Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1845-12-09

augmented by the protective tariff, there is a
corresponding increase OF power, until the
control OF such capital over the wages of labor
becomes. irresistible. As this power is exercised
from tine to time, we find II resisted by COM
bhaiions among the working classes-by
turning ont Tor higher wages, or for shorter
TIM; by trades-union; aud IN some countries.
unfortunately, By violence and bloolshed. -
But The government. by protective duties ar.
rays itself on the side of the manufacturing
system, and, by thus augm nting its wealth
anu power, soon terminates IN its lavor the
struggle between man and money---between
capital and labor. When the tariff of 1872
WAS enacted. the maximum duty was 20 per
cent. by that act the average OF duties on the
protected articles vas more than doubled
But the wages of labor Iii not increase in a
corresponding ratio, or in any ratio whatever
On the contrary, whilst wages in some cases
nave diminished, the prices OF many articles
used by the working classes have greatly APP
preciated.
protective tariif Is question regarding
the enhancement OF the profits OF capital. That
IL Its object, and not To augment the wages of
labor, which would reduce those profits. 1t
Is a question of per centage, and is to decide
whether money vested in our manufactures
shall, by special legislation, yield profit of
ten. twenty, or thirty per cent, or whether il
shall remain satisfied with dividend equal to
that accruing from the same capital when iu-
vested IN agriculture, commerce, or naviga.
ton.
q The present tariff is unjust and unequal, as
well IN It's details as in the principles upon
which II is founded. On some articles, the
duty Is entirely prohibitory, and on others
there is partial prohibition. Itdscrimina,cs
IN iavor of manufactures, and against agricul-
ture, by imposing many higher duties upon the
manufactured fabric than upon the agricultur
al product out of which il is made.
1t discrimnates in favor of the manufacture
er; and against the mechanic, By many higher
duties upon the manufacture, Than upon the
article mnde out OF il by the mechanic. 1,
discnminates in favor of the manufacturer, and
against the merchant by injurious restrictions
upon trade and commerce; and against the shin
building and navigating interest, by heavy du-
ties ON almost every article used in building
or navigating vessels. Ii discriminates i'm ia
vor oil manufactures, and against exports
which are as truly the product of American
industry as manufactures. 1t discriminates
IN favor OF the rich and against the poor. by
high duties upon nearly all the ncccssarics of
lie, and by minimums and specific duties,
rendering the tax upon the real value much
higher on the cheaper than upon the fiuer ar
ticlc.
Minimums are a fictitious value, assumed
by law, instead OF the real value; and the oper-
alton ot all minimums NAV be illustrated by n
single example. Thus, by the tariff of lSi2.
duty OF 30 per cent, ad valorem is levied on
all manufactures OF cotton; but the law further
provides that cotton goods mot dyed, colored,
printed, or stained, not exceeding in value
twenty cents per square yard, shall be valued
at twenty cents per square yard
III, then, the real value of the cheapest cot
ton goods Is but Tour cents a square yard, ii is
placed by the law at the false value of twenty
cents per square yard and the duty levied on
the fictitious ralue-raising ii five times high
er on the cheap article consumed by the poor,
than upon the line articles purchase by the
more wealthy. Indeed, by House document
NO. 3O6, oil the LIST session of the 18th Congress
this difference, by actual importation. was 65
per cent, between the cheaper and the finer
article OF the 20 per cent minimum, l3l per
cent, ON the 30 per cent. minimum, 4Sh per
cent. on the 3o-per cent. minimum, 81 per
cent on the 90 per cent minimum, and "a per
cent on The Topper cent. minimum This
difference Is founded on actual importation.
and shows an average discrimination against
the poor on cotton imports of So per cent. be-
You'd what the tax would be if assessed upon
The actual value. The operation of the specific
duty presents similar discrimination against
the poor and III favor of the rich. Thus. upon
salt the duty Is not upon the value, but il is
eight cents bushel, whether the article be
coarse or hne-showlng, by the same docu-
ment, from actual importation, discrimina-
ton, oi 6l per cent against the cheap. and i'm
iavor OF the finer article and this, to a greater
or less extent, is the effect of all specific du
ties. When we consider that 81, So, 62l n
oil the revenue last year was collected by mini
mum duties and Sl3,3l ,0S5 46 by specific
uuiies, the discrimination against the cheaper
arlicie must amount, by estimates founded on
the same document, 10 a tax of So, los, 122
eAacted by minimums and specific duties an
nuaily from the poorer classes bv raising thus
the duties on the cheaper article above what
they would b. if the duty were assessed upon
the actual value. II direct taxes were made
SPECIFIC, they would be intolerable. Thus. If
an annual tax of thirty dollars was assessed on
all houses, without respect to their actual
value, making the owner ofthe humble tene-
nehi or cabin pay tax OF thirty dollars, and
the owner OF the costly mansion tax of but
thirty dollars on their respective houses, it
would differ only in degree, butnot in princi-
pie, from the same unvarying specific duty on
cheap as on fine articles. II any discrimina-
ON should be made, il should be the reverse
ol The SPECIFIC duty, aud OF the minimum prin-
cipIe, by establishing a maximum standard.
above which value the duty ON the finer arti-
cles 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 al vaI0rem
duties. As TO fraudulent invoices and under
valuation, these dangers are believed to- be ar
rested eiiectually by the stringent provisions
and severe penalty of the l7th section of the
tanif OF 1912; and now one-half the revenue
Is collected from ad-valorem duties.
AT least two-thrds of the taxes imposed by
the present tariff are paid, not into the treas
ury' but to the protected classes The revenue
from imports last year exceeded twenty seven
millions OF dollars. This, in itself. is a heavy
TX; but the whole tax imposed upon the pco-
pie by the present tariff isnot less than eighty
one million oil dollars-of which twenty seven
millions are paid TO the government upon the
imports, and fifty -four millions TO the protect
ed classes, in enhanced prices of similar do
mestic articles.