New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-05-24
THE TARIFF.

Complaints against our Ad valorem Tariff grow daily
louder and more vehement Yet 80 long has irs impe-
sition and it's injustice continued that these complaints
take the form Of general anathema against all duties
and all custom houses.
The despairiDg dealer whose business is moderate,
and whose aims are to get honorable living in an
honorable way gOsded to desperation By the advantages
taken By knsysh importers and grca to the colossal
establishments by the system Of spprsisemens, eI-
baust the language Of It's condemnatoy epithers, in
characteriziDg the existing tariff system Whether
tie I'D Taorem principle was introduced, or not, to
make Free Traders outof ProtectOnsts and moderate
men Of little or politics of any kind such It's papa
bic effect The existing tariff is reckOned 10 be an nto
cradle nuisance, which ought 10 be sbsted- And the
CRY il for uumitigated Free Trade. An honest man
has no chance under the present system The business
Of the small upright importers cut up root and branch
He cannot compete at all with the interruptions and
knavsh And this is not all Under the system Of ap-
prasement which grows out of IT, the man who Imports
BY the Million by paying the smallest conceivable pro-
portion of his aggregate duties BY way douceur wins
fsvors Of the appraisers which no small importer
can by any possibility obtain Ii Is OF no use to at
tempt gainsay the proposition that men situated as
the appraisers are will grant faTors to the wealthy and
powerful importer Almost any Of the larger import
ers Of this City could crush any subordinate Custom
Householder who should attempt thwart them in say
little pecUlisrities irregularities in their lmPorta
tons Between these two classes, the miOnaires on
one side who cut wide swatA aud carry everything be-
fore them BY the main force Of tremendous business
and the hard customers the other Who 20 save TIER
duties would swear the head oil bronze On the mod
crate ard honest importer has no chance for his llie
He is overslauehed by the one, and has the ground
shoveled from under him by the other Honesty and
fair dealing are driven out Of the field Men Of small
capital are hopelessy forced out of the ranks Of the
importing interest Ii is no wonder that the outrage
should burn into the very bone of those thus sI-
Guided is forced out of Legitimate aud lucra-
tive business because he is not immensely wealthy, or
because be won't scar his conscience and pedure his
soul How long shall this gross injustice continual
How long shall the temptation TO make men forsake
honest for dishonest paths remain Why should Gov
eTpment desire to lure its citizens from the ways
Of virtue give advantages to knayes additional power
and riches 10 wealth and the time bear with al
iron hand upon struggling honesty and resoute integ
rityl
Whist we have to say s-Have done with this wretch
ed Ad ValOrem system, and give Specific Duties on
every article where specific duties be substituted
We speak for the interests Of commerce, for fair deal
ing for justice and thrift. Ter the respectsby and
honor Of the mercantile profession, aud not Part
sans or tariff men. Give system where honesty
will have a chance and under which an honest who
desires to import goods from foreign market may do
it on ss good terms a scoundrel.