Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1846-02-05
TIE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY
AND THE TARIFF.

Representatives, on a motion to instruct the COM
mittee on ways and means to report that no alter
alton ought to be made in the Tariff of lS42, ex-
poses the iallacies of the Secretary in a manner
so plain, that we not how he can well escape
from the impulation of ignorance and absurdty
To the Secretary's declaration that the Tariff is
unconstitutional, Mr. Stewart opposes the declara-
ton Of Washington, Jefferson Madison and jack
son. This, however, Mr. Stewart said, was but
one of the extraordinary doctrines Of this extraor
binary document. In reference to the doctrine Of
protection, Mr. Stewart said
The Secretary told the nation that the poor man
was taxed eghty-two per cent on cotton goods
over the rich man. Yes, this poor man seemed
special favorite Of the honorable Secretary
He had introduced him ten times in the course Of
two paragraphs Of the report. His sympathy was
greatly excited that this unhappy poor man was
taxed one hundred and fifty per cent on his cot
ton shirt, because there was a specific duty on
imported cotton goods of nine cents yard
Now, if this specific duty of nine cents amounted
to a hundred and fifty per cent dd ratofem, that
fixed the price of the cotton to the "poor man"
at but six cents yard for nine cents was Just
hundred and fifty per cent on six cents. So that
the practical effect of the horrd tax was, that this
''poor man" got good shirt at sixpence yard.
And Mr. Stewart would tell the gentleman anoth-
er thing. When those most abominabe mini
NUNS, which so excited the wrath of the Secre-
tary, had been first introduced, in 1916 by Will
linn Lowndes one of the purest patriots and
most intelligent statesman that ever graced these
legislative halls, and sustained, too, by John G..
Calhoun, scarcely less distinguished-lndia cotton
goods, Of the very coarsest quality, known to ev-
IL. IL. ...Il
cost thirty-three cents yard 50 that the "poor
man" would then have had to pay four dollars for
twelve yards Of it, and the effect of the infamous
mnimums had been that every poor man in the
country could now get better article for six and
quarter cents. That was the way the people
taxed and oppressed by the protective sys-
TEN; and this was the manner in which the
"pour man" was ground down TO the dust to ben
eft his rich monopolist! The Secretary per-
suaded this poor man that he was taxed eighty
two per cent more than the rich man, and this
was quite insuiferabe; yet he paid only six
cents for what formerly cost him thirty-sx cents,
and Of an inferior quality at that On that thirty
six cents, protection laid duty of nine cents,
which was but twenty five per cent ad ralorem.
These dreadful minmums had, in their prac-
teal consequences, given the farmers market,
given their children employment, made their cat
tie profitable, filled the country with the hum Of
conented industry, and had brought down the
poor mans clothing from thrty-six cents yard
Characterization as the system proceeded,
ill at last it gave it to him at six cents yard
Now the Secretary cried out that the duty on
t1ese cottons hundred and fifty per cent
al ualorem! Enormous! Horrd And why ?
the duty had not changed, but the price had
As the price went down the duty went up. At
thirty six cents per yard, nine cents duty would be
twenty-five per cent at six cents, yard, the du-
g.; would be one hundred and fifty per cent and
the price descended TO one cent yard, then
.uty would be nine hundred per cent! The
p1or man robbed, plundered and oppressed by
luty of nine hundred per cent, simply because he
sets yard of cotton goods for one cent yard!
Let the manufacturer run up the price to thirty
six cents again, and the oppression is all over;
the duty of nine cents yard falls instantly 10
twenty-five per cent; moderate revenue duty.
No more complaint: these friends of the 'poor
man" are perfectly satisfied.
Such was the practical operation Of these od-
Gus minmuns, which had reduced the poor mans
cotton goods from twenty-five and thirty cents per
yard to six and eight cents. Yet this was the
system which must be given up; this was the OPP
Grafton which was SO oppressive and so uncOnsfi-
tufional that must be suffered to exist long
er upon our statute book! The duty was to be
taken off the foreign goods, and put upon the
American manufacturers; such was the doctrine
of this report.
He referred to a table which had been report
ed to the House last session, by the committee Of
ways and means, for the purpose Of showing the
enormous tax which was imposed by the system
OF minimums; but when the Secretary, by the as
sistance of the honorable chairman OF the commit
tee Of ways and means, was preparing with great
labor and pains this document, he seemed TO for
get that he was at the same moment furnishing
mathematical proof of the exact extent to which
protection had reduced prices. BY converting
specific into ad vaorem duties, the duty runs up
precisely as the price runs down; so, by showing
an increased rate of duty, the gentlemen have
only shown reduced prices
The duty is fixed, and cannot vary. The Gd
ral0rem duties are always the same. None were
imposed by the tariff Of 1912 above so per cent
How then, does the President, in his message,
get duties of Two hundred per cent? This can
only be done by converting the specific duties in
10 ddudlorem duties and, when this is done,
high duty cniy shows low price. If the duty
is 200 per cent the price must be one fourth on
ly of the duty. Thus we are told that glass pays
the enormous duty Of 200 per cent and why
because the duty is ga per box, and the price
So per box but if the glass went down TO =
per box, the duty would be 400 per cent. Thus
we are told by the Secretary of the Treasury,
and the chairman of the committee Of ways and
means, that the people paid in all eighty-lour mil
lions, of which but twenty-seven went TO the gov
ornment, and fity-seven TO the manufacturers
and he gave list of sixty or seventy articles on