The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-06-14
Alex. Delmar on the Tax Questio,

At a recent meeting of the Lihe,,,
Club New York, Alex. Delmar ,.;.
invited to speak OH Free Trade. a.l;
cred the following remarks:
81 desire to briefly say Whist
tempted to state OH the last ocea,; at
this subject was discussed here slon
which did not succeed in gettin1 ~.
fore the audience. My opinions =, We
subject of taxation and the thaea me
taxation differ almost as widelr u
those of Free Traders as of Pro;..!l'o from
lists. The Revenue Reform t tha
comes nearer to my views than a;,s
of the others. The Protection , s.'aer
assumes that high tariff will , .neofy
importations. We have a bioiaflcs
riff now than ever before, vet fhe Va
portations are greater than eyer l.e ,al'
We have raised the tariff IL t;no s..ofe.
1860, under Protection teacb;ne ', as
yet we are asked to try the sans AN ana
sive scheme again. The Fraa T re'a
theory assumes that under low t .',is
consumption increases. Wenerar sain
snmed so much of foreign articles .un-
der any tariff as We do now nna es u y.
highest of all the tariffs. In lSfo wy .ao
fee, tea, and a variety of other ;n,n oo.'
tant articles of consumption were fD..
of duty: yet we consume of these .r. .o
cles now more per capita than ws a;s
then: So OF iron, wool, dry goods Of
all kinds, sugar, spices, fruits, leatIs,
lead, and everything else that is inn
ported.
Both parties leave out of ,ieu W.,
important elements of the suh;e.,
State and local taxation, now 400 mil
lions II year, and internal revenue iayes
200 millions and the whole contest i
confined to the element of custom t.y
es, which are but 200 millions to the
other GOO millions. As to the policy If
entirely exempting commerce from tay.
alton, which the Free Traders, BIZ the
very term free trade propose, l see mo
good reason why it should be any moro
: exempted than agriculture, manufac-
lures, or mining.
But when am asked to choose Ia.
. tween Protection and Free Trade, then
l choose as I have always chosen. and
always shall choose SO long as God en-.
dows me with reasOn-I choose Free
Trade. Because Free Trade means
lowering of the taxes: a matter that I
shall always favor; willie Protection
means raising or maintaining Of the
taxes: a matter that l shall always
oppose. For am in favor Of eheap
government and light taxes.
Until / began to discover that some
men can make money by high taxes, it
was always-a matter of astonishment
to me why anybody should advocate
f Protection. Last year this Federal
: Government cost the people 402 mil.
lions, of which 400 millions we're De,
rived from Federal taxes, and 900 mil
; lions of this sum from customs alone.
3 The Free Traders aim to arrest this CO.
, lassal depletion of national treasure
and of national effort. So do the Rev
!, enue Reformers. So do the Low Tax
l men. So do the No Tax men. And 81
s far as that practical and desirable oh,
a ject is concerned, am with them
g Their theories may be open to ciiti
cism but their practice meets my ap
probation"
More sound and practical doctrine i
q fewer words we have rarely had tn
f fortune to meet. The question befor
: the country is not whether Free Trad
or Protection is the correct theory, bl
whether taxation is to be kept up at il
present rninous rate, or diminished
d Shallow Politicians may froth and fun
q about Constitutions and State Right
but after all the Tax Ques:ion yawr
beneath; for any Constitution is GOO
that affords cheap government, and an
Q Constitution is bad that encourage
costly government.
:, States Rights or any other Blight
u are good when they result in good go'
eminent: and worthless when the
e end in bad government, and whether
o government is good or bad depent
much upon the cost of it-nay. 10 OF
sense, altogether. The Tax Questie
d is the true issue for1672. Let the pc
: iticians think it over National Il
telligencer.