Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1848-12-12


ported. and the latter the increased price
Of similar articles produced at home, caus-
ed by such tax. It's obvious that the
portion to be received by the favored clas-l
ses would. as general rule, be increased
in proportion TO the increase Of the rate OF:
tax imposed, and diminished as those rates.
were reduced to the revenue standard re-.
CURED by the wants ofthe government
The rates required to produce a sufficient
revenue for the ordinary expenses OF gov
eminent, for necessary purposes, were
not likely to give the private partners IN
this scheme, profits sufficient to satisfy
their cupidity: and hence, variety OF ex-
pedients and preiexts were resorted to for
the purpose ofenlarging the expenditures
and thereby creating necessity Tor Keep
ing up high protective tariff. The ei-
fectof this policy was to Introduce artlti-
cial restrictions upon the natural course OF
business and trade, and to advance the IN
terests of large capitalists and monoPolists
at the expense Of the great mass OF the
people, who were taxed to increase their
wealth. 'E- ae
Another branch Of this system, was a
comprehensive scheme of internal i'm.
provements, and capable Of indefinite en-.
largement, and sufficIent to swsliow as
many millions annually, as could be exact
ed FROM the foreign coniGseroe ofthe coun-
try. This~was convenient and neces-
sary adjunct of the protective tariff. 1t
was the great absorbent of any surplus
that might at any time accumulate in the
Treasury, and Of the dglies levied on the
people not for necessary revenue purpo-
ses, but for the avowed object of enfor-
cling protection 10 the favored classes.
Auxiliary to the same end, if it was not
an essential part of the system ITSELF was
the scheme, at later period, obtained for
the distribution of the proceeds of the sales
Of The public lands, among the States.-
Other expsdients were devised to take
money GU; of the Treasury, and prevent
it coming in from other sources than the
protective tariff: The authors and sup
porters Of the system were the advo-
Gates ofthe largest expenditures, whether
for necessary or useful purposes or not
because the greater was the pretext for
high taxes, in the protective duties.
These several measures were sustain
ed by popular names, and plausible argu-
ments, by which many were deluded.-
The bank was represented as an indispen.
sible fiscal agent Of the government and
was 10 equalize the exchanges, and 20 reg
ulate and furnish sound currency, al
ways and everywhere Of uniform value.
The protective tariff was 10 give employ
ment to "American labor" at advanced
prices, and was to project home industry
and furnish steady market for the farm
er. Internal improvements were to bring
trade to every neighborhood, and enhance
the value of every mans property. The
distribution of the land money was to en-
rich the States, finish their public works,
and plant schools throughout their bord-
ers, and relieve them from taxation; but
the fact that for every dollar taken out for
these objects, mucn larger sum was
transferred from the pockets of the peo-
pie to the favored classes, was continual
y concealed, as was also the tendency of
the ultimate designs ofthe system to build
ap an aristocracy of wealth to centrol the
masses of society, and :1,ouopolize the po-
litical power of the country.
The several branches of this system
were so admirably blended together that
in their operation each sustained and
strengthened the other, their joint opera
ton was to add new burdens of taxation,
and to encourage largely increased and
wasteful expenditure Of public money
Ii was the interest of the Bauk that the
revenue and the disbursements made by
the government should be large, because
being the depository ofthe public money,
the greater would be the banks profit by
its use. 1t twas the interest of the favored
classes, who were enriched, to have the
rates of that protection as high as posi-
BILE, for the higher these rates the great.
er would be their Profits. 1t was the in
terest of all these sections and localitiea
which expected 10 be benefited by expen-
ditures for internal improvements, that the
amount collected shonld be as large as
possible so that the sum disbursed might
also be large, and the States being the
beneiciaries in the distributionof the land
money had an interest in having the rates
imposed by a protective tariff large e.
nough to yield sufficient revenue from
that source to meet the wants of the gov
ernment without disturbing or taking from
the land fund, So that each branch con-
stituting the system had common interest
in making the public debt, and increasing
the amount, because it would produce: an
annual increased drain upon the tteasu-
ry to the amount of the interest, and aug
mented taxes necessary. The operation
and necessary effect of the whole system
was to encourage large and extravagant
and thereby increase the
public patronage, and maintain ri b and
Government at the expense of
a taxed and impoverished people.