Arkansas true Democrat., 1859-02-02
THE TARIFF.

1 We are not going to bore our readers with a disquisltion on that dry subject, but simply to notice the misstatements of the opposition in regard to the relative positions of President Buchanan and Secretary Cobb. The difference between the two is not so wide but that both may be reconciled. The first bunder, or at tempt to deceive on the part of the opposition, is the assertion that the levying of specific du- ties with the object of revenue only, is a pro : tective tariff By reference to the message, it will be seen that Mir. Buchanan recommends specific duties for revenue purposes only, and only in certain commodities. These he defines as those usually sold by weight or measure, and which for their nature are of equal or of nearly equal value" Now the difference be- tween the specific and ad valorcm duty is sim ply this. The ad valorem duty on gallon of brandy valued at four dollars, at twenty-five per centum, would be one dollar The specific duty, at a dollar gallon would be the same
 If however, the price of brandy rose to five dollars gallon, the duty thereon would be it.
 creased to one dollar and twenty five cents un- der the operation of the ad valorem principle, and remain at one dollar under a specific tax
 If it fell to three dollars gallon in value, the ad yalorem tax would fall below the specific tx. While the ad valorem principle is the better one in theory, it is more difficult in prac tice. The appraisers may value the article higher for one importer than another; they may be ignorant of rise or fall in the market, or if they depend upon the invoices, they may be deceived by the exhibition of fraudulent ones. On the other hand, it is contended that specii; duties are more direct, more certain, and the importer knows exactly hat he will have to pay. So far a tariff for protection is concern ed, neither the President or Secretary have re- commer ded it. All tariffs must, from the na- ture Of things, afford more or less protection incidentally, but the democracy have ever op- posed tariif for the express purpose of pro- lection. Gen. Jackson, in his first message said: "The general rule to be applied in grad uating the duties upon the articles of foreign growth or manufactures, is that which will place our own in fair competition with those of other countries and the inducements to ad- vance even step beyond this point, are con- trolling in regard to those articles which are of primary necessity in time of war; Free trade and direct taxation are, at present, impractica- ble. It is necessary to raise a revenue princi- pay from duties on imports. Against all pro- hibitory or protective tariffs, we have ever set our face, and we are glad to see that demo- cratic President recommends neither the one nor the other. We are in favor of tariff for revenue merely, and that to be framed so as to operate as little to the injury of the south as possible. Between specific and ad valorem du- ties we prefer the latter, as being juster and truer If there is any difference between the President and his Secretary, we coincide with the latter, but upon examination it will be found that this difference is in the means not in the end-in detail more than in the system-in measures and not in principle.