The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-07-01
[Ses first page.I



promise bill was resumed. MIR. DAVIS, of Mas
sachusetts, concluded his remarks against the
bill, and Mr.. COOPER commenced speech in
| favor of it.
The House Of Representatives., by vote of
yeas "a, nays i02. rejected the resolution Of the
majority of the Committee of Elections, in favor
OF the right of VIM THOMPSON. the sitting
member from the first Congressional district of
Iowa, TO the seat held by him, and contested
| by DANIEL +. MILLER resolution was
adopted, declaring vacancy To exist. and di-
recting the Speaker of the House to inform the
Executive of the State of Iowa of the fact
At a convention Of the Opposition party inthe
city of New York, held at Tammany Hall,
last Wednesday, the following resolution was
adopted
"Resoiped That we are the steadfast advocates of
the tariff of 1916, with its ad paiorem principle by
which the duties assessed the value instead
ofquantity. So long as the greater portion of the
| expenditures of our Government are to be derived
| from taxing foreign trade, or the consumption
of our people, shall insist upon an adherence to
! the ad palorem principle and the lowest possible
rates of duties that will produce sufficient revenue
but we hold ourselves in readiness to co operate
with those who regard the whole system of tariff
taxation fraud upon honest industry, in their
efforts to overthrow it, and the establishment of a
more correct system OF raising the necessary
To dcfray the expenses of our Government
1t is quite the fashion, for those who oppose
the policy Of protection TO American industry,
| to profess themselves very ready to cooperate
with certain imaginary individuals, whom they
discern with the eye of faith in the dim future
| the coming men who are to establish the sys-
TEN Of direct taxation, in the place Of revenue
tariffs None of them, however, seem to think
the times ripe for such movement; at all events,
none of them volunteer to lead the way
Their patient waiting has long since begat
suspicion of the sincerity Of their professions
They either do not want direct taxation, or there
is, in relation TO this matter, lack of enter
prise and hardhood which the party that styles
itself Democratic has seldom exhibited If
they have spark of honesty, why do they not
come up To the work at once, and call upon
their representatives in Congress to bring in
bill for the entire repeal of the tariff? Ii is de-
feasible only on one OF two grounds-as mea-
sure for revenue, or measure for protection.
For the first purpose, II is very easy to show
that, upon their principles and modes of reason
ing the present. indeed any tariff, is wholly indie
fensbe. They utterly abiure, in profession
the idea of finding any justification for it in the
aspect of protection. just in proportion rs it is
framed with that purpose. il is an abomnable
thing But that it does effect the latter end to
a certain extent, is admitted on all hands.
Tried by their own standards, the Opposition.
| at least that vast majority of them who i'm
agine, or pretend to imagine, themselves the
friends of Free Trade, must be convicted of up
holding statute-of having at all times up
held understanding taxation in a mode
which they condemn as partial and unjust
bearing with a heavy hand on the poor and
sparing the rich, with incidental protection,
which, according 10 their theory, is but a
method of distributing the plumber among a
very limited class OF favored individuals. They
have devised method of uniting in a single
bill two objects. both of which are hateful tu
them, as they would have us believe, and in
the highest degree unjust, when they were en-
tirely at liberty 10 supersede it by system
which should be liable 10 neither objection.
Instead of choosing between two evils they
have chosen both--havc done it with their eyes
wide open--arc careful ON all occasions to de-
claim against the enormities Of each and vet
not man Of them seems conscious that he lies
under any obligation in the premises other than
TO hold himself in readiness till somebody else
Of more active conscience, OF more susceptibility
to shame, shall bestir himself in the matter
We have spoken Of the shortcomings Of the
Opposition, thus far, only as if they were aid
ing and abetting in the simple addition Of one
wrong IN another. But this is, according to
their theory, by no means the extent of the Of
fence. IL involves, as they teach, not merely
the mechanical iuncture ofinert bodies, but the
chemical union Of two elements ofinjustice. one
Of which, the protective, multiplies and aggra-
Yates the force Of the other the inequality Of
taxation.
One Of the most widely circulated and influ-
entail Of the frec-trade journals stating the tariff
Of si2 TO be the best on the whole that
the country ever had, gives their theory in
relation TO the combination Of taxation with in
cidental protection, in the objection that the
consumers have to pay much more in the ag
gregate than II the duties were laid exclusively
upon articles not coming into competition with
our own manufactures, because then they
would only have TO pay the amount Of the du-
ties. whereas now they not only have to pay
that amount, but also the increased price Of our
own manufactures, occasioned by those duties;
times greater than the imported. consumers
have to pay four dollars TO the home manufac
turer for every dollar which they pay to the
Government"
The revenue yielded by tariff is, in the
apprehension Of the votaries Of ST. Tammany,
raised by taxation upon the ultimate consumer
Of the commodities on which duties are i'm
posed, no share being borne by the various
classes Of traders through whose hands they
pass on their way To the man who finally oh