The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-03-23
To HENRY &. CAREY, esa.,
Burlington, New Jersey

No, VI
To HrsRr c. CAREY, esq.,,
Burlington, New Jersey
SIN Wheneyer person speaks or writes in favor OF
any system, and makes no reservation or qualification, II
Is understood that he susans and approves OF the whole
OF H. view you standing IN this light IN relation 10
The tah OF 1912 and granted that you approve
OF II IN all lis parts, whether they be just or unjust My
purpose Them is at present examine the provisions OF
said act and after pointing out some OF ITS most gaTing
inquiries and inequalities, ask you whether you can,
Just and lar man. uphold them.
VIII begin by reminding you again that the tarlU is
nothing more than another name for tar and that ol-
lows as great American principle that all taxes should be
equal and be borne according the ability oil the payer
bear them Whenever this golden rule departed from,
and the poor bears more OF the burdens OF govern
men according 10 his ability 10 bear them, than the rich
man. the system which leads 10 this is unjust one,
and should be abolished And il matters not whether
This is drawn from the people by indirect means
through tariff, or by direct means, as direct taxation
the system Is both rotten and wicked Before make
the points which desire TO prove in the above
ion, will explain the different modes in which duties
| levied under the act of 1912
The bill calls for three ways-namey, dd uaioreD min
imnn, and speeifcand each one evies the tax in diff
ferent manner.
| The ad Ualorem comes from the Latin, and
means Tor the value, or IA proportion oe Ualus-that is
that the duty TO be paid shall be according to the value OF
| the article which pays H. In palmer terms, when
lcle said TO pay duty of 20 per cent ad uoloe 20
cents paid every 81 and $2O every 800 of the
value 80 per cent pays $50 on every 800. and SO on
This method then appears at 10 be just and equal
corng to the import value OF it, and the duty falls equal
y on both rich and poor in proportion to their ability to
bear It, But you and your party are opposed TO this fair
system, and in its stead desire cheating frau iulent
method under minimum and specific duties, which will
| now explain.
Minimum also comes from the Latin, and means The
smallest quantity possible and works in the following
manner when put into practical operation piece OF
goods which in reality costs only five cents per yard is
assumed TO have cost not less than 20 cenis and upon
this fictitious value certain duty is laid. By this nge-
NOUS mode OF egalzed fraud many articles pay duty
OF six or eight times much they seem to pay. This
is prominent feature in the tariff OF 1912, and one which
yourself and political friends most sirenuously advo-
cate.
The third mode of raising duties is that denominaed
specc which means that ascer,aned md fixed value
laid upon all articles alike, without any erence being
paid TO Their values and frequently goods which are WORTH
no more than ~ per yard pay as much tax as those
worth S..
The above are the three methods resored TO under the
act of 1912 and the second and third frequent
ly applied than in any other act since the foundation OF
the government Which is the most JUST and bears most
equally upon the consumers you are able very readily
| to determine.
Having laid down the above very briefly, | will next
proceed to make and establish the following points
the foregoing connexon
/. That the principles on which the tariff of 1912 is
based were fraud upon the consumers, by obgng them
to pay more tax than the letter OF the law Indicated
g. That the rates of duty Disseminated the poor
man and in favor Of the rich and hence unequal
| and unjust.
g. That the said rates of duty likewise Disseminated
in favor OF the manufacturer and capital, and against the
producer OF the material and labor.
In order 10 sustain the above positions, will present
TO the reader the following undenIabe facts And hrs
IN respect 10 The mlnmums By this mode OF laying
duties, as have already stated the often
obliged 10 pay four or five, and sometimes much
ten, times duty than the act indicated. This, con-
tend cheat and fraud upon the people, and nge-
nously done, IN order TO obge them to pay duty
than they would have been willing pay If the bill had
borne upon its face the real amount required There
were three minnums applied TO manufactured cotlons
VIZ the 20 per cent? The 80 per cent and the 40 per
cent. mnimums and the 60 and rs per cent mlnmuns
applied TO cotton twist yarn and thread The act states
that
Manufactures of cotton. in part OF cotton, not dyed
not exceeding IN value 20 cents per square yard
valued not less than 20 cents, which duty OF 80
per cent was imposed. which amounted 10 cents per
square yard
All goods of the same description if dyed, not ex
ceedng value 80 cents square yard, rated 10
have cost not less than 30 cents which imposed
duty OF 80 per cent, which amounted TO cents per
square yard.
All other goods OF the same description il dyed not
exceeding value IS cents per square yad were raj
to have cost 50 cents, which imposed a duty OF
80 per cent which amounted 10 10 cents and mills per
square yard.
All cortontwis,, yarn, and thread, uncoIored. and
costing less than so cents per b. valued al 60
cents, on which was imposed duty Of 80 per cent,
equal 10 is cents per ID.
Articles OF the description, colored, which cost
less than IS cents per h. valued at rs cents
per b., which was imposed duty OF 30 per cent,
equal 10 % cents and mills per H..
| In the above description OF articles found all kinds
II 4,
colored and uncolored not costing than IS
per yard, import price, and which enter largely into con-
sumption, especially among the poorer classes Among
these articles may be enumerated musns cacoss,
dngs, chln2, yclves cords, molesk ms fustans buf
tao cloth, sewing cottons yarns thread, colored and
uncolored. Thus II will be tina, very large mum
Der OF articles affected by this cheating mode of
raising duties have above given the nominal duty these
articles paid Now, IN order 10 make the fraud more APP
parent will mention the real duty OF them paid
will take the first OF the enumerated cottons which pur-
port To have paid than duty OF 80 per cent
dd Udiorem. Thus goods in England cost about cents
per yard and which II pad only tue 80 per cent on
the cost price, the duty would amount TO mills per yard
But, although the article only cost cents per yard
your cheating tarH Of 1912 said II 30 cents per
yard; and upon this assumed value the 30 per
duty was laid, which amounted 10 o the yard,
400 per cent on the cost pnce. All The other minmums
operated in the way and in instances the duty
actually paid the assumed value ranged high
per cent, From the above facts, il is very evident that
the mode OF levying minimum duties unfair, and
cheat upon the consumers, because they aware
how much they were raging Ii the trainers Of the bill
had felt they were dong right they would have been
obliged TO resort TO such species of fraud the
duty as high as the manufacturers wanted IT. They were
aware, however, that the people would bear tax
OF 400 or 300 cent articles OF common consump-
ton, and hence they Tssorted to the devices | have
already pointed out You and your party approved OF
these frauds, and still camorlng for the minimum
place OF The al valorem principle VIVA, further evidence
~ necessary to sustain my hst point that the principles
on which the tariff OF 1912 was based fraud upon
the consumers
In the second place, to discrimination in favor Of
the rich man and agalns, the poor man II you have
carefully examined the OF 1912, you cannot have
failed TO observe that almost every article which comes