Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1846-12-18

has not boen time FOR iis practical elect upon The
revenue and business Of the country 10 be devel.
oPed. ltis not DOUBTED, however, that the j1si
policy which It adopts will add largely TO our for
eign trade, and promote the general prosperity.
Although il cannot be certainly forescen What q.
mount Of revenue il will YIELD il is estimated that
II will exceed thai produced by the act Of le4a,
which II superseded. The leading principles es.
tublished by iiare, TO levy the taxes with q view
to ruise revenue, and TO impose them upon The ar.
ueies imported according TO their actual value.
The act OF le4s, by the excessive rates Of du.
~ which il imposed on many articles, either TO.
'aily excluded them from importation, or greatly
reduced the amount imported, and thus diminish.
ed instead Of producing revenue. By il the TAX.
es were imposed not for the legitimate purpose
OF raising revenue, but to afford advantages 10
favored classes, at the expense Of a large major.
ty Of their fellow-citzens. Those employed in
agriculture, mechanical pursuits, commerce, and
navigation, were compelled 10 contribute from
their substance to swell the profits and oyergrown
wealth Of the comparatively few who had nves-
ted their capital in manufactures. The taxes
were not levied in proportion 10 the value Of the
articles upon which they were imposed; but,
widely departing from this just rule, the lighter
taxes were, in many cases, levied upon articles Of
luxury and high price, and the heavier taxes on
those OF necessity and low price, consumed by
the great mass Of the people. Ii was system
the inevitable result ofwhch was to relieve favor.
ed classes and the wealthy few from contributing
their just proportion for the support Of govern.
ment, and TO lay the burden ontheIabor Of the ma.
ny engaged in other pursuits than manufactures.
system SO unequal and unjust has been su.
per5eded by the existing law, which imposes du.
ties not for the benefit or injury Of classes or pur.
suits, but distributes, and, as far as practicable,
equazes the public burdens among all classes
and occupations. The favored classes, who, un.
der the unequal and unjust system which has
been repealed have heretofore realized large
profits, and many of them amassed large fortunes,
at the expense Of the many who have been made
tributary TO them, will have no reason TO com.
PLAIN II they shall be required TO bear their lust
proportion of the taxes necessary for the support
OF government. So far from it, it will be per.
celved, by an examination Of the existing law.
that determinations in the rates of duty imposed,
within the revenue principle, have been retained
In their favor. The incidental aid against for
elgn competition which theys enoygives them
an advantage which no other pursuits possess;
but OF this none others will complain, because
the duties levied are necessary for revenue
These revenue duties, including lreghts and char.
ges, which the importer must pay before he can
come in competition with the home manufaclu.
rer IN our markets, amount, on nearly all our
leading branches of manufacture, to more than
one-third of the value of the imported article,
and in some cases 10 almost one-half its value.
With such advantages, tits not doubted that our
domestic manufacturers will continue 10 prosper,
realizing in well conducted establishments even
greater profits than can be derived from any 9TH
er regular business. Indeed, so far from reuui-
ring The protection Of even incidental revenue
duties, our manufacturers in several leading BRAN
ches are extending their business, giving evil
dence of great ingenuity and skill, and of their
ability TO compete, with increased prospect OF
success, for the open market Of the world. Do
mestlc manufactures, 10 the value Of several mil
lions Of dollars, which cannot find market at
home, are annually exported to foreign countries.
With such rates of duty as those established by
the existing law, the system will probably be per-
manent; and capitalists, who have made, or shall
hereafter make, their investments in manufac-
lures, will know upon what TO rely. The coun.
try will be satisfied with the rates, because the ad-
vtntlges which the manufacturers still enjoy re-
suit nessarily from the collection of revenue for
the support Of government High protective du.
ties, from their unjust operation on the masses of
the people, cannot fail to give rise to extensive
dissatisfaction and complaint, and 10 constant ef-
forts 10 change or repeal them, rendering all in.
vestmentS in manufactures uncertain and preca-
rlous. Lower and more permanent rates of du-
~, at the same time that they will yield 10 the
fair and remunerating profits, will
secure him against the danger of frequent chan.
ges in the system, which cannot fail TO ruinously
effect his interests.
simultaneously with the relaxation Of the restric-
tive policy by the United States, Great Britain,
from whose example we derived the system, has
relaxed hers She has modified her corn laws, and
reduced many other duties TO moderate revenue
rates. Alter ages of experience, the statesman OF
hat cOuCtry have been constrained by a stern ne
cessty, and by public opinion having it's founda-
lion in these suiferings und wants Of impoverished
millions, to abandon system the effect OF which
was to build up immense fortunes in the hands Of
the few, and to reduce the laboring millions to pau
perism and misery. Nearly in the same ratio that
labor was depressed, capital was increased and
concentrated hy the British protective policy.
The evils Of The system in Great Britain were at
length rendered intoerable, and it has been aban-
doned, but not without a severe struggle on the
part Of the protected and favored classes TO retain
the unjust advantages whirh they have so long en-
loyed. 1t was to be expected that similar strug-
gle would be made by the same classes in the Uni
ted States, whenever an attempt was made TO mod
lIy or abolish the same unjust system here. The
protective policy had been in operation in the u
nIted States for much shorter period, and its per-
ncious effects were not, therefore, so clearly per-
,eived and felt Enough, however, was known of
these effects to induce its repeal.
1t would be strange, in the face Of the example of
Great Britain our principal foreign customer, and of
The evils of system rendered manifest in that coun-
try by long and painful experience, and in the face or
the immense advantages which, under more liber-
al commercial policy, we are already deriving, and
must continue to derive, by supplying her starving
population with food the United States should re-
store policy which she has been compelled to a.