Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1872-03-22
The Tariff Question.

There are three modes Of taxation known to
/ civilized countries Direct taxation upon the
real estate AMI personal property; income tax
li,ens. and stamp duties, generally known "a
Internal Revenue TAX; and customs or taxes up
on imported gooj,. To system Of auch taxes
We give the name Of tariff.
The Constitution Of the United States provides
that representatives. Gin Congress- ard direct
taxes shall he .pportioueI among the several
ststcs according to their respective nuuibers Ihi'
would seem, and il unlerstooi, to Imply that IN
der.rystern Of direct tGxAton each representative
District shall pay an equal amount H. conse-
ouently. the three hundred millions Of dollars
necessary to defr.y the expenses Of the govern
msnt were apportioned among three hundred
representative districts, the richest district Of
New York or Rhode Island would pay no more
than the agricultural districts Of Iowa or Kan
gas. or Vermont. which are comparatively poor
But nobody expects to resort to direct taxation
though to be consistent, the advocates OF free
trade should advocate direct taxation.
The Internal Revenue system sprung from the
necessities Of the late war. We believe that
there Is very general agreement among the
people that this unpopular method Of taxation
should be circumtcribed and abandoned as room
as practicable.
The mode Of tAxSton by customs has been
found cheaper and more convenient than al
otbers All civilized countries havei it, Eng
land. Germany, France, Austria and PrussiA
derive shout fifty per cent. Of their incomes from
this source. Up to the breaking out Of the re-
ballion the entire expenses Of the Federal Gov
erument we're defrsyel by it. and We hope with
in ten years the income derived from this source
will again be sufficient
Under the circumstances, and in view o: the
heavy public debt cccasioned by the war, tArih
IS necessity in this country, and the only prsc-
teal question is upon what articles and in what
manner shall it be assessed.
The Free Traders claim that the tax shsli be
levied only upon articles which are not produced
in the United States What are these articles
Coffee. ties, riks, fine wines, and 3 few other ar
tclef Of luxury are al. OF cour,e three hun
dred nillions Of dollars cannot be levied upon
these articles Alone.
II, then, A tariff must be levied in part upon
articles that can be produced within the United
States and it thus becomes, incidentally or III
tentiouany = protective " tariff. upon what
principles is it to be adjusted? Toa very great
extent this is a question Of detail. There are in
ves.ed in the various branches Of manufactures
in the United States, Of iron, lumber, WOODEN and
eotfon-at east one thousand millions Of dollars
No less thsn two millions Of Inhabitants are d.
rectly supported by these interests. To ttrike
these down by a sudden change Of duty,in obedi-
ence 10 any abstract theory. would be to bring
misery and distress to millions Of homes. But
notifications are doubtless possible, which,wi
out periling these great interests, will relieve
the burdens on the taxpayers 1t is understood
that bill hiss been prepared at the Treasury
Department, under the supervision of Secretary
Boutwell,, which embodes the following prin-
ciples;
First. To tax raw products and articles Of
necessity lightly.
Second. To place on the free list all articles
like drugs, spices, &C., that yield but small
revenue respectively, because the expense OF col
lection is greater lhan the benefits derived from
the tax.
Third To levy specific ts1es. Of so much per
yard, or per pound, as far as practicable. be
cause the al ralorem system leads necessarily to
perjury and fraud. Il is in fact premium
held out to the interruptions man to become rich.
both at the expense Of the government and oil
his competitors in trade.
And lastly, To tax articles Of luxury and
highly skilled manufactures, as much as they
can tear, because it is against public policy to
import largely the former, and because we ought
to build up enterprises requiring skilled labor
within our own country.
1t seems to us that this is in the main sentI-
bic system. and SO far a, the present tariff is to
be modified, we trust the changes will be in this
direction.