The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-09-12
POLITICAL.
From the ssco (Me) Democrat, Sept l.
Mr.. Fairheid's Remarks at the Demo-
cratic Meeting, ON Saturday,

TIC DcuO-
cratic Meeting, ON saturday.
Mr.. Fairfield, being called upon, said he would
not rise to make speech. He hated speeches-a
regular built, set speech he meant. But he liked to
talk and hear others talk. He liked 10 receive In
forma uon and 70 impaIt IL when IN his power TO do
so. And he wished IL 10 be understood, that IN
teruptlOns by questions or observations, on the
part Of any one present, would be dlsagreeable 10
him. On the contrary, truth being their object, he
would prefer that what said should be in a con-
versational way than otherwise. He expressed his
qualification al the opportunity Of again meeting his
friends and neighbors, and comforting with them,
freely and familiarity, upon topics of public inter
est. And he regarded 1t one of the exesllencles
of our system, that the servants Of the public were
frequently brought into direct communication with
their constituents II tended to keep up the true
latIon subsisting between them-renewing recog-
nltiOn Of their mutual rights and obligations.
There were many topics to which he would like
TO invite their attention, expressing has own and re-
ceiving their views In return-thelr limited time,
however, would probably conhne them 10 the one
possessing, AT the present time, the most absorbing
interest. He referred 10 the tariff For the tariff OF
1872 Congress had substituted ono based upon prn-
cipes which he believed had heretofore been APPROX
ed by the people Of the country, and especially by the
people of thus State. This measure had been sssaied
by the wings with great violence. IL had been
denounced in terms as strong as language would
AUNT o. III Sccncu W NC IckuIutu az pcisOnl-
heatOn Of all evil. In the language Of poetry, IT was
TO the wheels Of factories, extinguish the
fires Of our FORCES, paralyze the arm Of industry,
throw large numbers Of honest laborers out Of en-.
ploy, and bring ruin, and nothing but ruin,
upon the country. Ii was spoken OF as nslo meas
trs, one entirely unexpected by the people. IL
was said, during its discussion in the Senate, that
1t would come upon the people like clap of ihun-
der from a cloudless sky. To all this, he said he
should venture 10 put in fiat and positive denial.
All the pictures Of evil conjured up IN regard 10 this
tariff and It's effects were mere conjuration. They
had no substantial basis. He regarded them as
mere attempts TO get up panic for political Pur-
poses. IL was an old game of the wings, at which
they were exceedingly expert but at which they
were not always successful. And IN this instance,
he had much respect for the intelligence OF the
people, 10 believe that the present efforts OF the
wings to get up panic would result IN anything
but signal failure. ~
the elections Of ls44 In this State, in particular it
was the principal issue. The question was between
the tariff Of lS42, which the wings went for, a,
1rds, or one based on principles advocated by
the democratic party. The leading wings went
through the State addressing the people wher-
ever they could obtain an audience, and he was
persuaded no one would deny that the tariff
was the principal topic Of discussion. He had
himself the honor 10 go over portion OF the
State with a few of his democratic friends, and he
could truly say, that with them, and with the Peo-
pie, the tariff was the great and almost exclusive
topic Of discussion. IL fully, fairly, and freely
debated, was well understood by the people, and,
in his opinion, was deliberately and conclusyely set
tied by them in the election which succeeded. At
ter ali this talk Of this tariff being nsio pro-
ieci, aS something entirely unexpected by the peo-
pie, as a mere experiment upon principles untred
and almost unthsught of, required, he thought, no
little effrontery. The tariff Of lS42 was tried and
A IL. ~. ...I
throwing it, and establishing another in its stead
based upon principles Of equality and justice, had
merely obeyed the behests of the people. For his
participation in It's passage he was amensble TO his
constituents, but he had nothing TO regret
Mr., Fairfield here went into an elaborate exami-
nation Of some Of the Objectionable features OF
the tariff Of 1912, the substance only OF which we
have time to sketch. He said that one of the first
and most prominent features of that tariff and which
rendered il obnoxious to complaint, was Its entire
disregard Of the principle that taxes as far as prac-
:Icabe, should be apportioned on property rather
than on persons. Its determinations, IN fact, are
against the poorer classes in its selection OF arti-
cies for the most onerous duties. For instance,
six articles out Of the vast number imported,
and these articles Of common necessity, used by
the poor as we'll as by the rich, to wit iron, su'
gar, nioiasses, suit, the lowest class of coitons
and ,cOolienS, paid a duty Of Sl2,772,479.neaTiy
one half of Inc whole tariff revenue. Was this
Tlgnt III taxes bnOuIu Oc dsScSocu p'opSiy,
If people should pay according to their ability, then
1 was not right. The poor man who uses as many
gallons of mol55es and pounds OF sugar az the rich
man, to that extent, paid as great tax Inns evi,
he would admit, was not entirely unavoidable In
tariff, but it could be essentially aevlaed In the gen
eral arrangement OF duties.
Again, the tariff of '42 contained the odious prln-
cple of "minimums" by which a false value OF an
article imported was assumed, and the duty based
upon that false value. Cotton cloths, for instance
not exceeding twenty cents the square yard In val
ue, were taken and deemed to be worth that sum
and duty of 30 per cent. imposed thereon IL
therefore, the cloth was worth only quarter OF the
amount assumed, as was often the case, then the
duty was in fact four times larger than its nominal
amount. Thatis to say, instead of 30 per cent, IT
was in fact 100 per cent. In this way the people
were deuded and cheated. A duty appearing to be
only 80 per cent? by little tariff hocus poeus turned
out to be 100 per cent. Mr. F. said he had heard thu
question very forcibly put to the farmers, how they
would like to have that principle introduced into the
assessment of town and county taxes. Suppose thu
assessors should say that every farm worth sun
not exceeding 49, 000 should be taken and deemed
be north that sum- and proceed to tax 1t accordingly
would it be regarded as just and right and be cheer
fully submitted TO-, or denounced as unjust, inlqui
tons and oppressive Yet such is this favorte mini
mum principle of the wings, introduced and helt
on to, in the tariff Of 40, with pertinacty amos
astonishing, for the purpose of protecting the rlcf
manufacturers Of the country.
Another strong objection to the tariff Of 1874:
arose from its adoption ofpecfc instead of ad paio
rem duties That is, imposing a duty upon thu
yard or pound, ,oitho,a regard TO quality or ualue
The operation of such duty upon many article
was most iniquitous. 1t violated every principle o
equality, of justice, and Of fairness. 1t compelled
the poor man to pay great tax on his coarse
and cheap article as the rich man on his fine ant
high priced article. This was so obviously wronl
and unjustifable, that even Mr.. Clay himself, II
spite of party rammels, once admitted It to be 30.
The tariff Of 1912 was also odious to the grea
body Of the people because the amount OF proecf'o,
it extended to the manufacturers was excessive. ]
conferred upon them immense advantages at tn
expense of other classes. They have been maxim
large dividends and accommodating vast fortunes II
regard to this matter Of dividends but little is known
The profits are unquestonably much larger, thai
people have generally supposed. Occasionally W
see the amount of a dividend stated in the publ
prints, but this does not give the amount Of tn
Profits How much goes into contingent fund
how much to sink the cost Of building and MACH
nery--how much into the creation Of new stock, DC
il not seen In this town all are familiar with tn
fact that sem-annual dividend is made Of 10 pc
cent-and II ID well understood that this by n