Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1854-03-08
many difficulties in the way at this time tha

do not urge it.
Before undertake to state the practical
results deducible from the principles | have
indicated, will endeavor to show what sys'
tenn of taxation is inconsistent with them
That system which so arranges the duties
on imports as to cherish one form Of iudus.
try a; the expense of all other forms, what
we know as the protective policy, is incon'
sistent with them. This policy does not
take as little money as possible from the
people for, in addition to the amount paid
Government, it transfers to the manufactu.
rers large amount in the enhanced price
of commodities. AS an illustration of the
operation of this system, take the duties on
iron. Assuming the quantity of iron con-
sumed in the United States to be one million
tons per annum, which is rather under than
over the mark, at an average. costof $50
per ton, that being the cost Of railroad and
bar iron imported in 1852, we tiyd that the
whole value OF the inporiatinns Of. iron, by
the Treasury returns of 1852, was slS,957,.
993, say sl9,OO0,O0o. Deductins.that value
from the total value Of the consumption,
S3O,O0O,OO0, leaves. value OFFS 100000
to he furnished by the. home: manufacture,
which being enhanced in price the extent
of the duty shows that we pay s3,3oO,O0O
as an indirect tax to the iron manufacturers
Of the country. -.
An examination of the effect Of. our high
protective duties on other manpfactured ar
ticles would show similar results, for the
same: principle runs through them all. The
indirect tax imposed. on lie: country hy this
system garnet be less thas from .S35, 900, 900
to s4O,OoO00O. per aunual-a sufficient
amount to carry on the Government, if econ.
omically administered. And for what is
this great violation Of principles? TO enable
the manufacturers to continue Il business nat
urally unpruftable. The protective policy
violates the great principle of equality
While it proftsses to benefit one class, it
does so at the expense of all other classes.
Agriculture and commerce are the great in
trress of our country, and they are natural
allies to each other; for while it is the great
idea of agriculture to sell where it can sell
dearest, and buy where it can buy cheapest,
commerce spreads lis sails for this. exact
and exacts from this necessity.
Agriculture naturally desires an external
vent for its surplus commodities. This vent
is commerce. But the protective policy in
terf.res to check this vent by discouraging
and to the extent that we can
not buy from foreigners they cannot buy
from us. Thus agriculture and commerce
are discouraged.
This protective policy is mani(es'ly un-
equal to classes, but its inequality to sections
is still more obvious. The manufacturing
in great degree confined to
the northern section Of the Union. 1t bene-
fits portion Of that section at the expense
of all other sections. To illustrate this, we
will suppose the southern planter wishes to
exchange his cotton for cotton cloth, or
wooden, or iron. Under the operation Of a
tariff he must exchange his cotton
for less quantity Of those articles. If he
buys the foreign commodity he must pay
Government lat least one.fourlh of its value
for the privilege Of bringing it within the
To escape this tax, he must buy
the homemade commodity at a price en-.
hanced to the extent of the duty on the for
eign article. Five sixtlls of our cotton cropis
exported to Europe to he exchanged for
their products; but as we cannot import
those products without paying duty OF
twenty five or thirty per cent, our ability to
receive these products in exchange is dimin.
ishcd; and as their means of buying from
US depends on our means Of buying from
them, they cannot afford TO pay US the same
price for our cotton as they could il trade
were free between US. If this cause oper-
ates only to the extent Of dmislliIfg the price
of our cotton one cent per pound, then 1t
cotton is selling ct ten cent per per pound,
and the cost Of production be six cents, our
planters incur an absolute loss Of twenty-five
per cent, of their clear income. The same
principle will apply to other agricultural pro.
ducts, tobacco, rice, flour, &c. 1t is evident,
then, that this policy of protection is un-
equal in its operation on sections.
This protective policy interferes with the
industry of the country. Instead of leaving
the business Of the community to be rrgnla'
ted by the unerring instinct of sell-interest,
Government, in its assumed wisdom, under.
takes to give direction to the>labor of the
people. In doing this, it commits not mere
ly great folly, but greater injustice. 1t
interferes with labor, in the entire freedom
of which consists all ideas Of practical liberty
and BY such interference destroys its value;
for under this system the agricuturist cannot
exchange the fruits of his toll for their full
value, but must submit to receive a less value
in return. What greater injustice can we
imagine than this
That the protective policy, is in violation
of the Constitution is SO obvious, that | will
not stop to enlarge upon it.
The protective policy, being thus in viola.
tion of the great principles OF taxation and
the constitution, should be abandoned. So
far as manufactures may be consequentially
protected by strictly revenue tariff, have
no objection, for take as much interest in
the prosperity of that interest as
any other interest in the country. only
insist that the taxing power of the govern
ment shall not be used unduly to foster this
interest at the expense of all other interests.
Having ssrn what the true principles of
taxation repudiate, let US see to what they
lead. They lead, | conceive, to the lowest
rates of revenue duties, universally Of impo-
siiion, and discrimination against luxures.
The revenue standard, that rate of duty
upon every commodity WHICH will afford the
largest streveuue, varies upon different articles.
Some will afford the largest revenue at five
per cent; others at ten per cent; others at