twenty-three thousand
dollars This plain statement literally exhlb-
its the character, not only of the protective
duties upon sugar and iron, but Of the whole
system of protective monopoly, and am sure
no honest patriot can think of the unjust. ini-
quitons and audacious demand made by those
bloated and heartless plunderers. that the adj
ministration shonld sacrifice their principles
and the vital interests of the people, TO secure
their allegiance, for the support ofihe follow
ers and victims, whom they at the same time
deceive and plumber. without feeling his blood
boil in his veins, with the warmest indigna.
ton. a.. = s..@
Taking more comprehensive view of the
subject, it may be stated as fact that the
greater part of the revenue from imports, is
derived from duties on the class of protected
articles, principally sugar, iron, and iron man.
ufactures, cotton manufactures and woollen
manufactures. Now all these interests are
united together in a plundering confederacy,
upon the principle. that each may rob the 9TH
er, that all may rob the community at large.
As have before stated, each Of them would
receive at least FIVE times, some of them twen-
~ times as much as they pay, even under
strict revenue system. Is it not apparent,
therefore, that to permit those interests to con-
troll Congress, in the matter of taxation, would
be to put the power of taxation. the most i'm
portant of all political powers, in the hands Of
those who have deep pecnniary interest in
increasing the taxes If the manufacturing
nations of Europe would agree to supply the
federal revenue by perpetual tribute, would
these monopolists consent to total repeal OF
the duties on imports and free the country
from taxation They certainly would not
They solemnly declare that these duties, which
are surely taxes to the country, are essential
to their prosperity; that to reduce them from
fifty to twenty per cent. would be I'M urious to
them. bnt to repeal them altogether would be
absolutely ruinous. Here, then, is a confess
sion of what is apparent without it, that those
who receire the taxes, impudently claim the
prerogative of prescribing to the government
what burdens shall be imposed on those who
pay them! If we submit to these things can
1
sentative republic 1t ought never to be
| forgotten that system of taxation, by which,
three-fourths at least of the public revenue is
derived from duties upon foreign manufactures
the like of which are extensively produced in
the United States, is the most burdensome and
unequal Of all the known systems that now
exist in civilized nations, reduce and modify
it as we may. The whole Of the duty impo
sed ON this class of articles, is discrimination
against the imported, and in favor OF home
made manufacture to the full extent Of tina:
duty. .--.
Now when we recollect that all forei gn i'm
ports, are as truly the productions of domestic
Industry. as their home made rivals-and tia
the industry which acquires the foreign article
is as much entitled to be exempted from taxa
ton as that which makes the domestic article;
it will be seen that the very lowest rate OF rev
enue dnties upon sugar and iron, and upon al
manufactures Of iron. cotton and wool, ls al
unjust discrimination in favor of one branch
of domestic industry, and against another
The true point of equality and justice, as
have always maintained, would be to impos'
the same rate of duty on the home made, tina
We impose on the imported manufacture. Th
exemption, therefore, of our home made man
} ufactures, from the duties imposed on thos
r we import, is most liberal concession, gra
! tuitously made by the people to the manufac
turers; and thatthey are not satisfied with thi
discrimination, is a proof how feeble is til
t sense of gratitude and justice among masse
of men, when their interests are in question
But our system is as burdensome as it is une
, quail. 1t may be safely stated that it impose
$ pecuniary burden on the people three time
! as great as the amount Of revenue it yields t
: the Treasury. The duty on imported Cotto
: manufactures. Cor example, may be assume
0 to average 40 per cent, and the amonnt in
: ported set down at ten millions. This Wi
4 Weld revenue Of four millions. But the co
t ton manufacturers annually produced in tn
# United States, and equally enhanced in pric
! with the foreign, by the duty imposed on tn
;, latter, amount to thirty millions of doI4ars.-
O Forty per cent. on this, gives US twelve mi
y lions as the additional burden imposed on til
5 people, by the duty on cotton manufactures
j. so that the people are subjected to burden
h sixteen millions to obtain revenue of fou
II paying tc the cotton manufacturers, who al
il now realizing from 30 to 40 per cent. on the
n capital, three dollars for every one they pa
10 the government! Now letus compare tn
r duty on cotton manufactures, with like du
J. on tea and coffee, which the manufacture
d arsfully prevailed upon Congress to exem
N from duty altogether, by tie act Of 1882. i
d US assume that we annually import tea al
IT coffee to the amonnt Of ten millions of dollar
E. under a duty of 40 per cent. This will vie
a revenue precisely equal to that derived fro
N the duty on cotton manufactures, and will ir
,e pose only one-fourth of the burden on the pc
as pile. The money collected a. the custom hou
g would be the full measure of the popular be
~ den. And yet it is one of the schemes of Il
,e manufacturers to let tea and coffee remain fr
n. of duty, in order to create necessity for |
Mt creasing the duties on sugar, iron, and the Y
n. rious manufactures embraced in the protect
il system. Of all foreign imports, tea and CT
of fee are among the most proper subjects OF
e. revenue duty, inasmuch as they yield the l.
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