The Yazoo Democrat. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1845-01-14
The Tariff

We commend to he friends Of high tariff,
the following extract from the report ofChancel-
loE Bib, Secretary of the Treasury:
All taxes, whether direct or indirect, substract
SO much from the funds by which the people tax
| ed supply their wants and their comfort: tend,
necessarily, to lessen their enjoyments and means
of improving their condition. The amount OF
revenue required, even in time Of peace for the
administration OF justice and police, and fof the
support of the army and navy, and various 9TH
er objects constituting the civil list and support
of the government, is necessarily large. The
sun raised from each individual is so much la
ken by government from his earnings The far.
mer pays in taxes a part Of the produce OF his
farm, that is, its value in money, for his proper
ton of contribution to the public revenue, and
has so much for other purposes he is by SO much
the poorer, and Of all others who are taxed for
public revenue.
The money raised by taxes never returns to
those who pay, in proportions which they respec-
lively contributed. Hence the interests OF the
payers and the Interests Of the tax enjoyeFs, be-
come antagonists. The higher the rate of taxa
! ton, the poorer the tax payers-and the richer
those who receive and enjoy the proceeds for
employments, services, jobs and profitable con
tracts.
The sums annually taken from the people by
| taxes for the support OF government, lessons the
surplus of each individual above his own wants
which surplus he would apply in the pursuits of
his own private industry. II money then be tas
ken annually by taxation, beyond the known
wants Of the govern ment, and merely to be boar
ded for unknown contingencies, the general in
crease of wealth By the products Of agriculture,
mechanical labor, and commerce, will be pro-
| portionaby retarded. Such taxation for the
purpose of boarding is a waste Of capital; a waste
| Of the means of improvement. A government so
taxing the people for mere accumulating and
boarding, is no wiser, nor more benevolent, than
the miser,who burying his gold, obstructs the
increase of his store, and denies to lis hou E.
hold the comforts OF life for fear of future want.
Duties on mportstend to oircumscribe the
quantity Of goods imported because Ofthe capi-
tai required TO pay the duties. By diminishing
the quantity Of imported merchandise, the COM
petition between imported articles and like ar
tiCles manufactured in the United States is les
| sened, and such lessening of the supply and COM
petition has direct tendency to raise the prices
10 the consumers.
The amount Of the duty paid upon the article
is Incorporated with the natural price of the
commodity, and is paid along with it by the con-
sumner. II is nearly the same in effect, as if the
consumer should pay the natural price Of the ar
ticle to the manufacturer or importer and should
at the came time pay tax to the government
equal to the duty laid upon the article.
The merchant or importer pays no part of the
duties on imports except in far as be Is con-
sumner. lie does but advance the duty to the
Government at the Custom House. He is after
wards reimbursed with his profit as well upon the
original cost OF the article as upon the duty he
has advanced. BY raising the price Of the ar,i
Gle and thereby del diving the original cost. the
tax paid to the Government, and his profit on
the consumer, every intermediate sale and pro6k
; between the importer and retailer, down to>fbe
! consumer, enhances the price ofthe commo6itv ia
the consumer, who must ultimately pay'the orio-
inal cost Of the article, the duty, andall the in
termediate expenses and profits, bling compo.
neut parts Of the price at which We commodity
is offered for sale.
The duty paid for an imported hrtioleis for the
benefit Of the Public Treasury The enhanced
prices Of articles Manufactured in the United
2 states, caused BY the duties lekied on like arti.
cles imported, and paid by the consumers ofsucb
unimporied articles, 60 into BE private nurses
ofthe manufacturer
We recommend this portidn Of the Report 10
! our Whig friends, who previtu to the election.
so jealousy eontended that, Is'high duties make
low prices" There are other portions OF this
Report written with great ability, showing most
eo0elusively that Mr.. Bib has reflected much
upon the effects Of a Tariff taxation. There
are aoine lev errors in the Secretary's reasoning
ioat We may point out at some future time, but
an ADLER report on the subject Of revenue and
TAXATION We have never read,