The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-08-24
How TO make the Producer pay the Duty

The radical error of the ad valorem system,
as it now stands, is, that it fixes only the pro
portion of the Government, leaving the quantity
to be fixed by others; thus making it the inter
est Of all who deal with us 10 undervalue their
goods for the purpose Of defrauding the trea-
sury, and thus throwing on the consumer the
payment Of the duty. The Government must
be supported, and, whatever is not paid by the
foreigner, must be paid by ourselves.
Had prices been determined at the same time
that proportions were fixed. the quantity to be
received by the Government would have been
an uniform one, and all the grievances to which
we have called attention would have been pre-
vented. II would then have been easy to grad
uate the proportions 50 as TO meet the demands
of the Government, raising the rate Of duty if
more revenue were needed, or depressing it if
more were raised than was required.
The English manufacturer himself fixed the
price Of vices ia otr market. He was willing
to place there one hundred pounds for the sIm
Of g. p, ont Of which he paid the duty, whe-
ther high OF low. He placed hollow ware
there at a discount Of fifty per cent, paying
himselfihc low duties Of 1912. the high ones
Of 1913 u 'lG, or the medium ones Of 1850
Let us suppose the prices to have been then
30 fixed, and sec what would then have been
The effect on domestic competition. The sum
paid by the foreigner would have been 81 81
and it would be payable on every one hundred
pounds imported. whatever the price at which
the foreigner might sec fit 10 invoice his goods
The Government would not have found itself
Icagucd with him for the destruction Of that
and establish freedom Of trade IL would, in
effect. have said 10 him. " You have fixed the
price at which you are willing TO supply your
goods, and we have fixed the proportion Of that
price which you must pay into our treasury.
We will not increase that proportion for the
purpose Of aiding our own citizens TO drive you
out Of our market. but, on the other hand. we
will not reduce il to enable you TO ruin him.
Ruin him if you can. Our policy is non-intcr-
ference. We believe that freedom of trade and
reduction Of prices will be promoted by compe-
titiou. and we are not favorable 10 the idea that
we should aid you in the destruction Of our en-
terprising citizens who desire to establish here
new modes Of industry"
The market prices Of ls16--the period at
which the present tariff became a law-were
those at which England was willing to supply
MS with cloth and iron, and out Of those prices
she herself paid the duty; and to permit her to
pay less than she then paid was to transfer 10
our own shoulders the burden which we then
decreed she should carry--to make the consumer
pay what was intended to be paid, and was then
paid. by the producer. Had those prices been
established, the Government would have placed
itself in position Of non-interference between
the foreign and our own citizens BY not es-
tablishing them it has made itself the ally of
foreigners in a most destructive warfare on our
own people, and in war against morals, by Of
fering bounty on perjury and fraud, BY now