The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1845-09-06
THE TARIFF-NO. If.

Duties, lain upon the exchange of the products
of labor, serve to cucumber the same and to di-
minish the amount of advantage dervable from
such exchange. The Tariff is system of duties
of this sort. Every thing paid in the form of
price. for any article, beyond the real relative
value of the labor necessary for manufacturing or
producing the same, is, SO far, burden imposed
upon industry. Whatever is calculated to depress
labor, by diminishing the return that may be OBJ
tanned for the same, is injurious to the interests Of
sIciety, by tending to discourage and diminish
the amount Of tina, productive industry, upon
which the real wealth and prosperity of nation
depend. Hence, we oppose any such system Of
measures, farther tLan they may he necessary for
the purposes Of obtaining uther advantages To the
country. of greater importance than the disadvan-
tages thence resulting. or this latter class, we
re yard the necessary expenditures for an economi-
cal administration Of Government, without which,
all the best interests of society, and all hope of
happiness among men, must be sacrificed Hence,
we are decidedly in favor, under existing circum-
stances, and in the present state of things, of a
strictly rereaue Tariff. But, as the lover of our
country and the best interests of all classes of her
citizens, we are utterly opposed to any and every
system Of taxation, which. without full, add II
must be, a most important, equivalent, imposes
burdens upon the industry of the land. Taxes
Imposed upon commodities sold, must necessarily
enhance the price. The higher the price, the
les; can be purchased with any given amount Of
mems. If those means.are the result Of industry
directed in other channels. the less stimuant there
must ever bs to call forth that exeriion, upon
which all true prosperity depends In other words
if A works for wages, the higher those wages,
the stronger will be his incentive and the great ter
amount Of labor we may expect will be performed.
But what wages, except the means of pro-
curing whatever we may desire, as a return for
the same? And is ii not perfectly plain that we
can obtain the more of this, in proportion as the
price is less, and, consequently, that whatever
au4mens the price. by so much dimnishes our
ability 10 purchase, ard lessons tie amount Of
consideration receive for The same, and, conse-
quenily lessons our stirnulant 10 exerlion and di
mnishes our productive labOr2 To us these pro.
positions are perfectly clear. The Tariff raises
the price of the commodity upon which it is lain
1t, therefore, dmlnshes the amount that may be
obtained in exchange for the superAuous products
Of the labor Of those who purchase while it does
not enhance the price received as a compensation
by those who labor for its production.
All parties and classes admit the necessity Of
raising funds, in one form OF another, for sustain
ing the operations Of Government Money must
be had for the administration Of public affairs, and
a system Of Tariff taxation has been resorled to.
and seems to be generally regarded as the least
Objectionable form, for obtaining those funds
And though we entertain serious doubts Of the