The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1848-12-29

TO protect "home industry" aud many
of our people we're, for time, led to be.
lieve that tax which in the main fell up.
on labor, was for the benefit of the aborer
who paid il. This branch of the system
involved a partnership between the gov.
eminent and the favored classes-the for.
mer receiving the proceeds Of the tax i'm.
posed on articles imported, and the latter
the increased price OF similar articles pro.
duced at home, caused by such tax. II is
obvious that the portion 10 be received by
the favored classes would, as general rule,
be increased in proportion TO the increase of
the rates of lax imposed, and diminished
as those rates were reduced to the revenue
standard required by the wants OF the
government. The rates required to pro.
| duce a sufficient revenue for the ordinary
expenditures Of government, Tor the neces.
sary purposes, were not likely 10 give 10
the private partners in this scheme profits
sufficient TO satisfy their cupIdlty and
hence a variety OF expedieuls and preIexls
were Iesorted to for the purpose of ell.
largng the expenditures, and thereby ere.
a,lng a necessity for keeping up a high
protective tariff. The effect OF this policy
was to interpose artificial restrictions upon
the natural course Of the business and trade
Of the country, and TO advance the inter.
ess Of large capitalists, and monopollsts,
al the expense of the great mass OF the
people, who were taxed to increase their
wealth.
Another branch Of this system was
comprehensive scheme Of internal I'M
provements, capable of indefinite enlarge.
ment, and sufficient to swallow up as many
millions annually as could be exacled from
the foreign commerce Of the county
This was convenient and necessary cd
iunct Of the protective tariff. /, was to be
the great absorbent of any surplus which
might al any lime accumulate IN the treasu.
~, and Of the taxes levied on the people,
not for necessary revenue purposes, but Tor
the avowed object Of atfjrd,ng protection
10 the favored classes.
Auxiliary to The same end, if 1t was not
an essential part Of The system itself, was
scheme which, al later period, obtained,
for distributing the proceeds of the sales
Of the public lands among the States
Other expedienis were devised TO take
money out Of the treasury, and prevent It's
coming IN from any other source Than the
protective tariff. The authors aad sup
poriers of the system were The advocates
Of the largest expenditures, whether for
necessary or usciul purposes or not, be.
cause the larger the expendi the great.
er was the preteS, for high taxes in The
form Of protective duties.
These several measures were sustained
by popular names and plausible arguments,
by which thousands were deluded. The
bank was represented to be al IndIspersa.
! lie fiscal agen, for the government; was
10 equalize exchanges, and to regulate and
furnish sound currency, always and every.
where Of uniform value. The protective
tariff vas to give employment to " Ameri-
can labor at advanced prices; was TO
protect " home industry" and furnish a
steady market for The farmer. Internal
improvements were TO bring trade into
every neighborhood aud enhance lac value
Of every mans property. The distribution
Of the land mnsey was TO eatich the States,
finish their public works, plant schools
throughout their borders, and roIieYe them
from taxation. But the act, that for every
dollar taken out Of the treasury for these
objects much larger sum was transferred
from the pockets Of the people 10 the ia.
vored classes, was carefully concealed, as
was also The tendency if not the Ultimate
design of the system to build up an aristoc.
racy Of wealth, TO control the masses Of
society, and monopolzs the political power
OF the couhtry.
The several branches Of this system
were so intimately blended together, thai
in their operations each sustained ant
strengthened the others. Their Join, op
Grafton was, 10 add new burdens Of taxa
ton and to encourage largely increased
and was,eiul expenditure Of public money
: 1t was the interest Of the bank that tn
revenue collected and the disbursement
made by the government should be large
Il because, being the depository Of the publ
c money, the larger the amount, the greale
y would be the bank profits by its use.
was the interest Of the favored classe
= who were enriched by the protective larl!
d to have the rates Of that frotecisp n as hig
" as possible ; for the higher those rate
" the greater would be their advantage.
Isl was the interest Of the people Of all tho
o. sections and localities who expected to
US benefited by expenditures for internal II
" provements, that the amount collected shot
H. be as large as possible, to the end that t
NJ sum dlsbursed might also be the larger.
~ Tue States being the beneficlaries in t
p distribution Of the land money, had an
no ierest IN having the rates Of tax Impos
- by the protective tariff large enough
cl' yield sufficient revenue from that SOU
yer to meet the wants of the governme
90, without disturbing or taking from them
lie land fund SO that each Of the branc
Is constituting the system had common
in- terest 10 swelling the public expendi,ui
bui They had direct interest IN maintain
Of he public debt unpaid, and increasing