Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-01-27
Union and American.
THE TARIFF. ..s.-'
Most Grievous and Oppressive
Taxation Re
Astounding Facts and Figures.

manufactures Of wooP' and "manufactur,
of cotton" which do not include a larg
class of articles made Of wool and cotto
eombined with silk, hemp and fax, neithe
embroidery, trimming, thread. Iaces, cloth
ing, robes, hats, caps, sail duck, or oil
cloths. Entering into details in his calcula
tons, which We omit the Tones proceeds;
Value of feotton goods eonsumed..~...$ slss74. A
value OF WOODEN goods consumed.-.... Z7s5s9. Sc
Total consumed in o6s, ,ss
The tariff imposes a duty averaging abou
Al ! per cent. In gold, or 66f per cent. in eur
rency, with gold at 150. We xll know tha
the manufacturers add nearly the whole o
the duty imposed upon foreign goods to III,
prices they demand for the goods they manu-
facture, refusing to sell their goods at price.
much lower than they could be imported for
The United States Economist, the leading DIR,
goods paper in the United States, and es
pecially devoted TO that interest. stated ths
other day that il cost II cents 90 manufac.
ture yard of Spragues prints, but that the
manufacturers would not sell them for less
than "a cents per yard. This would be SO
per cent. above the cost of production, and
we Will accept it as fair average, although
they usually add more. According to this,
the manufacturers sell Sl,1z5,06S ,2S3 Of
their goods for 81 800, los, ,252, making a
clear profit Of $575, ,04O 1861
But this is not the only additional cost
saddled upon the consumers through the
operations of the tariff The goods are not
sold directly by the manufacturer to the con-
sumers, but pass through the hands of -nu-
merous merchants and middIemen, perhaps
a dozen or more, before reaching theconsum-
er, each one Of whom, adds TO the cost he
paid profit, not Of so much per yard or
pound, or so much for each day the article
has laid inh his store, but certain percentage
OF Its value. ranging from 10 to 25 per cent.
Let us suppose that only 10 per cent is
charged, and that the goods reach the CON
sumer after passing three harsds--the manu-
facturer selling to jobbers, the jobbers to
wholesale merchants, and the wholesale mer-
chants to retail dealers, who dispose of them
direct TO the consnmer-and we have the
following statement: ssi ia
Goods cost the jobber.. lsa0 1as 90
ADD Their proht. 10 per cent.....-.---.. 1s00lo925
Goods cost wholesale 81 es0.l2o III
-, ~~1-tf,-'---------i AsosOAAoAt
Goods cost retail ls4
Add their profit. 10 per cent.-......-. 2l7sl3 40
Goods cost the 3q5. .g@5 az
Deduct Original cost Of goods.s.-... 500 l0e 252
Showing profits Of miadlcmenl..l..s 5s5.ss6 l6l
In the absence of tafifl, the manufactu-
rers could not have sold their goods for ST.
SOC, 109, ,252 but would have been compelled
to sell them at the same prices they could
have been purchased elsewhere, namely, ST.
l25, ,06S, 2S3, which would give us the follow
ing statement showing the value Of the goods
At different stages while passing from the
hands of the manufacturer to the consumer:
Goods cost jobbcrs-........ 81 .0;s 2ss
Add their pro1t 10 per eeut...-...... liz. 6.sB
Goods cost Wholesale 2s7. .57s11l
Add Their proht loper eent----...,--.-- l2.1575l1
foods cost retail Dealers. 3I $50
Add their profit. 10 per cent...---...--.. 1879 2
foods cost 49 s4
Deduct original cost Of gocds---.----. 11256s 2sB
Showing profits Of middemen~.s s12.3g7e e0l
Comparing the profits of middlemen shown
)y the two statements we have: ss
Profits Of middlemen with tariff S5e5. .sss1eJ
'rofts OF mddlemen without tarid.....- 372397 60l
Difference against ,4s5G0
But these figures do not show that a tariff
s a benefit to middlemen, for the increased
Profits are simply the return of increased
apital employed, which could be more pro-
itably used in other goods, were prices low
red to point sufficient to stimulate con-
umption and an active business.
Comparing these statements still further,
ve find the total cost Of the cotton and wool-
n goods to the consumers, as follows:
With tariff So 3 9l5 f1y
Without t9T. SS4
What the tariff costs the psopie.-.s SOS. .s6e 80
This SS98, ,529 represents the tax
rhich the tariff imposes upon the people. |
low much Of this goes to the general Gov |
rnment? We shall see. Going back to the /
rst page of this article, the reader win see
he imports given as $50, ,55e, JIG of cotton
oods, which should be multiplied BY three,
n account Of the additional cost Of prodac- |
ion, making S6y, 81, ,34s. The importations
{ woolens amounted to $37, ,937 40, to which
o per cent. should be added for the in |
reased cost Of production, making it S56,- |
05, COS. The value Of esttons and woolens l
Dgether aggregating S154, $3.50, ,25S. This
um is fully double the actual Imports of |
he articles included In onr estimate. be- |
ause the high tariff has discouraged impor-
atoms. But we do not choose to cut the l
CURES down, because we wish to give the |
dvocates Of tariff more than they dare
lain for themselves. Taking this sum,
therefore,, of $154, $780, ,253 as the Imports, |
here would be realized, with an average |.
uty Of AL per cent, revenue Of $685. |
SS,2l2 in gold, or, geld at l5e, sl03,1s2,- /
is. This amount goes into the public |
and the remaining S795 297, ,2l7 |
oes into the pockets of the manufacturers, /
II is consumed in the process Of passing the
,oods from the manufacturers to the con- /
s.mers. To this vast sum must b<s added |
ther sums, paid by the people in the in |
reased cost of commodities resulting from |
he tariff ON linen and miscellaneous dry |
'oods, fabric, iron, steel, machinery, loco |
motives, paper, and long list Of osher ar
icles too numerous TO mention in a single |
'ewspaper article,---makipg grand total Of |
axation more grieyous, unjust, and OPP /
'ressiye than was ever imposed upon any |
,eople. ~ g |
Let us, however, ezelnde these articles |
rom our calculations, and see what might |
,e accomplished by the S795, ,297 ,2i7 which |
he people pay to The manufacturer
This sum is double the revenues a. the |
government during the fiscal year ending |
tune 80, 1866;
This sum Is onc-half greater than the esr
mated revenues of the government from al |
ources during the fiscal year ending June |
70, 1866; I'D aI ,
This sum is double the estimated receipts
II the government from all sources Tor
he fiscal year ending June 30, 1867, and
learly three times greater than the esoire
expenditures: ttiltts
This sum Is equal 10 nearly one-third o. /
he entire public debt
Taking the official estimates Of she ex- ]
,enditnres Of the government for the year
.nding June so, 1867, rs our guide, this
am, II paid into the public treasury, In
tead Of the pockets Of private manufactu-
,ers. {adding now the $lo3, ls2,3 ,3ls which
passes into the treasury. under the tariff i
would enable the government TO repesl en-
irely the internal revenue act, and without
evying one single dollar Of taxation. TO pay
IN iis expenses, and apply annually S6l4s-
I62, ,348 TO the public debt in four and a half
rears;
This sum would be quite sufficient 10 buy
sp ali the railroads In the United States in
,ae and one-quarter yea-s;
Tbs sum, II divided among the railroads |
u the country, uould enable them 20 carry |
reight and passengers free 70 and from all |
parts Of the country, and 70 build over 1000 !
niles Of new railroad each year.
This sam would build canal, like the /
New York 4 Erie. over 5000 miles in |