The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-01-07

had 70 depend on requtons on the States and the reg
arites with which such acquisitions complied with
what merely led 70 the adoption Of the present cons
tuition.
liza system Of direct taxation should be adopted there
would be punetuay In payments and the federal gov
would be often without the means OF meeting lust
demands Twice in the history have we re-
sorted 10 direct axaon and the internal came In
irreguarly that If the constituted authorities had de-
pended them alone they would not have been able 10
pay the interest the public debt the ordinary
SEES Of government
Through the operations Of banking system extern
sye districts left for years In succession without
any adequate circulating medium either paper metallic
In such districts the taxes could be paid in money and
collecting them in kind would be very announcement Per
haps il viii be said that the system
would correct this Nay the constitutional system owes
It's efficiency its operating with force ON the
chief seats Of Difuse its action over two or
three million square miles Of territory and il will pro
duce sensible effect demand b. the United States
government each individual In the country for dol
lar or at most for dollars, in gold and silver and
that demand made but year. would gold
and silver to take the place OF bank notes.
g. So long the United States government raises a
sufficient customs tets the State and munich
pal authorities have the exclusive Of all the other sour
of public In complicated system as ours
this small advantage. IT. in addition TO the various
internal taxes direct and indirect levied by the State
county city, and township governments, Others of the
like kind should be laid by the United States the people
would be very apt exclam, "That which the palmer
hath left hath the locust and that which the
locus, hath left hath the canker eaten and that
which the canker hath left hath the caterpillar
Already in many neighborhood the local heavier
than the people can well bear.
9. Ii is argued by that if system of direct
ton substituted for tariff system the business Of
government would be much economically conducted
10 Ia ast man KIM how
much he had to pay would carefully watch public expen
ditures Bat Judging from experience in New York and
Philadelphia both which cities raise their chiefly
by direct taxation this mode of raising imposes
great check public expenditures increase of pub
lie debt Elections in New York and Philadelphia are de-
cided chiefly by reference whggery democracy in the
abstract or to know-nothingism to other
So it throughout the United States and viii continue
to be- If direct taxation should be substituted for the
tariff system
To- 1t agreed by writers political economy that in
order to make operate equally possible they
should be diversified much possible They must all
be paid out of income but they should be laid partly
property and partly consumption partly in other
ways and be arranged that the with the largest in
come and the largest capital may pay tax increasing
per centage their and capital increase Through
the United States government raising its through
duties imports and the State and municipal govern
ments raising theirs by taxes land and houses by Ii
and by various other mpos direct and indirect the pub
lie burdens divided much equally among the com
munity than they would be by any single mode Of
taxation
H. Great difficulties always attend important changes
in systems of taxation in extensive countries From the
foundation Of hefderal government the people have been
accustomed pay what necessary for its support the
form Of duties imports. From long usage they
sfed with this system II would take time reconcile them
to any other
L. When system of taxation has been long estab-
hed in any country all the relations of business accom-
modate themselves TO that system and suddenly changing
il has injurious effect those relations To the system
by which the federal government raises its by
Of duties imports and the State and municipal
governments raise theirs BY other means all the relations
of business in the United States adapted Change
this system, and you disturb all these relations
From what has been said il will be evident that the Uni
ted States must for many years if always
depend chiefly the customs for its revenues And it is
comfort reflect that though It's impossible to con-
rive tariff that it shall fall different members of the
community exactly in proportion to their ability, yet ii
may be 50 adjusted as not to be oppressive to any.
What the principles which should be chiefly regarded
in framing American tariff will be stated in another
article THETA