The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1855-04-04
For the Sentinel.
Free Trnde vs.. n TnriH for Rev
enue.

Hidue IN OOuBtcee uutihg thS IooN besslou oh
the subject of the Tariff which, from the
position Of the speakers, and the sentiments
advanced by them, have attracted my atten-
ion; and have copied an extract from each
for publication in your paper, supposing they
may possess some interest for others. One
member was from Maine, and the other from
South Carolina-one q woolen manu!ac-
turer, and the other a crisped-wool breed.
er. Yet perfect concurrence Of views re-
specting the deceptive and unjust character
of tariff taxes to support government, is the
main feature in their remarks. commend
them to the consideration Of those demo-
Gratis in Cleveland, and in other pla-
ces, who are handling the heavy disbursO-
ments of Congress. Some may not be a
ware, that government has recently renewed
its contracts to see Cleveland continued
city;--and its thriftless, mendicant inhabi-
tants are anxiOusly waiting the endowment.
No place with so many "natural advaRta-
ge $" ever did SO little for itself. The
State of Ohio, in quite early times, assum-
ed the task, and incurred heavy debt, to
elevate her above Forest tree" town.
Every dollar, needed to facilitate the land
ing of vessels, has been furnished by gov.
Iernment, until the time OF Stockley. Even
the haIf.dozen worn out marines, fingered
about the "river," were the occasion of a
demand upon the government for "Mari-
ne Hospital" avast and costly pile ofstone,
remarkably appropriate for the inmates,
and most beautiful and interesting place
at this time for visitors. The State of
Ohio again, and the Canal Bank, zealously
cooperating with the federal government,
in the attempt to either make something Of
the town, or to provide for its settlers, have
lately been expending large sums, in the
suburbs, in the erection of spacious and
expensive Lunatic Asylum.
In no one measure, have the inhabitants
exhibited more activity, than in the attempt
of this winter to get rid Of their share of the
State tares, which have been increased, and
created more for the benefit of Cleveland
than for any other point in the State. She
has cried aloud; but the State feelings that
she had done all she could afford to, Con-
gress has listened again to her cry, and come
to her relief; promising to pay enormous
sums for land, and building materials, and
to government officials, this year, to start
on; and indefinite amounts annually hereaf-
ter for the relief of the Cases, Grays, and
others of the city.
AS an inhabitant Of the interior, direct
tax payer of the State, and considerable
consumer of articles taxed indirectly and
stealthily by the general government, OBJ
ject to this: and protest against its injustice
Let Cleveland build herself, or sink. If her
boasted "naturaI advantages" are damage
to her, by what rule does she call upon the
unfavored county to reduce its pillaged re-
sources still lower in her behalf! What de-
ficiency is there which the county should be
called upon to make up in her favor! The
"natural advantages" for business of some
points, and particularly of Cleveland, seem
, to consist in an exemption from doing any.
thing for Aemselves but beg, and Alright to draw
upon Others for all tie means phereJy to make
city property ualuable. What causes the
, lots, where idlers and upstarts now congre-
gate, to possess any more value than would
attach to them if corn and potatoes, grew
there instead! Governmental appropria-
tions. What causes the fortunes of the AS
! tors, and the Cases of our cities, to swell in
to all undue proportion in comparison with
those of the farmers, and laborers of the
country! Indirect taxation, and governmen.
tai appropriations. IF few acres of land
about the mouth of the Cuyahoga River, has
been made worth several millions of dollars
by means of hundred thousand laid out in
furnishing facilities for the arrival and de.
parture of vessels, where is the propriety oi
going outside Of Cleveland to raise that hun
dred thousand! What impudence to seek to
do it!
The plea that the revenue is collected
from Commerce, and should be expended
in commercial points, is false in it's premi-
ses. The revenue is paid ultimately by con-
sumers, together with the princely profits
which merchants, charge on all the money
they employ, either in their original pur.
chases, or in the payne mt of the duties lev.
led by the government.
But the field opens-if our tariff legisla.
ton is correct, then was Cowper fool-and
'God made the city, and unmade the Coun.
try. am not alone in my sentiments or this
subject, as the extracts referred to will show.
80 Butler of South Carolina said: 81, per-
ceive, Sir, that those who have been most
busily mailing planks upon the Baltimore
platform, in relation to internal improve
ments, are among the first to disregard the
very structure which they have contributed
to erect. Why, sir, whenever there is a
temptation to make big ditch, or a canal
} through Michigan, who votes for it but the
very apostle of party opposed to the doc
trine of internal Improvements, by the fede-
raj government! and there seems to be no
hesitancy in finding methods by which to re.
: concile the vote to the doctrine!
: We shall never have virtuous govern.
ment until we have responsible constitu.