The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1850-12-11


to produce the article much cheaper than
lit could have been procured from abroad,
thereby benefting both the producer and
the consumer at home. The consequence
of this is, that the artisan and the agricul-
turist are brought together. each affords q
ready market for the produce Of the other,
and the whole country becomes prosper
GUS; and the ability to produce every ne
cessary Of life renders us independent in
war as well as in peace.
A high tariff can never be permanent.
II will cause dissatisfaction, and will be
changed. 1t excludes competition, and
thereby invites the investment of capital in
manufactures to such excess, that when
changed it brings distress, bankruptcy, and
ruin upon all who have been misled by its
faithless protection. What the manufac-
turer wants are uniformity and permanent
cy, that he may feel confidence that he
is not to be ruined by sudden changes.
But to make tariff uniform and perma-
nent, it is not only necessary that the law
should not be altered, but that the duty
should not fuctuate. To effect this, all
duties should be specific, wherever the ma
ture of the article is such as to admit Of
it. Ad valorem duties Auctuate with the
price, and offer strong temptations to fraud
and perjury: specific duties, on the cen-
trary, are equal and uniform in all ports,
and at all times, and offer strong induce
ment TO the importer to bring the best arti-
Gle, as he pays no more duty upon that
than upon one Of inferior quality. ! there
fore strongly recommend modification
of the present tariff, which has prostrated
some OF our most important and necessa-
ry manufactures. and that specific duties
be imposed sufficient to raise the requisite
revenue, making such discrimination in
favor of the industrial pursuits Of our own
country as to encourage home production,
without excluding foreign competition. II
is also important that an unfortunate pro-
vision in the present tariff, which imposes
a much higher duty upon the raw material
that enters into our manufactures than upon
the manufactured article, should be reme-
died.
The papers accompanying the report Of
the Secretary of the Treasury will disclose
frauds attempted upon the revenue in va
riety and amount so great as to Justify the
conclusion that it is impossible, under any
system Of ad valorem duties levied upon
the foreign cost or value Of the article, to
secure an honest observance and an effec-
tual administration of the laws. The
fraudulent devices to evade the law, which
have been detected by the vigilance Of the
appraisers, leave no room TO doubt that
similar impositions. not discovered, to
large amount, have been successfully prac-
tised since the enactment of the law now
in force. This state Of things has already
had prejudicial influence upon those en-
gagged in foreign commerce. lthas ten
dency to drive the honest trader from the
business of importing, and to throw that
important branch Of employment into the
hands of unscrupulous and dishonest meE,
who are alike regardless Of law and the
of an oath. By these means
the plain intentions of Congress, as ex-
pressed in the law, are daily defeated
Every motive of policy and duty. there
fore, impels me to ask the earnest atten-
lion of Congress to this subject. II Con-
gress should deem it unwise to attempt
any important changes in the system OF
evying duties at this session, it will become
to the protection Of the rev.
snue that such remedies as in the judg- |
nent of Congress may mitigate the evils
Of should at once be applied.
AS before stated, specific duties would,
n my opinion, afford the most perfect rem
,dy for this evil; but, if you should not
concur in this>yiew, then. as apartial rem
,dy, | beg leave respectfully to recommend
hat, instead of taking the invoice of the ar
icle abroad as means Of determining its
,alue here-the correctness of which in
,oice it is in many cases impossible to
law be so changed as to require
! home valuation or appraisal, to be regu-
ated in such manner as to give, as far as
practicable, uniformity inthe several ports.
There being no mint in California, am
informed that the laborers in the mines are
to dispose Of their gold-dust at
large discount. This appears to me to
'e heavy and unjust tax upon the labor
f those employed in extracting this pre-
ious metal; and doubt not YOU will be
isposed, at the earliest period possible, 10
elieve them from it by the establishment
e mint. In The mean time, as an as
ayers office is established there, would
especially submit for your consideration
he propriety Of authorizing gold bullion,
,hich has been assayed and stamped. to
9. received in payment of government
ues. Icannot conceive that the treasury t,
,ould suffer any loss by such provision,
,hich will at once raise bullion to its par
alue, and thereby save (if am rightly
many millions of dollars to the
aborers, which are now paid in broker
ge to convert this precious metal into
vailable funds. This discount upon theirI
ard earnings is a heavy tax, and every /.
fort should be made by the government
!, relieve them from so great burden. II