The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1848-03-07

gentlemen ON the other side, day and date
book and page, for what / say. beg them tc
submit these statements to the Secretary, and
with his aid and assistance, disprove them il
they can. ] am not surprised that the Secre-
tary was worn down under the Herculean
task. 1t is an easy matter to make the truth
appear TO be true, but to make an error APP
pear to be truth, was a task too heavy for the
acknowledged ability of the Secretary, who
we are told sunk under the effort
The Secretary, in his Report, has labored
hard, and with great ingenuity, to establish
three positions. First-that low duties always
produce an increased amount of revenue.
Second-that reduction of duties have not
only increased imports, but also exports, and
especially the export of breadstuffs and pro-
visions Third-that low duties favor Amer
lean labor-agricultural, manufacturing, and
mechanical and promote the national wealth
and prosperity at large. Now, / assert that
precisely the reverse of these several PROPOSE
tons is proved by the whole experience of the
country, from its foundation to the present
time, and l will prove it by the reports and doc
uments furnished for the most part by Mr.. w.
himself
THE EFFECT OF THE TARIFF OF 1876, AND
OF HIGH AND LOW DUTIES GENERALLY,
UPON REVENUE.
The first position of the Report is, that low
duties always increase revenue, and that such
has been the effect of the tariff of 1876. The
tariff of 1916 has reduced the rate of duties, on
an average, about one third-from % TO 80
per cent Under the tariff of 1912, one hun
dred millions of dutiable imports yielded about
thirty-two millions ofgross revenue, of course
ions, one third more, under the tariff of 1876,
to yield the same amount of revenue; 10 get
the same revenue, you must now export fifty
additional millions of dollars, and destroy fifty
millions of present American supply, to make
room for these additional fifty millions of for
eign goods thus supporting and enriching
foreign labor, and destroying our own.
The President and Secretary both repeat,
that the tariff of 1916 has not only greatly in
creased the national prosperity, but that it has
actually increased the revenue eight millions
of dollars. Now, so far from this being true,
it clearly appears from the Secretary's own
showing, that the revenue would have been ST.
202,657 more, had the tariff of 1912 continued
in operation. So that instead of gaining eight
millions, we have lost more than seven mil
lions of revenue by the tariff of 1S46-a blum
QcT Vi UlOTC llldn ullCSn ullllOUS III Il SlU1lc
yearl
Now, for the facts refer gentlemen to the
first pages of Mr.. Walkers three last annual
Reports on the finances; they will there see it
stated that, in the fiscal year 1915, the revenue
from customs was So, 1928, 1l2-that in 1916,
the revenue was S26, 2,G67-producing an
average amount Of revenue under the tariff of
1871, of S27, $3.50. Whereas, in 1s47, I'M
der Mr.. Walkers great revenue tariff of 1916;
he himself states that the revenue from Gus
toms is but S23, 747, S64-nearly three mill
10 us less than in 1916, and nearly four mill
ions less than in lS45. Yet we are told, in
the face of these official facts, that the tariff of
1876 has increased the revenue eight millions
of dollars But this is not all; by referring to
the Secretary's late report on Commerce and
Navigation, mot vet printed,) it will be seen
that the dutiable imports in lS47 were Sl0,-
3G5,404 more than in 1915, under the tariff of
1912; and had it been still in force, this OK
cess, at 80 per cent, 0he average of the duties
under the tariff of 1922 would have yielded
S3,416,429 of revenue, which, added to the
excess of revenue received in 1915 over 1S47,
S3, 7S6 ,22S, makes the sumof 81 ,202,65 more
revenue under the tariff of 1912, had it re-
manned in operation, than has been received
under the tariff of 1916. Now what becomes
of the Secretary's eight millions of increased
revenue? Instead of eight millions plus, his
tariff of '46 is seven millions minus. Or to
prove it in another and simpler form; Mr. w.
says the average of duties under the tariff OF
1912 was 80 per cent, and under the act Of 6,
they are % per cent.-conseguently, the rev.
enue upon the same imports must be one-third
less. So that instead of S23, 747 1874, the amt
received under the existing law, we should
have received, under the tariff of 1912, one
third more, viz: S9l ,663,S12. These are math-
ematical results, derived from Mr.. Walkers
own Reports, and there is no escape for him or
lis defenders. Icall on them to deny it ifthey
can. But besides all this, Mr.. Walker, in his
annual Report last winter, page l, estimates
the receipts from customs for the fiscal year
1S47, at S27, S35,I3 he has received, he says,
but S23, 747 ,S64-four millions less than his
estimates Yet the President and Secretary
both boast that the tariff of 1916 has more than
realized their expectations. Now if four mill
ions less than their estimate equals their ex-
pectations, then they must have, for the pur-
pose of deception, deliberately made their es-
innate four millions more than they expected
to receive. Can the Secretary explain this
| hope he'll try, but predict he will not.
But Mr.. Walker contends that the tariff of
1876, having greatly increased the export of
domestic products, has, as matter OF course,
brought in corresponding increase of imports
and revenue. But has the tariff of 1916 in
creased the amount of domestic exports? lsay
it has not, and will prove it by Mr.. Walkers
own figures will show conclusively that the
only increase of exports has been made in
brcadstufrs and provisions, required to prevent
and would have been taken to the
same extent, and paid for in the same way,
without regard to our tariff, or any thing OF
the kind. Now take the export of domestic
products for ten years past, from 1885 to 1915,
and deduct therefrom the amount of bread
stuffs &provisions, and it will be found that the
annual export of domestic products, exclusive of
breadstufs and provisions, was S91,S13,5S9;
then take the export of domestic products du-
ring the last fiscal year, under the tariff OF
1916, VIZ: S15O,637, 464, and deduct the bread
stuf1s and provisions, SCI, 9O6,27S, and it leaves
of every thing else but SS4, 72O, 19I-more
than seven millions less of domestic exports last