The New York herald., 1845-12-06

that discrimination against the poor which results from
every tariff by compelling them to pay larger amount
in proportion to its value. In accordance with these
principles. is believed that the largest practicable
on oil the aggregate should be raised by maxi
mum revenue duties upon luxuries, whether grown,
produced, manufactured at home or abroad
econ the ground that it the woges Of
labor In reply It that the wages Of labor
have not augmented srce the tariff Of ls42 and that in
some cases they have diminished.
Where the number of manufactures is not great, the
but as the profit of capital in
manufactures is augmented by the protective tariff
there Is a corresponding increase Of power, until the
control of such capital the wages of labor becomes
irresistible. As this power is exercised from time to
time. 6na it resisted by combinations among the
working classes-by turning out for higher wages, or
for shorter time by trades union and in countries
unfortunately by violence and boodshed But the gov
ernment by protective duties arrays itself the side
of the manufacturing system and. by thua augmenting
its wealth and power, terminates in its favor tho
struggle between man and money-betwsen capital aud
labor a. When the tariff of ls42 enacted the maxi
mum duty 20 per cent BY that act the of
But the wages Of labor did net increase in correspond
ing ratio in any ratio whatevor On the contrary
whilst ages in some cases have dimnished the prices
OF many articles used by the working classes have
greatly appreciated.
A protective tariff is question regarding the
and not to augment the wages Of labor which would
duce those profits 1t question fper centage and
shall special legislation yield profit of ten, twenty,
thirty per cent whether 1t shall remain satisfied
capital when invested in agriculture, commerce. or ma
vigation.
details as in the principles upon which it is founded On
some articles, the duties entirely 2.ohbitory and
others there is partial prohibition i aiscriminates
in favor of manufactures and against ituio by i'm
posing many higher duties upon the man'co ured fabrc
than upon the agricultural product out OF which II
made.
II discriminaes in favor Of the manufacturer, and
against the mechanic by many higher dutes upon the
manufacture than upon the article de ont Of Thy the
mechanic. It dscrsinstes in favor of the manuactu-
and against the merchant by injurious restrictions
upon trade and commerce and against the ship build.
every article used in build ng navigating els 1t
dscminates in favor Of Manufacturer and against ex-
ports, which truly the product of American indus
try az manufactures 1t dscrninates in favor of the
rch and against the poor by high duties upon nearly
all the necessares OF life and by mnmums and specific
duties rendering the tax the real value much higher
the cheaper than upon the finer article
Mnimums fictitious value assumed by law, in
stead OF the real value, and the operation OF all mini
NUNS may be illustrated by single example Thus,
levied all manufactures of cotton but the law fur
ther provides that cotton goods not dyed, coored
per square yard, shall be valued at twenty cents per
square yard" IT, then, the real value of the cheapest
by the law at the false value of twenty cents per square
yard, and the duty levied on the fictitious vaueras
by poor than upon the fine article purchased by the
| more wealthy. Indeed by House document No 1896 Of
the LIST session Of the asth Congress this difference by
actual Importation So per cent between the cheap
and the finer article Of the 20per cent minimum 1871
per cent on the 30per.cent minimum, 4Sb per cent
the 80 per cent minimum 81 per cent on the Copper
cent minimum, and "a per cent on the 75per-cent mi
nimum. This difference is founded on actual importa-
ton and shows an average discrimination against the
poor cotton imports Of 81 per cent beyond what the
tax would be if assessed upon the actual value. The
operation OF the specific duty presents similar discrim
nation against the poor and in favor of the rich Thus
upon salt, the duty is not upon the value but it is
or fne-showing, by the same document, from actual
importation, discrimination of 81 per cent against the
cheap and in favor Of the finer articles and this. to
10 of
When consider that 50 "a of tho last
year collected by minimum duties, and $ls3 0s5
as by specific duties, the discrimination against the
cheaper article must amount by estimates founded the
same document to tax of So es a22, exacted by mini
es, by raising thus the duties the cheaper article
above what they would be if the duty were assessed
cifc, they would be ntolerabe. Thus if annual
of thirty dollars was assessed on all houses without
respect to their actual value making the Of the
humble tenement or cabin pay tax of thirty dollars,
and the owner OF the costly mansion tax Of but thirty
be
specific duty cheap on fine articles. If any dis
the specific duty and of the minimum principle by
tabsbing maxlmum standard, above which value the
duty on the finer articles should be higher and below
which they should be lower the cheaper article
The tax upon the actual value the most equal and
only be accomplished by ad valorem duties. AS to
fraudulent invoices aud under valuation, these dangers
are believed to be arrested efectuay BY the stringent
provisions and penalty OF the 18th section OF the
tariff OF lS42; and half the is collected
| from ad vaiorem duties.
At least two thirds of the taxes imposed by the pre-
tariff are paid not the treasury to the pro.
teced classes The from imports year ex.
ceeded twenty millions Of dollars This, in itself,
pie by the tariff not less than eightyone mil
lions OF dollars of which twenty seven millions
paid to the government upon the imports and fy.four
millions to the protected classes in enhanced prices of
similar domestic articles.
This estimate is based upon the position that the duty
added to TIE price OF the import and also OF its dcmes
tic rival the import is enhance in price by the duty
SO must be the domestic rival for, being like articles,
their price must be the same in the market The
merchant advances in cash the duty the import and
adds the duty, with profit upon it, and other charges
that extent unless the foreign had rst deduct
ed the duty from the price But this is impossibei for
such now s and long has been the superabundance q
capital and active competition in Europe that profit
OF six per cent in any business is sufficient to produce
large Investments Of money in that business and by
our ar duty OF forty cent be exscted on the pro-
ducts of such business and the foreign producer de-
ducts that duty from his previous price, he must sustain
heavy loss. This loss would also extend hey ond
the sales for consumption to sales to merchants
OF articles, to be reexported by them from our ports
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 consumer
the duty constituting much part OF the price as the
cost OF production.
Ifit be true that when duty OF forty per cen, is i'm
posed by our tariff the foreign producer first deducts
the duty from the previous price the sale to
chant 1t must be equally true with duty of one hun
dred per cent which is exactly equal TO the previous
nothing
Inc occasional 1911 In price OF some articles aiter
,ari is no proof that this was the effect Of the tariff
because, from improved machinery, diminished prices
OF the raw material or other prices may fall even
after tarIh but they would in such have fallen
much more but for the tariff The truest comparison is
between the present price of the article at home
and abroad and to the extent that the price is lower in
the foreign market than in own the duty equal to
that difference must to that extent enhance the price
and IN the same ratio with the lower duty. The dHe
renee in price at home and abroad is generally about
equal to the difference in the Of production and
sens IN series o years the measure OF the ef
in ID
to that difference II the duty be higher than that dfe
renee or equal II or the duty be lower then the cn
hancement equal to the duty; the article pro-
duced, like cotton, cheapiy here abroad the
uuiy imperative The great argument for the tariff
Of foreign production is said is iessencd to that
extent and that we must make up this difference BY
equivalent duty, and corresponding enhancement OF
price, in our own market both foreign article and
OF is rlyM DOMESTIC productthua rendering the duty