The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1845-12-04
THE TARIFF.

general and absorbing pecuniary aud political in
terest. According fully with every sentiment
here expressed, we commit it to our columns with
/ out further remark. fa&&tfEft
1t becomes important TO understand distinctly
what Is meant by revenue standard, the maxi
mum of which should not be exceeded in the rates
of duty imposed. II is conceded, and experience
proves, that duties may be laid so high as to d.
mnsh. or prohibit altogether, the importation OF
any given article, and thereby lessen or destroy
the revenue which, at lower rates, would be de-
rived from its importation. Such duties exceed
the revenue rates, and are not imposed to raise
money for the support Of government. If Con-
gress levy duty, for revenue of one per cent on
given article, it will produce given amount Of
money to tho treasury, and will incidentally and
necessarily afford protection, or advantage, to the
amount of one per cent. to the home manufacturer
I of similar or like article over the importer. If
the duty be raised to ten per cent it will produce
greater amount of money and afford greater pro-
lection. If it be still raised to twenty, twenty
five, or thirty per cent, and if, as it is raised, the
revenue derived from it is found TO be increased,
the protection advantage will also be increased;
but if it be raised to thirty per cent and it is
found that the revenue produced at that rate is
less than at thirty per cent? it to be reve-
nue. duty. The precise point in the ascending
scale of duties at which it is ascertained from ex-
perience that the revenue is greatest, is the maxi
mum rate of duty which can be laid for the bona
tide purpose of collecting money for the support
of government. To raise the duties higher than
that point, and thereby diminish the amount col
lected, is to levy them for protection merely, and
not for revenue. AS long, then, as Congress may
gradually increase the rate of duty on given ar
ticle, and the revenue is increased by such in
crease of duty, they within the revenue stand
ard. When they go beyond that point. and as
they increase the duties, the revenue is diminished
or destroyed the act ceases to have for its object
the raising of money to support government, but is
for protection merely. r#
Ii does not follow that Congress should lew the
highest duty on all articles of import which they
will bear within the revenue standard; for such
rates would probably produce much larger a.
mount than the economical administration of the
government would require Nor does it follow
that the duties all articles should be at the same
/ or horizontal rate. Some articles will bear
much higher revenue duty than others Below
the maximum of the revenue standard Congress
may and ought TO discrimina tie in the rates i'm
posed, taking care so to adjuGt them on different
articles as TO produce in the ggregate the amount
which, when added to the proceeds of sales of
public lands, may be needed to pay the ec0nomi-
cal expenses of the Government.
Y In leyying tariff of duties, Congress exercise
| the taxing power, and for purposes of revenue
may select the objects of taxation. They may ex-
empt certain articles altogether, and permit their
importation free of duty. On others they NAV
impose low duties. In these classes should be
embraced such articles of necessity as are in gene
| raj use, and especially such as are consumed by
the laburer and the poor, well as by the wealthy
citizen. Care should be taken that all the great
Interests of the country, including manufacturers
agriculture, commerce, navigation and the me.
chanlc arts, should, as far as may be practicable,
derive equal advantages from the incidental pro-
lection which just system of revenue duties NAV
afford. Taxation, direct or indirect, is burden,
and it should be so imposed as to operate as equal
ly as may be, on all classes in the proportion of
their ability TO bear it. To make the taxing
power an actual benefit to one clilss necessarily
increases the burden of the other, beyond their
proportion, and would be manifestly unjust. The
terms "proection to domestic lad uslry,'' are of
popular import but they should pply under
Just system to all the various branch of industry
/ in our country. The farmer or planter who tolls
yearly in his field, is engaged in " domestic in
dustry," and is as much entitled to have his labor
I"protected," as the manufacturer, the man of
commerce, the navigator, or the mechanic, who
engaged also in " domestic industry I" in their
different pursuits The joint labors of all these
classes constitute the aggregate of the, " domestic
industry of the nation, and they are equally en-
titled to the nations protection No one of
'hel can justly clalln 10 De exclusive recipients
of protection" which can only be afforded by
increasing burdens on the domestic in dustry' of
others.
If these views be correct, it remains to inquire
how far the tariff act of 1912 is consis tent with
them. That many of the provisions OF that act
are in violation of the cardinal prnci pies here
laid down, all must concede. The rates of duty
imposed by it on some articles are prohbitory.
and on others so high as greatly to dim inish i'm
portasions, and to produce less amount of reve-
nue. than would be derived from lower rates.
! They operate as protection merely" TO one
branch of " domestic industry" by taxing other
branches.
BY the introduction of minimums, or assumed
and false values, and by the imposition of specific
duties, the injustice and inequalities of the ac of
1912, in its practical operations on different class
es and pursuits, are seen and felt. MANY of the
oppressive duties imposed by it under the opera
ton of these principles, range from one per cent.
to more than two hundred per cent They are
prohlbiory on some articles, and partially so on
others, and bear most heavily on articles of com
mon necessity, and but lightly on articles ofluxu-
ry IL IS so framed that much the greatest bur
den which II impulses is thrown on labor and the
poorer classes who are Leaf able to bear it, while
nypfa ra MI al arI IL = r.