Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1860-04-05
THE WILMINGTON JOURNAL.
neutrality-suspicious. and Labor.


that the Federal Government is one of limited powers
and that such limited powers are delegated and not in
herent Among the powers delegated are those of i'm
posing taxes for the purpose of raising for the
support of the Government and for the carrying out of
the purposes for which it was intended and not other
WISE It is further contended that the grant of power
never contemplated protection it is called that is
discrimination in favor of the interests of one State or
section at the expense of the rest
In practice the revenue standard be best arrived
at and maintained by evyng duties upon the I'D vare
SYSTEM at least so it generally thought and therefore
that system has been advocated by the body of the Dem
ocratic party, as means to the end in view.
Let look at this phrase, I'D voore SO usediand
contended for by Democrats 1t contended for in
opposition to the system of specifics and mninus ad
yocated by the protectonis party in the United States
as best tending to promote their views.
The Tariff act of 1916 divided imports into nine
schedules enacting that there should be levied collected
and paid on goods and merchandise imported from
foreign countries the following rates of dutythat Is to
say:
On goods, wares and merchandise mentioned in sched
ule A duty of one hundred per centum ad valorem
On goods etc.. in schedule duty Of forty per cent
um ad vaorem-n schedule duty of thirty per cent
um-D twenty-five per cent? t1centy per cent?
fifteen per cent.-G ten per cent-H fUe per cent ad
valorem Schedule consisted of articles admitted free
of duty.
This tariff taxed spirtuous liquors hundred per
ccnt-Wines ETC., forty per cent, and so down, com
mencng with Injuries, until it to tea and coffee
wholly free.
Let us look at the operation of the different systems
Say manufactures wholly of cotton, not otherwise pro-
Vded for are, according to tie tariff of 49, taxed rs
per cent ad VQlore that is, cotton goods worth cts
per yard would pay cents duty per yard-goods worth
10 cents per yard would pay l-2-thOse worth cts
would pay IL, and SO That would be I'D Uatorem
According to the system OF specific duties it would be
certain stated specific per yard, say CENTS which
would, perhaps be so per cent. upon common goods,
and not II per cent. upon fine goods The system OF
inumS like to that of specifics in its tendency to
tax unequay and discriminate against coarse or COM
mon goods Say for instance cotton goods, upon which
according to this system certain per centage levied
not upon its actual value but upon assumed value
now, let cents per yard be the assumed minimum val
uaon for purposes of taxation % per cent upon that
would be only 20 per cent upon goods worth 10 cents
per yard while it would be 1919 per cent. upon goods
worth cents per yard
we nave occupied LnlS MUCH space III I6lcIIluS W
ad Ualorem as urged by Democrats in national politics,
frst because the subject is but little understood, and
second because out of this misunderstanding arises
the tendency confound the Democratic doctrine of ad
uGore with the hobby which has recently been start
ed in this State and which has pretty generally received
the title of sod Uaorem" Men say "why you democrats
are pledged to ad UGlorem in national aars-how can
you oppose it in state matters" We have seen that
the Tariff of 1916, Democratic ad UGtore tariff in
stead of imposing uniform rates upon every description
of goods divided the subjects Of taxation into nane
schedules, ranging from 100 per cent liquors to
per cent on grindstones and finally nothing upon tea
coffee, guano, etc. This very different thing from
the proposition now abroad in North Carolina to tax
equally every species of property" The Democratic
tariff Of 1876 did not pretend to impose the rate
per centage upon every species of property neither in
State nor Federal Government is the Democratic party
pledged to any such thing, has any such thing
been done by any government in the world.
The taxes levied by the United States altogether
of character being in the nature Of duties upon i'm
ports. The taxes levied by State-certanly by this
State-are direct-in the nature of an inland excise
in the nature of specific taxes upon callings, OF
of poll tax, etc. of them admitting of the appi
cation of the ad Ualoren1 principle and some not. The
fact is that the talk about I'D UGore has been found
tenable. I'D UaLorem, as advocated by the Democrat
as basis for levyng duties upon imported merchandise
was found to mean nothing like the uniform unbendne
rule that would tax necessaries high Injuries,
act without sense reason reference to public policy
or the different ability of different things to bear taxa
ton. The dodge as first started won't do with intei
gent men, for all that it is wholly just not tt
say foolish certainly impossible. I'D vaorem drop
ped. 1t is Equal Taxation now which the centra
organ-the Raleigh RegiSer-says, following the Ian
guage of the Opposition platforn equal taxation
upon every species of property-taxing man in exac
proportion to what he is WORTH little much, how
ever invested, while the Al6emarle Soron published
at Murfreesboro says, the only change proposed ii
the Constitution u.s. to put negroes on exact equality
with other property" We have no doubt the Register
represents pretty accurately the hobby of the centra
clique while the Southron follows the Fayetteville Oh
Server which is shrewd enough to that the obvious
meaning Of the resolutions of the Opposition platform
an absurdty if, indeed absurdty be said to b.
or have meaning of any kind.
But big parade is made over negro property, ant
also what is said to be undue discrimination
its favour
The leading case upon this point-that copied b.
the followers OF the Opposition press and enuncated b.
all of its orators who do than rant is the artcl
Of the Fayetteville Observer in which the slaves of tn
State, stated at 100000 estimated purely pro
perry capital at the average valuation of $500 eacE
thus making their aggregate valuation come to $3.50
600.
Now, in the first place this valuation is unfair. W
say distinctly that valued in the same manner that land
are-in the same proportion to their actual value tt
actual taxable valuation of the negroes of the Stat
would not average over $4OO each, making the sigt