Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1850-06-27
.o5sI .Te avn .1kIaUol aTNTa 5 YfHIIoTIW Tn0MaaY
MONTPELIER, THURSDAY. JusE p. $780,.

it ought to be argued always-thatis, by it.
self
There are great and national objections
to the ad valorem system. What are they
In the FIRST place, the amount Of duty to be
paid is always uncertain and indefinite. 1t
fiuctuates from month to month-from year
to year, dependant upon the ever-varying
state of trade at home and abroad.
Moreover, an al valorem duty never is,
and never can be collected in full. This
is proved by all experience. The tempta-
ton to understate the value or cost Of goods
imported, in invoices, is too often irresisti-
Bile.
Under this system the dishonest and
fraudulent importer has a great pecuniary
advantage over the scrupulous, upright and
Just. 1t operates as premium and re-
proach-tbe former, to others to come and
prey upon us, and the latter to ourselves
More than that, it gives undue advantage to
foreigners engaged in importing, Tor these
reasons. in the first place, they are more
inscriptions; and in the next, they have
greater facilities for perpe,raliDg fraud than
the American merchant. The foreign hou-
ses in this country are usually connected
with manufacturers in Europe, and more or
less intimately are interested or identified
with them.
Generally, manufacturer and importer
are part and parcel together. The import
ers make no purchases, but merely have
their own property consigned to themselves,
and invoice them as they pIease--swear to
! their invoices, and many Of them dodge the
revenue in every way they can, and usually
get their goods through at much lower
rate than any American merchant, who had
bought the same goods in any market in the
world. possibly could.
This nd valorem system also makes dis
tinction between different ports and differ
ent parts of our Union II, for instance,
at one Custou-house the officers be rigid
and severe, higher rate Of duty will be
paid if at another they be lax or inatten-
tive, lower rate.
The temptation to liberal indulgence, on
the part Of custom-house officers who de-
sire to favor the trade Of their own port will
often prove irresistible. ~
The practical operation Of this particu-
lar kind Of duties, moreover, is in contra
vention, and ever will be, to our fundamen-
tai law, which stipulates and requires that
duties should be uniform throughout the
country. They are not, aud never can be
under such system.
More than all this, it operates against our
own country in another respect, and that is
necessarily and inevitably to PROSTATE our
own domestic industry; for the higher the
article is in foreign country, the less pro-
lection is wanted-the lower, the more SO
that where high duty is really required TO
sustain any branch of our own production,
low one is always collected; and when
low duty will answer the purpose, a high
one is gathered. As long as we have this
state of things, all who are engaged in me-
chanical enterprise will be involved in pro-
found uncertainty in relation to the future.
The never can know whether their products
in the American market will be sustained
by high duty, or crushed by low one
Under this tariff we have to compete with
the refuse goods and surplus products of all
the workshops of Europe. This is pro-
life source Of evil to our country, and
should be better understood. The foreign
manufacturer, after a profitable season in
Europe. often fluids surplus IN the shape
of unsold goods, remaining on his hands.
He has made his profits and this surplus is
reckoned part of them; at any rate. he
regards them as clear gain therefore he
can very well afford to push them into any
market. If he can help his next years bu-
siness by SO doing, all the better-yes, even
though he sacrifice the whole. He will not
throw them on his own domestic market,
for that would deteriorate prices and de-
press his business for the succeeding twelve
months. Sooner than 90 that, he will ship
them, and as long as the tariff of '46 is in
existence, ship them to this country in pref.
erence to all others, get them passed thro'
the customs with his own prices, aud sell
them for what they will bring in auction
houses. or anywhere else.
There is an immoral tendency in this sys-
tenn, not only as we have endeavored to in
dictate, but in another respect-it brings
the ingenious, intelligent aud upright me-
chaDic of the United States Into degrading
competition with the poor operatives of Eu-
rope. The foreign manufacturer has the
advantages of labor, at starvation prices.
cheap capital, and ample resources.
Hence, the effect of ad valorem duties is
TO connect, most intimately, young Ameri-
ca, in all her freshness aud vigor, with su-
peranuated Europe-to make us play the
part of mere colonies, and bear the yoke
our forefaihers would not-and to feel. in
all our productive resources and by our fire.
sides, every throb Of distress and embar-
rassment that may affect her. We have
not, at any time, doubted but that the tariff
Of '46 would ultimately prove highly inju-
rious to this country.
How and when will be considered here
after.
srt From the Midd'ebury Register.