The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-04-18

The Republic contains the following statement as
comment on the views contained IN our Introductory ar
nc!e on the subject of the tariff
.Mr Donelson is Of the opinion that the country was
never prosperous than has be uEGer the tariff OF
1886 That tariff in his Judgment has reduced onc-halL
the of the people. and has more than doubled the
rsyeuue The average annual revenue under the tar.
III of 1872 ~ eny-hree million eight hundred and
nrey thousand dollars, whilst this year, under the
tariff Of 1876 it exceeds fifty millions Revenue is the
result taxation. The larger the revenue therefore,
tie larger is the aggregate taxation. tariff which
doubles tue revenue doubles the taxation But Mr.
poneioa argues that tariff which fifty mo's
from the people, instead Of twenythree millions dipidS
the ad OF doubling them, and alevlaes their bur
den fifty per cent II the tariff OF 1916 took sixty instead
of fifty millions from the people, the increase would by the
same process, stu further diminish the taxation aad
country would grow rich by exhauson-he that is
taken from the better thrives Mr. D,nelson thinks that
the tariff Of 1912 at the present would not have
brought revenue of tretre millions That say if
revenue the result OF taxaon the people would have
been taxed psps millions instead of fifty mill ons but
Mr. DJne.on thinks that they only taxed half as Sc.
vey by paying htIy millions under the tariff of 1916 as
they would be by paying twelve millions under the arH OF
Use We believe that have done injustice TO Mr.
Doneson's reasoning by following i, these conse-
Iquences"
We certainly suppose that the above comments are the
utsull Vi Hdslg VI Ou dnQ are nOt
flair expression OF the ideas which it suggests nor can
suppose that they do justice to the editor who will
mot think, undertake to maintain the proposition thai
The larger the revenue the the people are taxed
when The postage reduction of 1915 went into opera
Iton, the rate Of postage reduced one half but the
revenue to the Fost Office greatly increased Was this
increase of tax auon' Let the citizen answer who paid
twenty cents for letter under the old law which now
leosls HIM only five cents The citizens tax would only
fifth of what it was before; but the revenue
might be largely increased BY addition 10 the num-
Der Of letters received So with The tariff II The citizen
paid double the duty pound of sugar under the tariff
uof l5i2 compared with that OF 1916, he would paw
3oube the tax on each pound OF sugar yet the
revenue might be largely increased by the augmented
consumption and importation of the article under
the last tariff 1t is incontestabe fact that the
j Nyenue this year is more than double what il
vas under the tariff of 1872 Ii is certain, also, tina,
the aggregate rate of duties imposed by the &C, OF
1872, as shown by the treasury report OF August 4,
1916, is than double the duty imposed by the tariff
Of 1915 The fact. then. is have stated it, Ii is
demonstrated by official documents whose accuracy can.
be denied, that the tariff OF 1916 has reduced one
bali the taxes Of the people, and has more than doubled
The revenue.
This assertion is as plain as the following proposition :
citizen now, under the operation of the tariff OF
$40, can with IS receive from the custom house 500
ards Of certain description of imported cloth, and I'M
Ter the tariff Of ls42 could with the sum OF s. receive
ony $50 yards OF the description of CLOTH then he
taxed onehalf less in the first instance than he is in
The last And our other proposition is equally clear and
nd,x kIa al.
lace, and has actually taken place. which makes the
revenue from the smaller rate of duty greater than what
was under the higher rate OF duty
Our language in the introductory article was That
arT Qsi6 has reduced onshaif the tare Of the people,
nd Il has nors than DOUBTED the rtuenue" We reassert
win as much confidence do the proposition that
wo and two make four, that an individual paying
Pc" hVe cents for letter which be formerly paid ten
EMS for saves just one.haf the tax at the same time
haI the general revenue Of the Post Office is increased
lhe Rspubiic dismsses it's comments upon our article
saying that we &" indulge an agreeable but delusiye
feam" 1t may be so but we think that our waking
WI not surprise with dsappointmens that will make
obsolete any cherished principle OF the democratic
arty We are confident, a, least, that when the doc
Inc OF high protective duties becomes as obsolete a.
idea OF United States Bank, the wings will no, as
nSs the cause 10 an agreeable but deusive dream .
"say to the editor OF the Republic that, if given 10
nanng we are at least much ven to prophesying ;
otwe now foretell that, il The wing party doe, no,
''ndon its opposition TO revenue tariff, its defeat in
va will be as signal il was in 1882, when i, main.
ansd thai bank was necessary to the prosperity Of The
~uny