Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1869-08-26

NUMBER Al
form in every commercial commu
nifty, and that FROM the nature of
the business 3 Governmenment can
NOV conouct ~
THE TARIFF.
There is another subject about
which it, seems to me there is
great deal of useless discussion,
growing out of the use of mere
phrases without defining their mean
ing. These are revenue tariff and
protective tariff. A tariff is tax
on imported goods, and experience
has shown that it is the most conve-
nient, easily collected, and best dis
tributed mode of taxation that can
be devised. With or without q
public debt, a tariff must exist, and
while the public debt remains, we
will probably, under any admins
tration, continne to raise about one
hundred and fifty millions of dollars
in this mode. Now this is. a reve-
nue. tariff, and it is also a protective
tariff to the precise extent that it is
levied on goods that we can manu-
facture in this country. The precise
distinction between a revenue tariff
and protective tariff I never could
make out. I have shared in framing @
all the tariff bills that have passed
Congress for the past twelve years
I think six in number-and either or
all of them could be called truly and
properly a revenue tariff, Or pro-
tective tariff, as you choose-you
pay your money and you take your
choice Of names. No horizontal
tariff or uniform rate on all articles
imported has been proposed by any
one. The articles are either named
and taxed or embraced in schedules
bearing different rate of tax. Now,
if by revenue tariff is meant uni
form rate on all. articles, then every
man familiar with foreign commerce
will concede that such a tariff is i'm
practicable. On some articles it
would be unproductive and defeat
the revenue, on others it would be
confessedly to small to yield the
revenue demanded by the public
service. If by Protective tariff is
meant a tariff that will exclude all
foreign productions that can be
made in this country, then such a
tariff would greatly impair the reve-
nue., and very few indeed wou,>
commit themselves to such policy
The tariff, as it now exists, is a tar
iff designed to raise on our present
importations about 100000 OF
dollars. The protection that it rem
ders is purely incidental, but is
greatest on such articles as are made
Of iron or other metals, but is great
est on iron Or other metals, and is
not so great as to prevent a healthy
competition between foreign ano
domestic manufactures.
The precise rate of taxation is
always a question of detail, and is
the subject of opposing interests
Every man wants high tax ON the
articles he produces, and low one
on the articles he imports-but this
conflict Of interest is rarely a party
question, nor can it be settled by
any general rule-but must be fixed
by the nature of the article itself
The framing of these tariffs is done
by the representatives of CONNER
cial, agricultural, and manufacturing
States, and usually result in the
compromise of conflicting interests
The present tariff was framed tx
raise the highest revenue from the
smallest importations. Articles Of
luxury, such as wine, cigars, and
silks, were selected for the highes
duties. Raw articles indispensable
for our own productions were Sc
1ected for the lowest duties. Th'
question of protection is purely in
cidental, and until our debt is so re
duced that we may largely reduc'
our taxes it is idle to discuss til,
mere policy of protection as {
measure of national economy. Its
enough that we must now levy tn,
duties to raise revenue, and before
this necessity ceases the manufac
tories of this country will be on 81
stable footing as to defy the com
petition of the world. 1 have alwayI
believed in the policy of protection
and before the war was for confinins
duties to articles that came into
competition with home production
But now we must extend our dutie:
to all imported articles, except per
haps those absolutely necessary
as the raw material for home pro
duction. Protection, ample, anG
sufficient, is an inevitable inciden
of any tariff for revenue that will
raise the sum that all parties expec
to derive from duties on imported
goods.
RECONSTRUCTION.
1 do not consider it necessary tt
say much about reconstruction
The late rebel States are gradual,
assuming their rights as equal States
in the Union; labor and capital ar
adjusting themselves to the changed
relations of master and slave. Tn
productions of the South will thi
year approach the highest produc
tions before the war. If the Repub
lican party has committed an,
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