The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-07-26
From the Boston Morning Post.
THE NATIONAL INTELLlGENCER AND
THE TARIFF


The Atlas Of the 18th copies deceptive article
from the National lntelligencer the ''tarif ques-
ton," and characterizes II ga plain, clear, seusi-
ble and refabe article in favor of the existing tar
i'll. The National Inteiligencer may well defy our
political opponents (says the Atlas) TO galnsay the
statements contained in this article" Now it is, on
the contrary, one of the most false hmsy, sophsti-
cal productions written. A mere boy, possess.
ed of n small degree Of information, might overturn
it. The great, rich manufacturers, who are now
doubling their hundreds of thousands and their mil
lions by means of the existing tariff, and who are
thus forcing by law such cxorbitant profits from
the poorer and middling classes, apprehensve
that modification may soon be made as in justice
must and will be- and they are trying, by means of
the press of which they have the principal CONTROL
to prevent, If possible, an event so disastrous to
their unfair acquisitions of property.
This article begins by assuming three propositions
as admitted 10y all parties. The two first are, that
"there must be tariff of some kind; and that it must
produce n sufficient revenue" These are admitted
The third is, that it should operate equally upon
every section of the country, and upon epey class o,
He community This latter clause is papably mad
missibe. It is the true whig doctrine, | admit; but
tho democracy will not submit to it. That the rev.
cnue, the taxes for the support Of government,
should operate equally on the rich and the poor
that is, that the poor man should pay as much as
the rich--is monstrous, and was never heard of,
even under the most despotc governments Yet this
is substantially the operation of the existing tariff
and the principle here openly avowed.
Again il is asserted, that the duties should be lev
led exclusively upon articles "the consumption of
which is most generally and EQUALLY diffused among
the people" This is worse still. The poor are not
only to pay the same tax the rich the articles
they consume, but the articles on which the tax is
levied must be such are consumed in equal guam
hty by the poor man and the rich man! Mr. Astor
must pay no more towards supporting the general
,,.aI - Al ~
blacks his boots. This doctrine is 'plain clear,
sensible and irrefutable," with a vengeance!
The 1nteigencer, having stated these fundamental
principles which he falsely contends that everybody
assents to- then undertakes to show that the exist
ing tariff is based upon them, and should therefore
be continued unaered. If he had proved this fact,
which is easily DONE he would only prove the inius-
ce of the present SYSTEM and the necessity, not of
its being continued, but of its being modified A
tariff founded on such principles must be wrong:
and an oppressed people will insist on its reforma-
ton
Another position assumed is, that the present
tariff does not produce more than necessary reve-
nue.; and therefore its protective rates cannot safely
be reduced. This is false inference. If many Of
It's rates were reduced by one-half greater revenue
would be the result from the additional quantities
which would be imported Ii all the duties were
raised so nigh as to amount to prohibition (as is
the case with regard to some articles,) no revenue
whatever could be derived from such tariff.
The lnteligencer, by a few partial quotations from
the tariff undertakes to show that il does not favor
the rich, or fall heavily upon the poorer classes.
This pretence was refuted in the Post, when il was
first advanced in the Inelligencer, last year. Even
the cases selected show the contrary of what is pre-
tended Thus, channels, all sorts, fourteen cents
per square yard, shows that the poor are taxed the
same sum on yard of the coarses flannel. as the
rich are on yard of the finest. Again: all manu-
features Of silk, whether of the poorest coarsea,
kind or Of the richest and most costly kind. worn
only by the rich pay equally 50 SO per pound. II
these items quoted ~ the Intelligencer to prove
that the rich are nofhvored clearly show the con-
fray what must many other rates and articles show.
which are purposey omitted, because they are more
unequal
But the excusabe ignorance of the Washington
editor IN regard to such things is udcrousy expos
ed IN his quotation and commentary in regard TO
"coarse wools," which, he says, are taxed only five
per cent ad valorem, while other woods are taxed
thirty per cent. I'D valorem. His comment is. GAS
coarse woods make coarse cloths and as coarse cloths
are worn by the poor, are they not favoredi" &c.
Now, the truth is, that the "coarse woolsr here
meant do not snake coarse cothsn The term
"coarse woods" has technical meaning in the tariff
referring TO particular species of wool, coming
from particular place, and not used for cloths, hut
wholly or chiefly for carpets, both for the poor and
the rich Thus, this great favor to the poor Of five
per cent instead Of thirty, exists only in the inagi-
nation and the local ignorance of the editor Of the In
teligencer.
Every paragraph and every position of the Intelli-
gencer might be easily refuted; but it would re-