Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1845-12-10

raise the duties higher than that polnt' anu
thereby diminish the amount collected, IS
to levy them for protection merely, ana nos
fer revenue. As long. then, as Congress
may gradually increase the rate OF ou'y OH
o given article, and the revenue is lncreas-
edby such increase of duty. they are with
in the revenue standard. When they 60
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 Of money to support gov |
ernment, but is for protection merely.
1t does not follow that Congress should
levy the highest duty on all articles OF inn
port which they will bear within the reven-
ue standard; for such rates would probably
produce a much larger amount than the
economical administration Of the govern
ment would require. Nor does it follow
that the duties on all articles should be at
the same, or horizontal rate. Some ar
tcles will bear much higher revenue duty
than others. Below the maximum Of the
revenue standard Congress may and ought
to discriminate in the rates imposed, taxi
ing care so TO adjust them on different ar
ticles as to produce IN the aggregate the
amount which; when added to the proceeds
Of sales Of public lands, may be needed to
pay the economical expenses of the gov
erDment.
In levying tariff Of duties, Congress
exercise the taxing power, andfor pur-
poses of revenue may select the OBJ
jects oftaxation. They may exempt cer-
tain articles altogether, and permit their
importation free Of duty. On others they
may impose low duties. In these classes
should be embraced such articles of neces-
sity as are in general use, and especially
such as are consumed by the laborer and
the poor, as we'll as by the wealthy citi-
zen. Care should be taken that all the
great interests Of the country, including
manufactures, agriculture, commerce, nav
igation and the mechanic arts, should, a
far as may be practicable, derive equal ad
yantages 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 ds tt
operate as equally as may be, on all class
es in the proportion of their ability to bea
it. To make the taxing power an actua
benefit 10 one class, necessarily increases
tho burden Of the other beyond their pro-
portion, and would be manifestly unjust
The terms "protecting 10 domestic indus
try" are Of popular import; but they
should apply under just system Of all the
various branches Of industry in our coun
try. The farmer or planter who toll.
yearly in his fields, in engaged in 'domes
tic industry" and is as much entitled te
have his labor "protected," as the manu-.
facturer, the man of commerce, the nav
igator, or the mechanic, who are engaged
also In ''domestic industry" in their differ
ent pursuits. The joint labors of all these
classes constitute the aggregate Of the do.
mestic industry of the nation, and they are
equally entitled to the nations "protec.
tion." No one Of them can justly claim
TO be the EXCLUSIVE recipients Of 'pro,ec.
tion,' which can only be afforded by in.
creasing burdens on the domestic indus.
try Of the others.
If these views be correct. it remains to
inquire how far the tariff Of 1912 is con.
sistent with them. That many orthe pro.
visions Of that act are in violation of the
cardinal principles here laid down all must
concede. The rates Of duty imposed by
iton some articles are prohibitory, and on
others SO high as greatly to diminish i'm
portations, and to produce less amount
Of revenue than would be derived from
lower rates. They operate as "protection
merely" to one branch Of domestic in
dustry," by taxing other branches.
BY the introduction of minimums, or as.
sumed and false values, and by the impo-
sition Of specific duties. the injustice and
inequality of the act of 1912, in its prac-
tical operations on different classes and pur-
suits, are seen and felt. Many of the op-
pressive duties imposed by it unde. the op-
GRAFTON Of these principles. range from one
per cent. TO more than two hundred per
cent. They are prohibitory on some ar
sicles, and partially SO on others, and bear
most heavily on articles of common ne.
cessity, and but lightly on articles of luxu-
ry. 1t is so framed that much the great
est burden which it imposes is thrown on
labor and the poorer classes who are least
able to bear it, while it protects capital and
exempts the rich from paying their just
proportion of the taxation required for the
support Of government While it protects
the capital Of the wealthy manufacturer,
and increases his profits, it does not benefit
the operative or laborers in his employ.
mens, whose wages have not been increas-
ed by it.
Articles ofprime necessity or Of coarse
quality and low price, used by the masses
of the people, are, in many instances, SUBJ
jected by tito heavy taxes, while articles
Of finer quality and higher price, or of
luxury, which can be used only by the op.
ulent, are lightly taxed. 1t imposes heavy
and unjust burdens on the farmer, the
planter, the commercial man, and those
of all other pursuits except the capitals
who has made his investments in manufac-
sures. All the great interests of the