The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1857-04-14
WESTERN DEMOCRAT.
aQCHARLOTTE.Goe
DISTRIBUTION, PROTECTION, IN
rERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. RIVER
AND HARBoR APPROPRIATIONS
Al pups Of the same Litter.


Al pups Of the same Litter.
1t is very easy thing to show that every
scheme for diver;ing from the federal treasu-
ry its legitimate supplies of revenue, are
schemes inimical to the great interests OF
the South a. well a. of the masses of the
people at larse-inimical in their effect and
in their intention. The history OF the past
teaches that the purest statesmen of the
South, and the stauncbest friends of the
Democratic masses have ever thus regard
ed this subject, and reason and experience
unite to confirm their judgment.
1t has always been the favorite policy OF
the parties that have arisen one after the
other in the Union to dispute thesupremacy
of Democracy in the popular confidence,
and which in every instance have had their
chief strength at the NOrth-tO cut off from
the federal treasury all sources of revenue
other than the Tariff and to augment and
aygravate the demands upon the Tariff it,
self. by every possible contrivance and de-
vice which ingenuity could invest.
In pushing this policy. the opponents of
the Democracy have sought to intercept
the proceeds of the sales of the public lands
from the federal treasury, to expend them
in lavish bounties upon the new States, in
stupendous schemes of internal improve
ment, in school grants. in Indian grants, in
military bountics and in thousand and
one cunning devices for drying up this
source of the federal revenues and throw
ing upon the Tariff the whole burden of
federal administration, the entire expenses
of war, of Notifications, of public edifces,
of new territorial purchases, and of federal
debts and expenditures of every imaginable
description.
Nay. not content with merely intercept
ing legitimate revenues from the federal
treasury, they have TT the same time exer-
ci>ed their mastery talents in devising
schemes for burdening the Tariff with adj
ditiOnal and extraordinary charges other
than the Legitimate expenditures of the
federal government. To this end they in
vented the scheme of internal improvements
by the general government and of river
and EarbOr Gppropriatinns-unde which,
but for the tern opposition of the Demo-
cratic party, the Union would have been
hurdenPd ere this with debt equal to that
of the British government; and under Which
ins tead of a Tariff imposing duties averag-
ing % per cent, we should now have ono
with duties approaching 100 per cent.
Baked in this scheme of securing a high
tariff by stupendous policy of National
canal and railroad expenditures, and river
and harbor appropriations. they resorted to
the expedient of protection, claiming that
tariff duties should be levied with a view of
protecting Northern manufactures, and not
with view to the largest amount of revenue;
so that, for instance, if duty of 30 per
cent. on any fabric would let in importa-
tions of the article, that would produce n
revenue of S;}0,00O,000; while one of 100
per cent. would almost exclude the fabric
yet, that the public policy required the high
duty to be levied. inasmuch as the home
manufacturer of the fabric would thus be
enabled to charge the masses of the people
double the price for which the article could
be obtained from the foreign manufacturer.
Thus it has been their policy-while
turning away into the Unsuitable sands of
distribution and western speculation, the
magnificent revenues which All economical
administration of the public lands would
pour into the TrcaSury-at the same time
TO create stupendous objects of federal ex-
penditure as additional charges upon the
tariff over and above those required for the
legitimate expenditures of the Government:
and yet so to arrange the scale of duties Is
not merely to levy the necessary funds
from the people to defray these ordinary
and extraordinary revenues, but to pay
several dollars to the manufacturing classes
at home for every dollar that goes into he
Treasury. Indeed, the distribution scheme
has only been a part of grand scheme.
embracing internal improvements, river and
harbor appropriations, and protection, all
parts of the same system of oppression up
on the South and the Democratic masses
of the Union at large, for the benefit of
Northern capital and Southern opposition
politicians.
For many years past the people have not
been vexed with this litter of denominations.
The Tariff act of 1916, was framed with
view to rerenue upon the basis of the
commerce of the country as it then existed.
The duties were then reduced from the
protective standard to the standard of rere-
nue.. The Protectionist party scoffed at
and ridiculed the measure, contending that
the new duties were so low that either the
revenues they would produce would be in
adequate to support the government or else
the importations of the country would grow
under them so great as to create the bal
ance of trade against US which would he de.
structive. Who has forgotten the letter OF
Abbott Lawrence. the great Lowell manu-.
facturer, to VIM. C. Rives. the Virginia
apostate, indulging these lugubrious rehec-
tiOns Mr.. Evans of Maine. the Projections,
laaHar N the SpOata ~ aook