The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-12-04
a pros.eav. r.aG-Aa v.lorsm and specific Dates.


rights OF claims OF England to the Mosquito coast and
country, preliminary to view Of the Nicaragua treaties
but instead Of giving that view now being again in the
interior OF the State, amongst the honest sunburnt
farmers, will glance at the tariff again, in continuance
OF my communication OF the sth instant.
find the subject still one Of earnest discussion at the
houses and at the domestic fire. side and, as said in
my last you must expect the whole baterng train OF the
st WIN y9n tins ana S. S ns
to all.
Most of the arguments leyeed at the revenue law OF
ls46 other than the duties coal and ron) are at that
feature of il adopting the ad yaorem mode OF collecting
the duties and will, as in my former communication,
the in @
consider the audience composed OF farmers, manufac
urers and other pursuits, promscuously, after town
meeting.
Manufacturer. Well, Mr. Farmer, hope you attend
ed the meeting and heard the beautiful speech Of Mr..
Attorney SIS upon the abominable tariff you have
fastened upon the countrys
Farmer did, and heard all the gas let off, but your
orator wandered far from home, and plunged into such
thckets Of hghsounding words, that lost myself as
Manufacturer. But you understood how clearly he
stated the monsros frauds committed the revenue by
the ad valorem mode Of leyying the duty
Farmer. Yes, heard him assert IL; but still am.
not quite sure that he correctly did 80.
Manufacturer. Now have you Explain yourself
Farmer. try to do So Your great wings said,
are told that it does this and leaves large surplus Of
seven millions Now, either there cannot be much loss
much worse prophets than could well Be imagined
Manufacturer You will see i in the next report OF
our Secretary Of the Treasury.
Farmer. Well, until do see it, ask to be excused
from believing il naked assertion But to go back to
your orator Did he not say that the ad vaorem principle
was laying duty the value OF the article, without re-
gard to its texture or material
Manufacturer. Yes, to be sure therein consists the
difference between ad valorem and specific duties.
Farmer. So understood him and then he labored
TO show that by false low invoices the importers evaded
Manyaetursr. Yes. Of course, and robs Of all pro-
Farmer. Not so fast, neighbor First tell me who
aanafaeiurer. The United States.revenue officers.
FarmC. Well, have. not our officers the means OF
Judging of the true value of the goods imported Have
they not great experience, much practice and these,
combined with their oaths and duties, would or should
make them true and good deecters OF false invoices Of
cannot well see who could.
Manufacturer. Still they may be deceived;
Farmer Not easily; for has not he, the revenue
officer the price, of all the foreign markets to re-
fer and the weekly statements OF all our own domestic
markets. accompanied with the views and statements OF
all other ports OF entry and custom-houses to AID his
Manufacturer Yes, allow he has
Farmer Well with all these aids to detect false and
fraudulent entries with the severe Penalues detected
at such valuations they may think too lowf all this IS
not sufficient prevent such frauds, merchants and i'm
Manufaeurer. You will see they do it, in the Sec.
retary's report, when he gives i to US.
Farmer Well, if he does, let him suggest mode to
look al the great principle Of the thing and not waste all
time upon the mode devised to prevent fraud
Now, ask you plain question is not the ad yalorem
mode Of collecting duties just and equal 10 all and the
specific duties unjust and unequa In that we are all in
audience Yes, yes You will explain that to us.
f.. of fho ,an
calls on me- Suppose any Of US 20 to Philadelphia to
buy silk gown for wife daughter, and the duty is
20 per cent ad valorem we give IS for n we pay 81
wife or daughter for s5O-en times much he pays in
fair proportion, ten times the duy-naney, $40 duty
tax So il is equal and the burden OF taxation is equally
divided between the rich and poor, according to their
means.
audience That's fair and just
Farmer But that is not all II has another great adj
vantage to us ALL and that is know tohat pay, and
choose to increase or decrease our tax duties by our
purchases, and complain, as all are treated
alike.
Audience Does the tariff Of is4e work in this way
Farmer. To be sure il does. Now ask the manufac-
tuer here il his tariff OF ls42 did SO, il his specific du
| ties worked equality in taxation.
audience He Is not here He went away when you
were explaining the operation OF the tariff OF 1896.
Farmer. Just as 1 thought He "yamosed the
generalities, and give US his bill Of particulars
audience. Cannot you explain IL .r
Farmer. Yes. The specific mode Of levying duties is
UNJUST because unequal, akng money OUT vi inc poor
consumers pocket out OF all proportion TO his use OF i'm
ported articles II he buys silk gown for bis wife for
five dollars, he pays Just the same duty the rich man
does for his ity-doaI silk gown, taking out OF his
pocket much than his proportion OF taxes In that
way robs him and II robs him in another way Being
deceptive in the mode in which it levies duties, il is also
deceptive in the amount il takes, and, il were, slips
syly round in your ignorance Of the real amount
acts and dipping its hand into your other pocket takes
large from you, which you pay in bounty Tor all do
nestle manufactures you And that IS the reason
why il is great favore OF all the leading wings II
is of the uice thevng tribe-species racoon genus
wing and all 90 for it-your sfaun wing your gallant
~ns you, io n cdS you, s ana
Audience But MT, Attorney SIS said that the
tariff OF is4o made money plenty.
Furmer Made money plenty! Now, my friends
bear in mind always few fundamental principles oil
government; and they will enable you TO see through
these deusve and enticing arguments-nsmely that
governments cannot make money for you-they only
only take II IRON you and the only question is how and
in what amount shall they collect -eQuay and Justly
or unequally and uniusty And now thought strikes
me- OF mode In which you put their sincerity TO the
test Of their desire to make money plenty They have
told you tonight that will have surplus in the Uni
from the people II that is put in CIRCULATION, il will make
money more easy TO be had TO finish our great railroads
TO the West Well, when next you invited to town
meeting. and they open their budget OF receptions, ask
them TO agree to take the seven millions and pay
United States public debt TO that amount II will have
the exact effect they think desirable, and in othe
way will it. And il will do better. Il will in a few
years do for us, il steadily pursued, what the mmora
Jackson did for us some years back-pay of the who
of the debt and leave us, he left u.s. the envab
position OF being the only great nation on the earth out
debt A. & o.