Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-10-11

mScparaDles
SATURDAY, OCTOBER III, 1915.
THE "OFFICIAL ORGAN" AND 1.-THE TARIFF"
The " Union Of the Sd instant prefaces an ar
tcle headed " The Protective Tariff and signed
" Observer" with the following observations
"THr TARrYp or ls42.-The following brief and modest
communication from correspondent gives US some Minus a
will tell upon the great inequalities Of the present protective
(oppressye) tariff The minimum principle gross fraud
pon the country makes the consumer pay the tax, not
according to the value Of the article but upon false and
fictitious value Just with the SPECIFIC dues-sik Tor ex
ample which paws not according tho value Of the article
lint the weight The coser silks consumed by the rich be-
ng lighter pay less duty by the pound than the
ana heavier ones which used by the classes Of the
community yet the Wings Of Massachusetts now say that
the Tariff of lS42 not be touched We repeat again
and again, sthe Tariff must be reduced to the
standard"
Now, we will venture to ask the Editor of the
Union the following questions
He says silk does not pay duty according to its
Vaiue but according to its ,oeigh Is he really SO
ignorant as not to know that the VGlue of silk
manufactures depends upon, and is in proportion TO-
their ,oeighf? We are unwilling to ascrbe to any
thing but ignorance such perversion of the truth
as that the costler silks consumed by the rich are
lighter than the coarser and heavier ones which
are used by the poorer claSsas. Does he not know
that the terms .coarse" and fine not applica-
bic u. silk manufactre.a that the descriptions are
heaUy and HHgh?" Has he no female friend
to enlighten him in these respects? Will no kind
hearted old woman to his aid, and prevent his
further exposing himself in these matters!
But what can he possibly mean by saying that
I" the costlier silks, being lighter, pay much less
duty, by the pound, than the coarser and heavier
ones = We read the Tariff as fixing the same rate
of duty per pound upon all silks. He evidently is
saying what he does not mean to say, and it is fair
to infer that he does not know what he is saying.
The introductory observations of the Editor are,
however, fitting preface to the communication of
an Observer" to which they so fatteringly REFER
In this communication some of the hundred-times
refuted arguments against the Tariff are repeated
with an air of absolute novelty assertion is put
in the place Of proof; inapplicable deductions from
untenabe premises are adduced as sound argu-
ments, and extreme and improbable cases assumed
as fair illustrations. These structures apply with
equal force to the editorial of the Union headed
" The Tariff" in the paper of Monday evening
What assertion is there therein which has not been
" official" against the Tariff has been hitherto
mere 6ush.fghting. The regular campaign, or
the editor has it. the regular discussion of the
whole subject is to commence tomorrow" when
able correspondent will take the matter in hand"
We are glad that an " able correspondent is at
length to appear and we beg respectfully to assure
him that he will not have all the argument to
himself.
The position taken by this able correspondent
as well as that which is occupied by "the Union,"
s if understand the latter, correctly defined by
the former in the following sentence:
IfI understand your views expressed the columns
of the Union, you in favor of a revenue tariff and
against protective tariff and are therefore, favor Of the
reduction of the present tariff (Which highly protec
tive in its provisions than any former enacted in this
country to the standard. This is our position
il is that Of our correspondent"
One advantage at least will probably accrue
from these communications to the Union" We
shall arrive at the knowledge Of what is meant by
"revenue tariff and revenue standard"
These are two phrases for which we have in vain
asked for definitions from those who have most
pentifully used them. All the replies we have
hitherto received have served only to render the
matter more obscure.