Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1857-02-25

| NOW, Wnat Qlnerence IS there IN principle,
whether you levy tribute at the point of the
sword or by the legerdemain Of legislation ?
Suppose direct tax were levied on the great
body of the American people to be paid over
as a bonus to the manufacturer: would the
people stand it2 No, sir; the very stones
would rise in mutiny against its payment. What
is the difference in principle; whether you do it
directly or indirectly2 In one case you do it
with manliness in the other with concealment.
If you ask what are the profits of the manufac-
turers, the reply is, T." they do not make more
than six or seven per cent" After the honora-
BILE gentleman from Rhode Island MR. Durfeel
made his speech two weeks ago upon the SUBJ
ject of free wool, asked him what were the
profits of the woolen manufacturers? He said
that the woolen manufacturers were losing
money, but that the cotton manufacturers said
they were making six per cent. What is the
result then? Why, the great mass of the peo-
pie have been made poorer to assist these men
in making average profits. AS the indirect
tribute, levied from the consumers by the manu-
facturers, only raises their profits to the average
profits Of the country, it follows then, that this
indirect tribute is total loss to the productive
energies of the country, and the effect is the
same thing to the country as if, under a free
trade policy, this amount had been thrown into
the sea.
have thus gone through with the three
propositions involved in the demand for pro-
lection; as they are all fallacies it follows that
the system resting upon them is also fallacy.
| And here would ask, what is the amount
of indirect taxes paid by the consumers of the
Country to the manufacturers, under this pro-
tective policy? 1t appears that, in the last
| fiscal year, there were enough of cotton and
wooen goods, manufactures Of iron, and sugar,
produced in this country to make the indirect
tax upon them amount to $39,075, ,985-that
is the price of these articles was enhanced to
that extent by the duty upon foreign articles Of
similar kind. In other words, we paid $780,,
| 976,985 of indirect taxes to manufacturers du-
ring the last fiscal year. But am disposed to
be moderate, and I will strike out the "ninc,"
and call it, in round numbers, $30,O00,0 900,
though the Secretary of the Treasury, in 1916,
estimated these indirect taxes ut $50 00O0, 900.
put it at $30,0O0,O0O. In 1882, it was esti-
mated that the indirect taxes paid up to that
time to the manufacturers was $240,000,O00
Supposing it to amout to S30000,000 annually
from that time to the present, the total sum up
to the present time is 81 10000 900, in round
numbers and that is the amount which the
people of the United States have paid manufac-
turers in indirect taxes. WE'LL that j, a vast
sum
Mr.. MILLSON. As I understand the gen.
tleman, he .nultiplies the donestic scotsdtdp
by the foreign tax. y - 7 f'i'ss 2 =
Mr. BOYCE. Certainly. 2. $50
Mr.. MILLSON. would suggest to the gen.
tleman then, that upon his principle the amount
of indirect taxation upon woolen manufactures,
cotton manufactures, and iron manufactures,
and sugar alone, would be upwards Of $780,
100000.
Mr.. BOYCE. thank my friend from Vir-
gnia for the suggestion which he has made. 1t
seems, therefore according to the suggestion of
my friend from Virginia, that have underrated
the indirect taxation paid to the manufacturers.
| put it at only $30,000,00 annually.
Mr.. STANTON. Do understand the gen.
tleman's principle to be, that the domestic pro-
duce is enhanced in price the amount Of the
duty?
Mr.. BOYCE. Precisely so.
Mr.. STANTON. And that all fabrics of
cotton manufacture arc enhanced in price the
amount of duty above what they would bear if
there were no tariff, 10 matter whether any
commodity of the same kind was imported or
not?
Mr.. BOYCE. Home products, naturally
cheaper than similar foreign products, are of
course in nowiSe affected by customs duties;
but if the foreign product is cheaper than the
home product it IS enhanced in price to the ex-
tent of the duty. For instance dulles on raw
cotton would not affect the price Of cotton, but
duties on cotton goods would do So The i'm
position of duties on foreign products implies
the belief that the foreign product is cheaper;
the fact of any such importations paying duties
demonstrates the correctness OF that belief, and
involves the enhancement Of price on rival
home products. rest myself upon this simple
idea, that there cannot be two prices of the
same commodity in the same market and if
it were not for the duty upon the foreign arti-
cles, they would come in much cheaper. 1t
seems to me that the matter is very simple.
Mr.. KENNETH. | would ask the gentleman
from South Carolina how he would make out
that proposition when sugar was selling in the
market at three cents per pound, and the inn
port duty at tie same time was also three cents
per pound2
Mr.. BOYCE. The reason is very Obvious.
The duty of three per cent under the circum-
stances stated by the gentleman, must have
necessarily operated entirely to prohibit foreign
sugar, for it is absolutely impossible it could be
imported under duty of three cents, and sold
for three cents If such state of things exis-
ted permanently as the gentleman alludes to.
the cheap price of the domestic sugar would
exclude the foreign sugar, and the duty would.
under such circumstances, have no effect what
ever on the price. There can be no doubt of
this proposition, that one article can have but
one price III the same market at the same time.
If that is not so, why do gentlemen who repre-
sent the manufacturing interest desire protec-
ton? If these high duties upon foreign arti-
cles do not increase the price Of similar articles
manufactured at home, why ask for high
duties upon foreign articles? Why exclude
importation There can be no protection un-
less the price is increased.
Sir, according to my idea the protective poll
cy, so far as the indirect taxes are concerned
to say nothing of the injury caused to the coun-
try by the burdens placed upon the exchanges.
and Of the paralysis which the productive cner
gies of the country have received-has cost the
country, up to the present time, 81, 100000
Well, sir, that sum would do a great deal The
interest oC it would build all the railroads in
the United States which we could desire from
this time to the end Of the world-the Pacific
railroad included. 1t would support the Gov
ernmcnt without taxation. 1t would support
lour naylcs as large as our present one; and
what perhaps is better STILL it would give q
dowry to every poor girl in the United States
which would enable her possibly to get good
husband. 1t would carry telegraphic wires to
every village in the United States. It would
clear out every river md barhor IN tho 1In;tad