Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-02-21
Use and Abuse of Terms-A Reve-
% nue TarIn-Eree Trade.

cation In the minds of nine-tenths CT the
Democratic speakers and writer's who use, or
rather abuse, them, have become watch-wOrds
with that party-are gravely uttered on the
floor of Congress-glibly spoken from the
stump and Incorporated in resolutions
lopted at Democratic comfy meetings: as If
these speakers and writers meant something
which their hearers or readers could under
stand.
II, by these terms, be meant or understood.
tariff of duties assessed solely and e1cl,Isirely
with view to raising a required amount Of
revenue and with no consideration ,c1ateper
for the protection of domestic productions
then, we have to say, that there never has
been such tariff in this country, nor, as
often as the Democratic party have had over
whelming majorities in both houses of Con-
gress, have they ever dared to lay such a
onei That, then, is not the sort of a tariff
which the Democratic speakers and writers
mean by the term revenue tariff "a tariff
for revenue" or "a tariff for revenue only"
Nor, inasmuch as no party, or nobody. pro-
poses, or even wishes. to raise more money by
cal administration of the government, can
the Democratic speakers and writer's mean
by those terms, when they use Them such a
tariff as shall bring into the Treasury not one
cent more than is absolutely indispensable to
carry on the government, how economically
soever administered. All parties-all men,
are agreed on that point.
What, then, do the Democratic speakers
and writers mean when they say they are in
favor of a"revenue tariff" or "a tariff for
revenue" Nothing! Nine-tenths of them
are innocent of meaning anythiag-that is, OF
using the terms with any determinate signifi-
cation in their own minds. Those who, aware
OF the indeterminate sense in which the terms
may be used and understood. and vet use
them in that indetermnate sense, mean to
humbag or misle4d their hearers and readers :
which indeed, is practice TO which Demo
cratic speakers and writer's are much addicted.
Some Of them are gultless of knowing
what they mean, as to cry out in the same
breath for "a revenue tariff and for free
trade" Ask them what they mean by free
Ask them if they mean by that term, what il
can only mean, trade" with all foreign ma
tions free" of tax or impost and they will
be sorely at II loss for answer TO the question.
For, il they answer in the affirmative. they
thereby declare themselves in favor of raising
by direct TAXATION the fifty, sixty, seventy or
eighty Millions whatever the amount, which
nay be necessary for carrying on the Gov
crnmenu
The Government must be carried on-that
is clear. At present, it is carried on by a tax
on trade, or, in other words, by duties laid
on foreign merchandise and productions i'm
ported into this country. But ii this trade
be made "free7-that is, if all duties be taken
off Of foreign imported merchandise, and
those foreign imports be thus made free" of
tax or duty, then there is no other possible
alternative than resort to direct taxation
on land and negroes to raise the necessary
revenue for the Government expenditures.
So that they who say they are in favor of
free trade."if they know what they are say
ing, and mean what they say. mean that they
are in favor of admitting into our ports all
articles and produce, from all countries.
free" of duty. and of resoNing to direct taza
ZION for the purpose of defraying the expenses
OF the government.
That is 'the entertainment" to which the
people Of the United States are invited by
those Democratic advocates of free trade, -
rs the candid and honest among them openly
avow, on the floor of Congress and elsewhere.
The commercial policy of Great Britain in
these latter days is held up by our Demo-
cratic free trade, anti-tariff advocates, as an
example worthy of being followed by the
people of the United States.
On that point it may be observed, that
Great Britain has extended her policy in the
direction Of free trade just so far. and no
farther, than suits her interests. She receives
our cotton free Of duty, because she cannot
produce it herself or procure it elsewhere,
and because she owes, for the most part. to
her manufactures of it, her last wealth-bcr
mighty power as nation. But does she re-
ceive our tobacco free Of duty. Why. the
duties she lays on the tobacco she receives
from the United States yield her an annual re-
venue of not less than twenty five millions of
dollars!
Again Inc commercial and manufacturing in
tercsts exercise dominant power in English
Legislation, and il is those interests which have
shaped her commercial policy for the last
thirty or thirty-fve years 1t is mark
worthy fact. that the first statement of the
doctrine of free trade in that country. and
the first application TO Parliament to carry
he doctrine into practice. proceeded from Lon
don merchants in 1870. 1t is equally mark
worthy, that the first practical application of
the doctrine by Parliament. in 1924 was upon
petition from manufacturers. IL was in the
case, aud for the 5e.eff. of the silk manufac-
turcrs, at whose pressing solicitations, the
duty on raw imported silk was reduced.
\ similar measure was shortly afterwards
carried for the benefit of the wooden mann
factures--the duty on the raw material hay
ing been reduced in 1924, from cd. to I'D. per
pound.
1t was for the benefit Of the manufacturers
that the corn laws-or the laws imposing a
protective duty on the imports OF foreign
grain--were passed; aud that great measure
was carried 10y the manufacturing aud COM
merciai Interests in opposition 10 the vehe-
ment remonstrances and strenuous efforts TO
defeat il. of the Agricultural interest.
So that the ''free trade' policy of Great
Britain has been, by cheapeniPg grain and
the raw materials Of her manufactures. 10
enable her manufacturers 10 undersell the
world in foreign markets.
BY pursain0 the protective and prohidtory