The eastern clarion. [volume] (Paulding, Miss.) 1837-1863, 1861-03-15
II-FVII " -lIV71l ,T777Il7 2 1IlIET IIEEI-
Shall We Have Export or Import
Duties

Duties?
What the eventual destiny Of the So
called border States may be; whether
they will link their fortunes with the
North or with the South; or whether
they will form themselves into a great
Central Confederacy, interposed between
and saving from hostile contact two differ
ent systems of civilization, to neither of
which they wholly belong, and with both
of which they have natural sympathies--
these are political speculations Of absorb
ing interest, but which afford no safe foun-
dation whereupon to erect the fabric of
our legislation. all sound practical legis
lation must be based upon certainties and
framed with view to present exigencies,
resting in no wise upon mere possibilities
or even probabilities. The edifice can af-
terwards be enlarged when new occupants
seek admission, and its structure altered
to suit their requirements and needs. We
are now Confederacy Of cotton States
we may or may not remain so. But it is
for Confederacy of cotton States that we
must make laws. Our FIRST, and for the
present only duty, then, is to the wants
and interests of the cotton States, and not
to that larger confederacy which as yet
exists only in our hopes as a vision Of the
future.
As cotton States, almost all We produce
is consumed b. othels. What we produce
the world can buy only from us what We
lncssSsgu-~ as.s-.-1pel tars AtnaelAf
US. In RISING q revenue, then,
VIZ IS our true policy--tO tax what we
seR,--ad what Others are compelled to
buy, or to tax what we find it convenient
to buy from others? In other words, is
it the policy of States situated as we are,
to pay duties upon exports or imports?
1t is one of the most universally recog-
nized principles of political economy that
the consumer pays not merely the cost Of
production, but the actual market value
Of the article he consumes. The only ex-
| ceptions IN practice are where the supply
| of the article largely exceeds the demand
or where the demand is wholly dependent
upon the cheapness of the article. Sup
pose an export duty of a half q cent a
| pound on cotton. Unless that half cent
will enable other nations to undersell Us,
or unless that same half cent, amounting
to about a quarter cent on a cotton shirt.
diminishes the use Of cotton as an article
of clothing, it is plain, therefore, that the
half cent is paid by the consumer, and
not out of our pockets, Indeed, that halt
cent would never appear in the market
price Of cotton, because, like freight, i Is
paid only by the foreign purchaser. We
have only one branch of manufacturing in
dustry which is Of any considerable inn
portance, or which it is worth our while
to foster or encourage-the manufacture
of heavy cottons and plantation goods.
To the home manufacturer of these goods
the half cent would be q protective bonus
of two dollars and fifty cents bale.
Contrast now the financial and political
effect of the export and import duty.
The former att half cent, win produce
twelve millionsa year--'an ample revenue
for the Fedral Government of the eight
cotton States; the cheapest and easiest OF
collection, because it win not require the
, services Of one-third of the present force
Of custom house officials; and the most
solid basis for foreign and domestic credit
because the most unvarying and reliable
revenue that any country possesses. On
| the other hand, the revenue derived from
, any import is subject to sudden iuctua
} tions, now deluging the Golfers Of the Gov
r ernment, now leaving them empty and dry
: For this reason, and because it IS ditlcul
g and expensive of collection, the impor
/ must be higher than an export duty topro
r duce the same average revenue. Withou
1
r with an immense frontier pierced by rail
5 roads at right angles, q Gordon of custom
D houses and an army Of officials would no
f suffice to prevent its being discripinatini
f tax in favor of Yankee products. By an ex
port duty, enabling us to throw our port
t and markets open to the world, we holt
l. out an irresistible temptation to the .ns
y tions of Europe; We throw the burden
, frontier custom houses on the Northeri
t Confederacy; and we make our peopi
Ie feel grateful TO the new Government 70
d ,an immediate, tangible, and practicabl
= benefit in the sudden cheapness of every
!; thing they consume, which, with few el
a. ceptions, all comes from abroad.
n Admit, for the sake Of argument, th
{, absurd proposition that the planter vii
t. in the end, pay the export duty. Eve
Dr. those who entertain so confused q MOTTO
Or of political economy can be convince
in that the export duty is the cheaper. III
i, lowest estimate of revenue tariff is te
s, per cent. ad saLorcm; the export duty OF
10 half cent per pound is about equiyalel
O. tofive per cent. dd calorez. Buying abros
ge all we consume, and selling abroad all '
b. produce, which is cheaper. To pay ten p
d, cent. on our consumptious, on five pl
o. cent. on our productions? And applyiE
IN nation, is not the largest producer alwa
be correspondingly the largest consumerg
At, Another view Of the effects Of an O
on port duty. Our obvious policy is
Iu- strengthen our sea ports. By making Il
~ land export duty on cotton double tn
he on cotton exported by sea, we at the san
he time stop that retrograde movement
all cotton which has already become su
lty ject of complaint. and virtually give |
lot exclusive monopoly Of the cotton ira
Tot to the ports Of the Confederacy. Shou
nd we ever attempt to do our own carryil
ro- trade, we have the means Of fostering
ter infant enterprise by exempting our d
au- from the export duty, thus enabling it
ter carry freight a half cent cheaper tn
he any other flag.
lte So far our reasoning has been mostly
ny pgfofi. II was little more than the (
he monstrati0n Of the self-ayident propC
. ton that nation which possesses n
tit nopoly in any article Of agricultural p
to duction or manufacturing skill, mav
as diciously tax that article for the bent
all Of its government. at the expense of
at consumers. Now, for q few practical
for lustrations drawn from the experience
my commercial legislation. Italy and Sp
lail possess antiquities, manuscripts, paimtin
md and other works Of art, which the wo
be can purchase nowhere else, and which
bee world purchases at fabulous prices. B,
!, 70 these countries levy an export duty Of
linz per cent. ad valoreR on all these subie,
en- Would theworld buy one painting n
at II that duty were removadl The TuE
lge, themost shiftless and senseless comm
ave eial legislators. have yet one relia
neh source Of national revenue; il Is the
Of port duty on the drugs and ffuil1 cf 4
] Be Minor, q which, naEorthelems thoaup
'ata neReE exneeda he demana. KoElaaal