The Washington union., 1857-11-22

nave tne eucct to CONFER adsaulaBes pi i6h 'ai''o
upon the few at the expense Of the many II points
TO securing to the leaders results not originating in
talent and industry, but in special legislation The
great principles of right and wrong accord to men
the fruits of their exertions leaving every one free
to work out his own happiness. Thesepfinciples
place all men upon the equal footing, and pro
duce no injustice. They look 10 projecting every
man in all his rights, and securing him from every
aggression. His fortune then in his own hands
and he works it out with the skill and ability his
Maker gave him, and the industry and energy which
he chooses to exert The democracy wish to leave
as free as the wind in the management of their
affairs, the government protecting their persons
and property against every ASSAULT Under such a
policy men exercise their judgments in the man
ageinent Of their own business. "a q hgs.,s .i-at
All men wish to buy as cheap as they can
while those selling seek the highest price. Both
buyer and seller regulate their own actions with
reference to their own interests. If Congress
should pass law requiring each buyer to add
to the price paid thirty per centum in addition
for the benefit of the seller it would be deemed
not only arbitrary and unjust but unconstitutional
and it could not be enforced. If the extra demand
were only FIVE per cent, the principle and the con-
sequences would be the same. The injustice of such
law would be the strikingly apparent if it
applied solely to manufacturers in making their sales,
and not to farmers and common mechanics in dispo-
sing of their products. STILL this is the very
of purely protective tariff. Although in form it
may impose duties upon what they produce, STILL in
fact the tariff does not raise the value of anything
which they raise to sell. What they have rises or,
falls with reference to the demand for it abroad, or
the state of the money market at home. The wages
of the laborer and the productions of common me-
chanics not increased by protective tariff but
by home competition. But the productions of large
manufacturing establishments increased in price
generally to the full extent Of the duty levied upon
foreign competing productions, because the price is
regulated by them. The domestic article is raised
in price as to be equal to the cost of the foreign
article with the duty added. Cloth costing abroad
two dollars per yard pays duty Of about dollar
making its cost here three. The manufacturer here
sells similar article at three dollars. 1t follows
that the purchaser pays one dollar yard more in
consequence of the tariff, and but for it his cloth
would only cost two instead of three dollars 's3
Although the manufacturer may appreciate the
benefits of tariff giving him dollar per yard pro
lection, it will bo difficult to convince tho buyer of
its advantages, and especially if he is farmer labor
er, mechanic, who is in way similarly protected
fboh buyers and sellers all around should be protect
ed by statute the of one dollar in three in all
their earnings and transactions who would be benefit
i ~
ed Clearly, nobody If the law should require two
dollars to be called three in all the buying and selling
and in all the transactions of commerce and labor it
would advantage no one The equality which such
law would occasion is wholly foreign to the objects
of a protective tariff which seeks to benefit a few
classes at the expense Of all others and especially
the farmers, laborers, and common mechanics, who,
under it, must pay more for whatever they buy
without receiving for their labor and what they
sell The price of nearly everything bought at stores
or procured at shops costs about one-thrd more on
account of tariffs. If this onehrd to be paid
separately to excise OF mpost officer for the gov
ernment it would be deemed an intolerable burden,
and would not long be borne. II is now suffered
because not seen, nor often suspected AS far as
these duties arc imposed for revenue they have the
luI warrant ol cOnsutution, anu are neceSSafy
and proper. 1t is mode of taxation, though calcu-
lated to result in abuse and waseful extravaganza,
which to be in favor with the people, and not
likely to be changed to direct taxation however
much the latter would tend to purity and economy
The new party now seek to pervert the tariff from
its legitimate purposes and devote it to building up
few classes by very largely increasing the present
indirect taxes. Its managers are unwilling to allow
the people to buy as cheap as they can. They wish
twodoar cloth, selling for three, to bring three
and half four dollars, so as to allow the manu-
facturer further increase of profit. How will this
benefit the farmer, the aborer, and common mechan-
ic2 Ought they to be thus taxed for the benefit of
class which adds nothing to the prices they receive
for their toll Why should they be required to pay
higher taxes than the necessities Of the government
require The injustice OF the present plan is height
ened by the fact that in order to create necessity
for an increase of the tariff taxes, it is coupled
with proposition to give away the income from
sales of the public lands, The revenue derived
from duties on imported articles now amounts to
some sixty millions annually, and from lands about
eight. It is'proposed to give away the latter sum,
and raise that derived from the customs from ten to
twenty millions annually for the benefit Of manufac-
turers Why should they enjoy such advantages
over the mass of the people2 Are they wiser, bet
ter, or more patriotic, do they freely hazard
. .. Z. ...l. u1E - 9. .