The daily union., 1852-03-19
For the Union.
For the Union.
The Democratic Party aud ths Tarim-uar Policy
Dufy.-no D.

Ahs Democratic Party aud the Iarim-usr Policy
ana Duty-no. D..
The tariff compromise OF MIR. Clay, effected by The
sanction and during the administration OF General Jack
averied civil war in Carolina and adopted scale Of
duties diminishing Annually one-tenth OF the excess
above 20 per cent, until in 1910 horizontal tariff of 20
per cent rested on all articles duty free The fail
ure OF the banks and ruinous speculaons diminished
the revenue; and in ls42 the wings by concert and ex
asperated by the change OF policy consequent upon the
death OF General Harrison, determined to drive the ad
minstraton OF Tyler into the support of bank and It's
kindred measures, or TO leave the government without
means OF support. In the last hours OF the session. the
celebrated or infamous tariff OF lS42 became law This
law INCREASED THE RATES OF THE TARIFF. REVIVED
SPECIFIC DUTIES, AND INTRODUCED MINIMUM vALuA-
TIoSs.
Thus after twenty years OF struggle. the monopolisls
and protected classes conved to saddle the community
with their old system OF unjust and sectional taxation
and they mounted joyiuy with whip and spur TO drive
where they listed the productive labor OF America A
cry OF terror and Of Indignation arose from every section
OF this confedeated republic The revival of specific du
ties and the introduction OF minimum valuations were
justly regarded as devices of the protected classes
hance their fortunes by inhuman but LEGAL ExToRTIoN
in scale OF duties DISCRIMINATING AGAINST THE NEcEs-
sARIrs OF LIFE AND CONSUMPTION OF THE POOR
The whgs with instructive aacry, rallied 10 their
sislance and in the coMbined power OF ambition wealth.
ard avarce they exued in the hope OF retaining their
possession OF the government and of reapng the golden
harvests around hemf Under this nquitous system OF
discrimination, the richer the man the he was fa-
vored and the LESS WAS THE RATE OF TAXATION ON
CONSUMPTION; whilst the poor stretched out upon
these engines OF torture, in PROPORTION
NECESSITIES WERE THEIR RATES OF TAXATION INCREASED.
The bare recital fills the mind with unutterabe horror
and indignation. Every cry OF terror and OF destuiion
answered by another turn OF the Internal machine;
for when did the hungry tiger and her wheps heed the
quivering flesh and mortal anguish OF their prey In
vain, to these worshpes OF Mammon, arose the remon-
STRANGE OF wisdom and the applications of poverty As
well may the vanqushed Hun bend before the savage
Haynau as well may you hope 10 calm the raging
by casting pebbles upon its boiling waters to stay the
insatate appetite OF avarice with justice, truth, and
mercy
The democratic party hastened to the rescue Of their
country and abolished the tariff Of ls42 by the act OF
l546. Six years have nearly elapsed since then; and
becomes important 10 know precisely the characteristic
differences OF these acts in order comprehend clearly
and dentivey the amount OF progression at that pc
rod Let me invoke the calm attention of leaders
this question To avoid unnecessary DETAIL will state
that the act OF 1916 reduced the general range aud ave-
rage of du,es introduced ad paiorem" duties and abol
ished specific duties and " minimum valuations"
lst The reduction OF the general rates OF duties was
important because il both diminished taxation and in.
creased the revenue This result was predicted by our
phosophic party. and srenuously denied by the wings
as impossible, Quixotc, and absurd They could not
comprehend that principle OF political economy" that
excessive rates OF import duties and always will be
destructive to commerce., and hence diminish revenue or
that portion which tariff taxation paid the government
whilst at the same time, they increase the premiums paid
to the protected classes extend the consumption OF protect
ed articles, increase the indirect taxation OF the
nation for the ppor of its favories The converse of
this rule equally true, and has been happily and
truly illustrated by the action of the law of is40 The
foundation upon which rests the possibility of thus in
creasng the by diminishing the taxation OF the
people. and those conditions OF the tariff laws and OF
foreign compared with domestic trade, out of which il
springs will be reserved for full examination hereafter
but the fact has been demonstrated by the conased ac-
Qn Qf the tariffs of ls42 and ls46. This reduction OF
l1f1y, Ah5 As of the utmost importance, both TO the
ffeope and the government Ii relieved both, because
diminished taxation and increased the revenue.
3D. The democrats introduced "ad valorem' in place
OF "speci6c duties" An "ad valorem" duty is given
rate per cent upon the value of the article imported and
is clearly and constuionally different from "speci6c
duty" which has regard TO quantity alone, and is given
rate sum- assessed by the pound the yard the gallon
the ton, &C. The characteristic difference Of these In
system OF taxation is, that the assesses the
RATES upon the ALL and that the other
VARIES THOSE RATES, being GREATrR upon those who
sumo the articles and upon those who
sumo the MORE COSTLY. This inequality of taxation, in
favor OF the rich and against the poor produced by "spe
ci6c dulies is peculiarly acceptable to the advocates OF
protection in America because they manufacture and sell
the cheaper, bu, buy and consume the costly thus
securing comparative immunity from taxation them
selves and the power OF the law to levy their higher
rates OF black mair upon the great OF the nation
Thus do they aggrava,e in republic that injustice
which constitutes the entire being and vitatyihe life
and soul--of the protective system everywhere II is
with mathematical exaciness speak when assert that
the whole system Of protection rests upon injustice For
how can any receive protection tohe extent OF
cent, or speak in terms descriptive Of realities here
how can any receive protection 10 the extent OF mil
lions of dollars, unless somebody pays this cent or mil
lion of doarsi And who is il that is thus compelled By
law TO pay this protection, except the productive labor Of
Americai Without this injustice 10 others, decreed
and enforced by the law, there be no proec-
ton II is vain and idle, il is puerie and child
ish 10 dream Of it's possibility Otherwise. The one
may be exactly measured by the other. The robbery
mus, be- and is precisely equal to the protection II il
saggers the understanding describe ia simple language
sy stem thus and corrupt from It's extrem,es to
lis heart how shall find words to express idea OF
THAT THING deformed and heodsh, which is degree
more vile than that which is UTTERLY UNJUST. The
earth could scarcely have produced monster nimcal
10 justices must have sprung from the darkest depths
OF hell 10 horrify and curse mankind Protection ag
gravaled in its injustice by specific duties, admits OF
comparison ii is the "pae horse" breathing fire from
his nosris, driven by the spectre of death the fall
ing generations Of men.
3D. The democrats abolished "minmum valua-
lions. The effect OF this the as that caused
L.. a., of sill hc