The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1845-12-16

lection or advantage, 10 the amount OF on
per cent. to The home manufacturer of sim
liar or like article over the importer.
If the duty be raised to ten per cent,
will produce greater amount of money, an
afford greater protection. II it be raised 4
twenty, twenty-five, or thirty per cent, AM
If, as it is raised, the revenue derived from
it is found to be increased, the protection o
advantage will also be increased; but ifit b.
raised to thrty-one per cent, and it is foun'
that the revenue produced at that rate, il
less than at thirty per cent, it ceases TO be
revenue duty. The precise point in the as
cending scale of duties at which it is ascer
tained from experience that the revenue is
greatest, is the maximum rate of duty which
can be laid for the bona fde purpose of col
lecting money for the support of government
To raise the duties higher than that point
and thereby diminish the amount collected
is TO levy them for protection merely, and moi
for revenue. As long, then, as Congress
may gradually increase the rate Of duty on a
given article, and the revenue is increased
by such increase of duty, they are within the
revenue standard. When they go beyond
that point, and, as they increase the duties
the revenue is diminished or destroyed, the
act ceases TO have for its object the raising ol
money to support government, but is for pro.
lection merely.
1t does not follow that Congress should
levy the highest duty en- all articles of import
which they will bear within the revenue stan
dard, for such rates would probably produce
a much larger amount than The economical
administration Of tie government would re-
quire. Nor does it follow that the duties on
articles should be at the same or horizontal
rate. Some articles will bear much higher
revenue duty than others. Below the max
imum of the revenue standard Congress may
and ought 10 discriminate in the rates i'm
posed, taking care SO to adjust them on dit-
ierent articles as 10 produce in the aggregate
the amount which, when added 10 the pro-
ceeds of sales of public lands, may be need
ed TO pay the economical expenses of tie
government.
In levying tariff of duties, Congress
exercises the taxing power, and for purposes
of revenue may select the objects of taxation.
They may exempt certain articles altogether,
and permit their importation free ofduty. In
others they may impose low duties. In these
classes should be embraced such articles of
necessity as are in general use, and especial
ly such as are consumed by the laborer and
the poor, as well as the wealthy Citizens
Care should be taken that all the great inte-
rests of the country, including the manufac-
lures, agriculture, commerce, navigation, and
the merchanic arts, should, as far as may be
practicable, derive equal advantages from the
Incidental protection which a just system of
revenue duties may afford.
Taxation direct or indirect, is burden,
and it should be so imposed as 10 operate as
far as may be en- all classas,in the proportion of
their ability to bear it. TO make the taxing
power an actual benefit 10 one class neces-
sarily increases the burden Of others beyond
their proportion, and would be mantesly
unjust. The terms protection TO domestic
industry" are Of popular import, but they
should apply under a just system to all the
various branches Of industry in our country.
The farmer or planter WHO tolls yearly in his
fields, is engaged in "domestc indus try"
and is as much entitled TO have his labor
protected" as the manufacturer, the man
of commerce, the navigator, the mechanic,
who are engaged also il" domestic industry"
in their different pursuits. The joint labors
of all these classes constitute the aggregate
of the "domestc industry" Of the nation,
and they are equally entitled to the nations
"protection." No one of them can Justly
claim to be the exclusive recipients of "pro-
tecticn,' which can only be afforded by in
creasing burdens on the "domestic industry
Of the others.
If,hese views be correct, it remains TO in
ouire how far the tariff act of lS42 is consist
ent with them. That many of the provisions
of that act in violation of the cardinal prih-
ciples here laid down, all must concede.-
The rates of duty imposed by If Oil some
articles are prohbtory, and on others so high
as greatly 10 diminish importons, and to pro,
duce less amount of revenue than would
be derived from lower rates. They operate
as "protection merely" to one branch Of
domestic industry by taxing other branches.
By the introduction of minmums, or as
,umed aud false values, and by the imposl-
lion of specific duties, the injustice and in
equality of the act of lS42, in its practical
onera,ons on different classes 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
prohibitory on some articles, and partially SO
on others, and bear most heavily on articles
of common necessity, and but lightly on ar
ticles of luxury. II is so framed that much
the greatest burden which it imposes is
thrown Or the laborer and the poorer classes
who are least able to bear it, while it protects
capital and exempts the rich from paying