The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-12-03

anu the oWncr VI tno CoSuy muuSiOn u TAX OF Dut
thirty dollars on their respective houses, lit would
differ only in degree, but not in principles from the
same unvarying specific duty on cheap as fne
articles. II any discrimination should be made, il
should be the reverse OF the specific duty and of the
minimum principle, by establishing maximum
standard, above which value the duty on the finer
articles should be higher, and below which they
should be lower on the cheaper article The tax
upon the actual value is the most equal and can only
be accomplished by ad-valorem duties. Asto fraud
ulent invoices and under valuation, these dangers
are believed to be arrested efectually by the sn-
gent provisions and severe penalty of the 18th sec
lion Of the tariof l842; and one-haf the reve-
nue. Is collected from ad-vaorem duties.
At least two-thirds of the taxes imposed by the
present tariff paid not into the treasury, but to
the protected classes. The revenue from imports
last year exceeded wenty.seven millions Of dollars.
Ihs, in itself, 10 heavy tau; but the whole tax i'm
posed upon the people by the present tariff is not
less than eghtyone millions of dollars--of which
twenty-seven millions are paid to the government
upon the imports, and tyfour millions to the pro-
tected classes in enhanced prices Of similar domestic
articles 4Eis
This estimate is based upon the position that the
duty is added to the price Of the import and also Of
its domestic rival. IL the import is enhanced in
price by the duty, be the domestic rival for,
being like articles, their price must be the same in
the same market. The merchant advances in cash
the duty on the import, and adds the duty, with a
profit upon il, and other charges to the price-whch
| must therefore be enhanced to that extent; unless
the foreign producer had first deducted the duty
from the price, But this is impossible; for such
now is, and long has been, the superabundance Of
| capital and active competition in Europe, that q
profit Of six per cent. in any business Is sufficient to
produce large investments of money in that BUSH
ness; and if, by our tariff duty Of forty per cent.
be exacted on the products Of such business, and
the foreign producer deducts that duty from his pre-
| vious price, he must sustain heavy loss. This
L. Ill. L.. e
consumption to sales to our merchants Of articles,
TO be re-exported by them from ports with a
drawback Of duty, which would bring down their
| price throughout the markets of the world. But
this the foreign producer cannot afford The duty,
therefore, must be added to the price, and paid by
the commemorative duty constituting as much part
of the price, as the cost Of production. a'l
lit be true that, when duty of forty per cent.
is imposed by our tariff, the foreign producer FIRST
dcducts the duty from the previous price on the
sale TO our merchant, It must be equally true with
a duty Of one hundred per cent, which is exactly
| equal to the previous price, and, when deducted
would reduce the price to nothing. ~
The occasional fall in price Of some articles after a
tariff is no proof that this the effect Of the tariff
| because, from improved machinery, diminished
prices of the raw material, or other causes prices
may fall even after tariff, but they would IN such
cases have fallen much more but for the tariff The
trucst comparison is between the present price OF
the same article at home and abroad; and to the ex-
tent that the price il lower in the foreign market
than in own the duty If equal to that difference
must 10 tina. extent enhance the price, and in the
same ratio with the lower duty. The difference in
price at home and abroad is generally about equal to
the difference in the cost Of production and presents
in series Of years, the surest measure Of the effect
of the dutythe enhancement in price being equal To
that difference il the duty be higher than that diff
ference equal to it, or il the duty be lower then
the enhancement is equal to the duty; and it the
lar cle ia prodnced LIE rbeapIu here
than abroad, the duty 10 noperutve. The great ar
gument for the tariff is, that, foreign labor being
cheaper than our own, the cost of foreign produr-
ton, is said, is lessened to that extent; and that
must make up this difference by an equivalent duty,
and corresponding enhancement of price, in our
own market, both Of the foreign article and Of ms
rival domestic product---thus rendering the duty a
tax on all consumers for the benefit Of the protected
| classes. II the Marshal were sent by the federal
government to collect direct tax upon the whole
people, to be paid 10 manufacturing capitalists,
to enable them to sustain their business, realize
larger profit, it would be the same in effect the
protective duty, which, when analysed in its simplest
elements, and reduced to actual results, is mere
subtraction of so much money from the peopleto in
crease the revenues of the protected classes. Legs
ation for classes is against the doctrine of equal
rghts,an repugnant to the spirit of our free institute
tons, and, il is apprehended by many, may become
but another form for privileged orders, under the
name Of protection, instead Of privege--indicatcd
here not by rank or title, but by profits and div-
dends, extracted from the many, by taxes npon
them, for the benefit of the few. No prejudice is
felt by the Secretary Of the Treasury against manu-
facturers. His opposition is to the protective sys-
TEN, and not to classeS or individuals. He doubts
not that the manufacturers sincerely persuaded
that the system which is source Of so much profit
to them, is beneficial also to the country. He en-
tertans contrary opinion and claims for the oppo-
nents of the system settled conviction of its inuri-
Gus effects. Whilst due regard to the Just and
equal rights of all classes forbds discrimina-
ton in favor of the manufacturers, by duties
above the lowest revenue limit, no disposition is
felt to discriminate against them by reducing such
duties as operate in their favor below that stand-
ard Under revenue duties it is believed, they
would still receive reasonable proft-equal TO tina.
realized by those engaged in other pursuits; and il is
thought they should desire no more, at least through
the agency Of governmental power. Equal rights
and profits so far as laws made, best conform to
the principles upon which the constitution was
founded, and with an undertaking regard TO which
all its functions should be exercised-iookng to the
whole country, and not to classes or sections:
Soil climate, and other causes, vary very much, in
profitable in each; and the prosperity Of all Of them
will be best promoted by leaving them, unrestricted
by legislation, to exchange with each other those
fabrics and products which they seyerally raise
most cheaply This is clearly illustrated by the per-
feet free trade which exists among all the States of
one Of these States would be injured by imposing
duties upon the products Of the others II 10 gene
rally conceded that reciprocal free trade among
nations would best advance the interest Of all. But
it is commended that we must meet the tariffs Of 9th
or nations by countervaing restrictions. That du-
ties upon our exports by foreign nations are preju
dcin to us, is conceded; but whilst this injury is
slightly felt by the manufacturers its weight falls
almost exclusively upon agriculture, commerce, and
navigation. II those interests which sustain the
loss do not ask counervailing restrictions, il should
not be demanded by the manufacturers, who do not
feel the injury, and whose fabrics in fact, arc not
excluded by the foreign legislation Of which they
complain. That agriculture, commerce, and naviga-
ton injured by foreign restrictions, constitutes
no reason why they should be subjected to still Sc
verer treatment by additional restrictions and coun
tervailing tariffs enacted at home, Commerce, ng-
ricuturc and navigation, harasscd as they may be
by foreign restrictions, Diminishing the amount of
exchangeable products which they could otherwise
purchase abroad, are burdenod with heavier i'm
positions at home Nor will augmented, duties
bcr~ al ifna rad. ~ hat