Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1846-05-21
A Democratic Tariff.

intimated purpose TO sustain the Tariff Bill Of
thu Administration a substitute for that OF ls42.
Although we exchange with the MiIledgevIlle
Recorder, such an expression Of opinion by that
paper has escaped our observation. We have,
however seen an alusion to the crcum-
stance in another Georgia paper, from which we
suspect the Enquirer obtained its information. Ii
is not of very unfrequent occurrence, however, to
find individual members Of party differing with
that party upon some particular feature of It's ge
neral policy. When the Sub Treasury, for eI-
ample. was first suggested by Mr.. Van Buren, as
party measure, it is known that large number
of the leaders and perhaps not less than one-fiflh
of the rank and file. bitterly hostile to that
scheme. Time, however and the appliances
usually resored TO in such emergencies by our op-
Ponents-such buying up with office,
wheedng others BY fiattery, administering the
lash to no, few, and land as Gen. Jackson re.
comm nded) kicking out" the incorrigibly obsti.
nste-have wrought wonderful changes and the
party now presents upon this question perhaps
more the appearance of unit" than upon any
other article its ever.shIfting creed-eyen those
who taught Us some OF the strongest grounds of
objection to this measure, now either warmly ad-
vOcAting, or silently acquescing in. it's adoption
The old Proyerb tells too, that lone swallow
does mt make a summer - and if the Milledgville
Recorder is prepared to unite with the Admins
tation party in its assaults upon a system the
wisdom OF which has been so triumPhantly vind-
Gated by lis beneicent results, and in substituting
for lit scheme the like of which we have tried
before with the most disastrous consequences, it
will find itself almost alone-very few of the
Wings, even in the tton.growing States, con.
curing with that paper in the extraordinary OPT
mon ascribed to 1t.
But let us reverse the medal, and see if we
cannot find, among the democrats of the North,
men occupying high and influential positions, who,
while in the very act of decrying the Wing doc.
uine upon the Tariff question, are themselves
nevertheless its advocates-hying directly in the
teeth of the principles laid down in Secretary
Walkers Report, and upon which the Tariff Bill
shortly TO be acted upon by Congress is protessed.
iy based. CHANGING over the Message of His Ell
cellency Isaac Toucey, the recently elected Go.
vernon of Connecticut, and heretofore distin-
gushed Locofoco Member of Congress- we find
all exposition of that gentleman's views upon this
important question. After remarking that taxes
must be levied and collected, TO meet the neces
sary expenditures Of the Government, he adds:
by universal consent these taxes are levied upon TO-
reign imports and if they levied, by strictly revenue
Tariff upon foreign articles which in competition
with those OF growth and manufacture then our
home interests have incidental protection advantage
10 the extent OF twenty-five millions of dollars annually
TINS protection advantage is beyond all doubt amply
sufficient for all the great interests of the country in any
manner dependent upon tariff OF duties Here is solid
ground to upon"
This is such sound Wing doctrine, that, if we
had found the paragraph without caption or sig
nature, we should have taken it for granted tina,
it had been copied from Wing essay The Tia.
riff of 1912 is based upon precisely the principle
laid down by Gov. Toucey-while the scheme
lately reported by the Committee of Ways and
Means rests upon the opposite doctrine. The
Wings insist that the Tariff ought TO be so ad
justed as TO raise no more revenue than is neces
sary for the economical administration of the Co
vernment, which the Tariff of 1912 has done. !
And Gov. Toucey declares that he is in favor oc
Just such system-as, indeed, we believe. ain
men of all parties, with the exception Of a very
few who in favor OF the abolition of the Gus
tem.house system altogether, and Of raising the
revenue of the Federal we'll as of the State
Governments by direct taxation. are But the
great point Of difference between the two parties
ia ths-in adjusting the scale of duties, shall re-
ference be had exclusively to revenue as the lead
ing Locos assert-or as the Wings contend. shall
an eye be kept both TO revenue and protection ?
The Virginia Locofoco Convention held in this
city in the winter Of 1913 emphacally laid down
in its Address, the broad principle that in the adj
Justment Of ReUenue Tariff. such only as the
Constitution authorizes Congress to enact espe.
cial care should be taken, # any determinations
were made between the various articles import
cd, that they should be made "no' for yro'ection
bW against ian idea expressed perhaps more
lucldly by Senator McDuffie, who contends that
the lowest duties should be laid upon those arti
cles which come in competition with domestic
fabrics, and the highest upon those which we can.
not ourselves produce or manufacture! But
what on the contrary, says Gov Touceyl He
declares, 20 be sure, that he Is for "a Revenue
TariH'--we should like to know who is not
but he is in favor of levyng the duties 'upon
foreign articles which come in competition with
those Of our own growth and manufactured
position directly adverse it will be seen, to sena.
tor Med file and the Virginia Address. For n.
" W ltHuHi hl5 sun ilITe GEAR ana
phatic he adds, that bis design IN thus discrimna
ting, is that "our home interests may have an
OCCIDENTAL PROTECTION" to the extent Of thos,
duties. Wo repeat, this u throughout the Wing
doctrine, which has been briefly epitomlzed in
single sentence, to wit: "a Tariff for RereHu,
ruth DETERMINATIONS for Protection" II Gov
Touceys language means any more or less thai
this, we are unable to perceive the difference
But why single on, an individual, however pro
tninent his position, eminent his talents for In
purpose Of establishing the fact that there is
wide diversity Of opinion in the Locoroco rank
un this subject--that not ono voice, like that O
the Southern Recorder, Is heard in opposition {
the creed Of the parry, but that q large humble
dissent most widely from IL Who does not kno,
that at this very moment, with majority Of abou
SEVENTY In the House Ct Representative,