Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-09-22

eAAA 80 r-'"~''1 anhEL EOnUlEuLOna 1nA
treights, up or down, arrive there IN traHsittl
and Whatever burthens are laid upon them
must be PAID by the Western farmer, either in
the character of producer or consumer, upon
principles already fully explained If thai
city were to raise half million of dollars 10
repair or complete its harbor | believe not
one-tweniieth part Of it would be paid by the
city, and the residue would fall with crushing
effect on the Western country.
- IMPROVEMENTS ny STATES.
But Improvements by single States. or bv
several states through the instrumentality
Of eompaets, must prove equally oppressive
and unjust. Suppose the States Of Missouri
and Illinois enter into compact to improve
the mississippi river, They might, underthe
scheme OF the honorable Senator, lay a vast
burthen on agricultural products coming
down the river to st. Louis for market or
crossing the ferry and yet lay out every dol
laron the river below the city.
DUTIES ON FRRIGHT TIE OTHER WAY.
So much for the products of the West,
Northwest, and Southwest, going to market.
How is it with freights the other way? Who
will pay the duties of tonnage on the salt,
iron, cotton, and woollen goods, and ten
thousand other articles which 90 from the
Atlantic cities into the Northwest for con-
sumption there2 I say, unhesitadngly, the
consumers will have to pay them. It makes
no difference whether it be an article of do
nestle or foreign production both the one
and the other is purchased in New York by
the Northwestern merchant at given price. 1
! Now he will add all charges to that price,
and will charge profit on the aggregate
frequently large profit, to the no small op-
preston of the laboring classes in that sec
ton.
TIE SCHEME GRAB WITH BOTH HANDS.
1t thus appears that the duties of tonnage
on freights down are to be paid e. E., BY re-
duction Of pFice) by the producers Of the
Northwest, and the duty on freights I'D are
to be paid by the same class of persons in the
character of consumers The scheme Of the
honorable Senator will visit the farmers, the
pre-emptioners, and log-cabin men with
twofold oppression. The ta1-gathsrer is to
make grab at him with one hand as he goes
down, and with the other as he comes up.-
Whether the son of toll will not be a little
| restive under such an operation remains to
be seen. ....-..
INJUSTICE TO THE LoG-OABIN BOYS
But what is very extraordinary, while the
honorable senator would enable the city of
Chicago to levy tonnage duties for the i'm
provement of its harbor, by far the larger
proportion of which will be paid by the agri-
culturalists of the adjoining country, in the
character either of producers or consumers,
| he proposes to leave these same agriculturists
the pre-emptioners and log-cabin boys
| liable to taxation for halbor and river i'm
provements in other parts of the country; at
least, such will be the effect of this measure,
/ whether so intended or not Even the very
money which the pre-emptioners pay intOthe
I Treasury for their respective quarter sections,
and what they contribute by the consumption
of dutiable articles, may go to improve the
| Hudson river or construct the Delaware
| breakwater, and that, too, after they have
| done all that should be required Of them, by
contributing to the harbor of Chicago or of
| st. Louis. If the citizens Of Chicago sus-
tanned the entire burthen, they would be vol
unteers, and could not complain Of double
taxation; but it is not so, as have already
abundantly shown.
To authorize a city to improve its harbor
| by levying a tax on all the farmers who are
compelled to seek a market for their products
/ through the same, and then to leave those
farmers liable to taxation for improvements
elsewhere, in the form usually adopted by
| Congress, is a piece OF monstrous injustice
The truth is system of harbOr and river
improvements by local authorities cannot
subslst coordinate with a system Of improve
ments by the general government and the
adoption of the former necessarily involves
the overthrow of the latter.
will not Mr.. President, pursue this part
of the subject any further, but viii call the
attention of the Senate to another remarkable
feature of the honorable Senator's scheme
have shown that this measure will impose
enormous burthens on the people of the
West and Northwest I now insist that its
effect will be to exonerate, in great degree,
the wealth and capital of the Atlantic frontier
from all participation in those burthens.-|
We all know that much the greater portion
of the surplus wealth of the country is to be
found in our large cities, and this wealth
now contributes largely to river and harbor
improvements. But on the plan of the hon
orable Senator, the cities of Boston, New
York, Philadelphia and Baltimore, Ito say
nothing Of New Orleans and the million
aires and half-millionaires of those cities are
to go scot-Fee. viii not say that the SEN
ator really intended any such result; but it
is in my judgment ground of serious COM
plaint that he should have been so careless
as to the consequences of his measure.
wHY NY MLLIONAIREs SHOULD PAY.
Why should the thousands of wealthy men
of such city as New York be relieved from
any share in this taxation Why should
they not do something for river and harbor
improvements ? If the funds requisite to that
end are taken from the common Treasury,
then the city of New York and the million.
aires of that city must contribute largely to
those improvements. No where else on this
continent is there consumed anything like
the amount of dutisble goods, and these, too,
of the most costly character. Consider for a
moment the vast population of that city
According to the last census, there was, in
the city proper population of near 5O0O 600, !
to which is to be added the population of !
Brooklyn, Williamsburgh, Jersey City, Ho- /
boken, and large number of Richmond. !
Kings, Queens, Westchester, and other coun- |
ties higher up the river all of whom substan- |
TALLY belong TO the city of New York. I !
believe am not extravagant whenI say that
New York now contains in effect a popola- /
ton of not less than $50, 600 living souls,
holding and owning as I verify believe, one
fifth part of the surplus wealth OF the country.
WhenI say surplus wealth, mean such as
is above what is required for the comfortable
support Of man and his family. I ask
again, why this wealth should net contribute
to harbOr and river smprovements2 Why
should the merchant princes of the great EN-.
porium Of commerce be exonerated wholly,
or nearly So from all obligations to eontri-
butte to objects of such vast Importance Ne
thinks even now see a splendid equipage
passing down Broadway, with lady covered
over with gorgeous silks, and with servants
in livery. On inquiry, ascertain she is the
wife of Mr.. So-and-sO, who within the last
FIVE or six years has made half million of
dollars in trade or commerce He livaa in q