Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-06-10


our country demands it. Forty-6ve per
cent. our marine are now, notwithstanding
these acquisitions, foreigners, making these
provisions an unnecessary burden upon the
country in time of peace. The report thinks,
moreover, it is grave question whether We
would not strengthen ourselves, in case of
war, by encouraging foreign sailors to come
into our marine, as once entered, they be-
come, for all practical purposes, American
sailors.
These acquisitions are in the main de-
fectiye because they are monopoly, and
therefore advocative protective and oppos-
ed to free trade.
As regards the present tariff, We think its
principal defects are
l. That too large proportion Of the du.
ties is thrown on articles of prime necessity.
For instance, nearly one,half of the present
revenue system is raised from the duties on
cotton, wooden, iron manufactures, and su.
gar. These articles are indispensable to the
great mass of the people, the laboring clas-
ses, so that an undue portion of the burden
of taxation is thrown on the laboring class.
es.
2. Its protective in its character, as is
obvious from the following considerations
Ordinary cotton manufactures pay "a per
cent, baggipg pay Is, but all bleached,
printed, painted or dyed cotton goods and
de lanes pay 80 per cent. Manufacturers
of iron pay "a, pig, bar, sheet and all other
iron, "a. Woolen manufacturers pay "a,
except Hannels and baizes, which pay 10.
Sugars of all kinds, "a per cent. Manufac.
turers of silks pay 10 per cent. y
The fact that silk manufacturers, used by
the rich, pay 10 per cent, and cotton, wool
en-, iron manufactures-mapufactures indis.
peusible to the industry of the country
pay "a and 80 per cent, when 20 per cent
may be assumed as the highest revenue stan
dard of duty on these articles, indicate the
difference paid to the principle of protec-
ton.
8. There are certain imports on the free
list which should not be there, as, for in
stance, tea and coffee. These articles, tea
and coffee, are peculiarly suited for taxation.
They are not produced in this country, there
fore there would be no indirect tax paid on
them. They are of general consumption,
and a.tax upon them, besides furnishing an
addition to our income, now much needed,
would fall equally on all classes and Sec
tions.
If the policy of collecting the revenue of
the government by duties on imports is to be
continued, We think the tariff should be
modified on the following principles:
l. A total abandonment of the policy of
protection. No duty should be laid with
the view of protecting any form of industry.
2. Articles of prime necessity should be
taxed atthe lowest rate of duty, and articles
of luxury at the highest revenue standard.
The reasons of this are so obvious that we
do not think it necessary to enlarge upon
them. Our purpose would be to relieve the
producing classes as much as possible from
the burdens of taxation.
8. The free list should be confined tosuch
articles as furnish so inconsiderable an a.
mount of revenue as not to remunerate fol
the trouble and expense of collection, and
the raw material of domestic manufactures.
According to this principle, tea and coffee
should be required to pay duty. AS regards
the exemption Of the raw materials of man
ufactures, this, while benefit to the home
manufacturer, would operate no injury to any
class, as the effect would only be to cheaper
production, an advantage which would be
shared by all the consumers-that is, by the
great mass of the people.
Upon the subject of direct taxation, the
report defines direct taxes to be taxation up
on persons and land, of which each State
will pay in proportion to its population, de-
Quoting two,6fths of the slaves. If this be
the law, the report recommends that the to-
tai amount of taxation needed by the gov
eminent should be ascertained, each State il
then required to collect its apportionment in
its own way, and after paying the expenses
of collection, hand over to government the
residue. Each State would then bear its
proper proportion of government taxes, and
if any State refused to assess this tax, gov
ernment could collect it with its own agents
Nearly 8, 600 federal officers would by this
system be found to seek other employment
inasmuch as one officer in each State would
be all the agency required by the govern
ment. This system too suggests the most
completely economical mode of administer
ing this department of affairs, because the
amount needed, being known, the tax payers
would contribute just so much and no more
Another advantage is that this system has
the least possible interference with the in
dustry of the country, and hence contributes
to attain the great point of entire free trade
or free exchanges, which allows the individ
ual to use his labor to his own advantage
provided he violates the right of no other
person. This can only be done when pro-
ducer is allowed to exchange the fruits Of
his labor when or where best it suits him.
Protective duties prevent this free exchange,
thereby infringing upon the right of labor,
which is the "great property right Of every
society,""
The question of free exchanges is also one
of expediency, as, we'll as right. This doc
trine rests upon the maxim that every indl.
yidual is q better iudge of his own monetary