Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1848-12-15

"'o"g " "o au'hOts oi the new system did not
regard It's speedy payment essential 10 the pub.
hc prosperity; but looked upon lis continuance
as no national evil. Whilst the debt existed !,
furnished ali ment to the national bank and eyi.
uenuy teHd rsd taxation necessary TO the amour,
o' Ine interest, exceeding S7,000O00 annually,
Ih,s operated in harmony with the next
ofaneh OF 'he new system which was high pro.
secu'e larh' This was TO afford boun,ies IN
ia'ored classes and particular lawsuits al tho
expense OF al olhers' a proposition TO tax tbe
Shole people Tor the purpose Of enricbinp n
' le"' was 100 monsirous to be openly made
Inc scheme was, therefore voiled under Tho
plausible, but delusive prefext Of measure 10
project home industry, and many Of our peo.
pie were, for time, led to believe that a tav
which IN the main fell upon labor, was for he
osnehi OF the laborer who paid il. This branch
oi the system involves a partnership between
The government and the favored classes-tbe
lormer receiving the proceeds Of the tax impo-
sed on articles imported, aud the latter the in.
creased price Of similar articles produced AT
home, caused by such TAX. Ii is obvious thar
'he position 10 be received by the favored would
as general rule, be increased in proportion to
the increase Of the late rates Of tax, improved
ana diminished as those rates reduced TO the re.
venue standard required by the wants ofthe
government The rates required to produce
suttlclent revenue for the ordinary expendi-
lures OF government, for ordinary purposes.
were not likely TO give to the private parnsrs
IN TINS scheme, profits sufficient TO satisfy their
cupIdlty; and hence variety Of expedients and
pretsxts we're resorIed to for the purpose en-
larging the expenditures, and thereby creating
necessity for keeping up high protective ia
riff. The effect of this policy was 10 nierpose
artificial restrictions upon the national course
Of the business and trade Of the country, and TO
advance The interests sflarge capitalists and mo-
nopolisls, at the expense of the great mass of
the people who were taxed 10 increase their
wealth.
Another branch Of this system was a compre.
hensive scheme Of internal improvement, capa-
Bile OF indefinite enlargement, and sufficient =
swallow up as many millions annually as could
be extracted from the foreign commerce Of the
country. This was a convenient and necessa-
sary ad unct Of the protective tariff. Ii was TO
be the great absorbent of any surplus which
might al any time accumulate in the ire,
sury, and ofihe taxes levied on The people, not
for necessary revenue purpose, but for the a.
vowed objecl of affording protection TO the ia
vored classes.
Auxiliary TO the same end, if il was not an es-
sential part oil the system itself. was The scheme
which, at later period, obtained for distribute
ing the proceeds of the sales ofthe public lands
among the different States. Other expedisnts
were devised to take money out Of The treasury,
and prevent its coming in from any other source
Than a protective one. The authors and sup
porers Of the system were tho advocates Of The
largest expenditures, whether for necessary or
useful purposes or not, because the larger The
expenditures The greater was the prelext Gor
high taxes, in the form ofProtectlve duties.
These several measures were sustained by
popular names and plausible arguments, by
which thousands were deuded. The bank was
represented 10 be an indispensable fiscal agent
for the government; was TO equaze exchanges,
and 10 regulate and furnish sound currency al
ways and everywhere, of uniform value. The
protective tariff was TO give employment TO "a
merican labor" at advanced prices; was 10 "pro-
tect home industry" and furnish ready mar
ket for the farmer Internal improvements
were TO bring trade on TO every neg ghborhOod-
enhance the value of every mans properly
The distribution of the land money was to en-
rich the States, finish their public works, plant
schools throughout their borders, and relieve
them from taxation. But The fact, that for eve-
ry dollar taken out of the treasury for these OBJ
jecls, much larger sum was transferred from
the pockets of the people 10 the favored classes,
was continually concealed, us was also the ten
dency, if NOT the ultimate design Of the system,
TO build up an aristocracy Of wealth, TO control
the masses Of society, and monopose the poll
tlcaI power Of the country.
The several branches of this system were so
intimately blended together that in their opera.
lion each sustained and strengthened The others,
Their Joint operation was 10 add new burdens
Of taxation and to encourage a largely increas-
cd aud waselul expenditure Of public money.
Ii was the interest of the bank that the revenue
collected and the disbursements made by the
government should be large. because being the
depository Of The public money, the larger the
amount the greater would be the bank profits.
1t was the interest of the favored classes who
were enriched by The protective tariff, TO have
the rates of that protection as high as possible,
because the higher those rates the greater their
advantage. Ii was the interest of the people OF
all those sections and localities which expected
10 be benefited by expenditures for internal I'M
provements, that the amount collected should
be as large as possible--that the sum dlsbursed
might also be the larger, the States being the
beneficiaries in the distribution of the land mo-
ney, had an interest in having rates Of lax i'm
posed by protective tariff; large enough to
Weld q sufficient revenue from that source 10
meet the wants of the government withou! dis
turbing or taking from them the land funds, so
that each Of the branches constituting the sys-
tenn had common interest in swelling The pub
lie expenditure. They had direct interest.in
maintaining the public debt unpaid, and ncreas-
ing its amount, because this would produce an
annual increased drain upOn the Treasury TO
the amount of the interest, and rendered aug
mented taxes necessary. The operation and
necessary effect of The whole system were to
encourage large and exravagant expenditures,
aud thereby to increase the public patronage,
md Innintnin q rich and nynensYe gnYernmant