The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1846-07-09
J.F. MCCLELLAN, Printer.

case we have no work, and can't get the
saxpence." ( A laugh.) Such were the
fruits of exchanging agricultural products
for manufactured goods-lhe products of
manual labor for the products of machin.
cry working the hoe agains! the loom.
such had been and always would be the
result OF this miserable system of policy,
whenever and wherever adopted.
Next the gentleman complained of tax,
alton. What tax did farmers and labor
ers now pay the, United States? Nothing.
Many of them used nothing but domes~
tics. They bought no foreign goods ex-
cepl tea and coffee, and they were Free
Thousands and hundreds of thousands of
our people don't Fay dollar year into
the National Treasury, and thousands not
a cent. How would it be under system
of direct taxation? The burdens of the
Federal Government would fall on far
mers and laborerS more heavily than the
heaviest State taxation Under system
OF direct taxation the proportion OF Penn-
syVania would De three millions year
more than double her present heavy State
taxation. But all these burdens put to-
gether are nothing compared TO the Iaxes
imposed on US by the British.
To form an idea Of its extent, let every
gentleman ascertain the number of stores
selling British goods in this District
These merchants are all tax>gaherers for
Eng land, taking millions and tens ofmiII-
ions of specie from our farmers for Britt
iah agricultural produce; wool and every
thing else converted into goods and sent
here and sold 10 our farmers, who have
those very materials on their hands rottng
for want Of marker and this is the rus
nous system recommended TO our farm
ers by these Gree trade" advocates. The
farmers understand it, and they will let
gentlemen know it at the polls. They
will let gentlemen know wha! they think
Of this "buy everything and sell nothing
policy" They know that the farmer who
sells more than he buys gets rich, and he
who buys more than he sells gets poor;
and they know that the same theory is
true with regard to nations they know
that, TO sell more and buy less, is the way
to wealth. ond that the opposite course is
the road 10 bankruptcy and rum.
The true American policy was Pro-
lection and INDEPENDENCE. 1t was to
make America independent of all the
world. That was sound American poll
cy; and he trusted no man would suffer
himself to be SO carried away by mere par
Ly politics as 10 advocate "tTee trade" and
starvation, twin sisters, some and insepa-
rabIe." Protection was The policy which
would spread comfort and happiness over
the face of a smiling land. It's effect would
penetrate our forests, and reach to the re-
motest hamlet in the West. This would
keep our money at home, instead of send
ing it across the ocean to enrich British
manufacturers at our expense.
What was the theory of our learned
Secretary? We must reduce duties to
increase our revenue. Now, Mr. S. said,
and he defed contradiction, that as truly
as the thermometer indicated The increase
or dimnulon of heat in the atmosphere,
just SO truly did the increase or dimiDu>
ton of the tariff mark the increase and the
limhutiou of revenue. He appealed TO
he record, and defed his opponents 10 the
lest.
The Secretary recommended a reduce
ion of duties 10 an average rate of 20 per
cent, and in support of this recommends
ion be had accompanied his report with
l table, at page 956, showing the revenue
lnder different tariffs for the last twenty~
i've years, viz, years Immediately before
he tariff of 1924, four years under the
ariff Of 1924, tour years under the tariff
If 1928, ten years under the compromise
dill, and three years under the tariff of
IS42. And what was the result?
For the four years preceding the tariff
# 1924 the average gross revenue was
1921 53 600. Under the tariff of 1924,
which its opponents at the time predicted
would ruin the revenue and compel re-
ort 10 direct taxation, the average for the
our years Of its duration was $2S, $4,000.
Next came the "bill of denominations" the
black tariff of 1929" which it was said
would bankrupt the treasury beyond all
uestion, and what was the result! The
verage revenue during The four years of
IS operation increOs. to $50 SAL 900.
Then came the compromise bill of 1893,
which brought the tariff down by biennial
educions TO a horizontal duty Of 90 per
ent.; and what was its effect upon The
eyeuue2 The revenue declined mari
QSu with the tariff, yielding for ten years
n average Of S2l ,496, 900, and the last
ear if its operation under the 20 pc. cent.
uty only $l6,686,0O0 gross revenue,
citing Sl2,758.000, while our expeLdi-
Tres were more than double that amount.
hen came the present tariff, which yield
4 more than S32OOO,OOO gross-$27,.
10000 net revenue. Now what does
II profound Secretary Of the Treasury
oppose 10 do 10 improve the revenue -
lark it! He proposes to reduce the tar
to an average of about 20 per cent.