The Somerset herald and farmers' and mechanics' register. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 183?-1852, 1845-12-09

IN iee sgg' sS'' we amount which, when
added 10 tbs proceeds of sales of nnI,I;,,
lands, may be needed 10 pav he orn'
nomical expresses Of the governmnp,
In levying tariff Of duties. Couvrs.s
exercise the taxing power. ana for pur.
poses of revenue may select the objects
OF taxation. They may exempt certain
articles altogether. and permit their i'm
porIalion free Of duIy. On others they
NAV impose low duties. IN these classes
should be embraced such articles of ne
cessi.y as are in general use, and espc-
cialIy such as are consumed dy he labo-
rer and the poor, as well as by The veal
thy citizen. Care should be taken that
all the great interests Of the country, in-
Gliding manufactures, agriculture, COM
merce, navigation, and the mechanic arts,
should. as far IS may be practicable, de-
rive equal advantages from the incidental
protection which just system OF reve-
nue. duties NAV afford. Taxation direct
or indirect, is burden, and il should be
so imposed as 10 operate as equally as
may be, on all classes. in the proportion
vi tlCil dOitihN W OCdl tts " HldkG ktla
taxing power an actual benefit 10 one
class, necessarily increases the burden
Of the other beysnd their proportion.
and would be manifestly unjust The
terms protection TO domestic industry
are Of popular import; but they should
apply under just system to all the va
rious branches of industry in our coun-
try. The farmer or planter who tolls
yearly in his fields, is engaged in 'do-
mestic industry" and is as much enti-
tied TO have his labor protected" as the
manufacturer, the man of commerce, The
navigator, or the mechanic, who are en-
gagged also in domestic industry" in
their different pursuits. The joint Ia
bors of all these classes constitute the
aggregate of the domestic industry" of
the nation. and they are equally entitled
to the nations protection" No one
Of them can Justly. claim 10 be exclusive
recipients Of protection which can
only be afforded by increasing burdens
on The domestic indastry" Of the 9TH
ers.
II tilCSC NlCWS OC NOilCttg ~ lCuidiuo
to inquire how far the tariff act Of 1912
is consistent with them. That many of
The provisions of that act are in violation
of Iheicardinal principles here laid down,
all must concede. The rates of duty
imposed by it on some articles are pro-
hibi;ory, and on others so high as greatly
to diminish imporlalons; and 10 produce
less amount of revenue that would be
derived from lower rates. They oper-
ate as "prolcetion 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 injus-
tice and inequality Of the aci Of ls42, in
its practical operations on different class
es and pursuits; are seen and felt. Many
Of the oppressive duties imposed by it
under the operation of these principles,
range from one per cent. to more than
two hundred per cent. They are pro-
hibitorv on some articles. and partially
so on others, and bear most heavily on
articles Of common necessity, and but
lightly on articles Of luxury. tits so
framed that much the greatest burden
which it imposes is thrown on labor and
the poorer classes who are least able to
bear it, while il protects capital and ex-
empts the rich from paying their just
proportion of the taxation required for
the support of goyernmet. While il
protects the capital OF the wealthy man.
ufacturer, and his profits, it does not
beni6l the operative or laborer in his
employment, whose wages have not been
increased by it. Articles Of prime ne.
ceSsily or of coarse quality and low
price, used by the masses Of the people,
are, in many instances, subjected by it to
heavy taxes, while articles of finer quail
lily and higher price, or Of luxury, which
can be used only by the opuleni, are
lghdy taxed. Il imposes heavy and un-
Just burdens on the farmer, the planter,
the Commercial man, and those Of all
other pursuits except the Sapitalisl who
has made his investments in nanufac-
lures. All the great interests Of the
country are not, as nearly as may be
practicable, equally protected by 1t.
The government in theory knows no
distinction of persons or classes, and
should not bes,ow upon some favors and
privileges which all others may not en-.
Joy. Il was the purpose of lis illus:ri-
Gus founders 10 base The institutions
which they reared upnn the great and
unchanging principles Of justice and e.
guilty. conscious thatif administered in
the spirit in which they were conceived,
they would be felt only by The benefits
which they diffused, and would secure
for themselves a defence in The hearts of
The people, more powerfully than standing
armies, and all The means and appliances
invented TO sustain governments founded
in injustice and oppression.