Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1873-07-09
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Probably no questions or modcr,
political scicncc has called forth 9,
much learned and ablc controyers,
- tho questton Of tariff. Tho Gu
Ightened nations Of Europe HAYES ar,
rived At . practical solution Of III
logical mysteries aud no longer dis
euss its bearings OH the economi,
policy Of tho state In our owl
country which claims to be- III adj
vance OF all others In all tina
pertains to both the science and I'll,
practice of the proper aud just gov
ernment ofmen, tho question is prac
tically and theoretically In the sam,
apparently hopeless maddlc In which
our ancestors found it aud unhappi
ly lefx t. Tho New York World
the self.constitutcd organ aud cham,
pion Of the Tariff Reform party, has
recently made q step forward and
now comes out dcfiantIy for free trade.
"Free trade and sailors rights
the old party slogan gives place to
"Free trade aud farmers rights
. battle cry not less stimulating Ger.
tainly, aud far more likely TO lead te
victory.
The demand of the farmers OF tho
Northwest In the next Congress for q
thorough revision aud sweeping rev.
olution of the present system OF
tariff win be too strong and imperi.
Gus to pass unregarded. 1t would be
well, therefore, for all TO have o clear
apprehension of the evils of the pres
emit system and Of the nature and
character Of the remedies sought. The
phrase "Free Trade" is yariously
understood, and does not convey the
same meaning to all of its advocates.
To some persons it means absolute,
total and unqualified free commerce
with all the world, without.any legal
restraints or hindrances. To others
1t signifies tariff and duty on imports
just sufficient to pay the ordinary
expenses Of government. The
world defines the phrase and
illustrates its meaning, which accords
with our own views SO aptiy that we
quote: Take two taxes Oh consump-
ton, q tax on coffee and a tag on
whisky. Coffee is not q domestic
product; whisky is a domestic pro.
duct. The tax upon coffee will be
most conveniently collected at the
custom house, aud that is a tariff
lax. The tax on whisky will be
most conveniently collected at the
Still, and that is an excise tax. Both
Ire direct taxes in a proper appre-
citation OF tho words direct and
indirect taxation.
. Whoever advocates FREQ trade
would not be supposed to- OBJ
)ect to taxation by on excise OH
whisky. Therei is no better reason to
suppose thathc objects to taxation by
tarifon coffee. An excise tax on whis-
~ SO high as to provoke enormous
Illicit distillatioIs secret sales and
greatly diminished consumption, like
tariff on coffee so high as to provoke
Illicit importation, smuggling, adul-
and greatly diminished,
consumption, would alike fctfer the
freedom Of trade. A moderate ex-
else tax and tariff tax in those cases
would not hinder free trade. High tar
III taxes, then, are objected to BY free
traders, but for the same reason thew
would object to high excise taxes.
But we neither import whisky nor
grow coffee.
Take, then, the tax on sugar, Which
We both produce and import. Free
Irade In sugar is no more hindercd BY
tariff tax on foreign sugar than by
me same excise tax on domestic sugar.
tariff and excise equal and mod
rate. Forty millions of sugar con-
would be free to buy where
hey could buy cheapest. That is free
rade.
During the war many taxes were
laid to be collected OH the com
hodity, whether by the Internal
eVenue collector or by the collec- /,
or Of the port, wherever in the
country its journey to the consumer .
'egun. Artfully, the taxes on do
nestle articles were then dropped.
eaving in force the taxes on the for
IGN articles to be collected ut the ,
'ustom house. Upon all of the sugar
foreign or domestic, i'll
Is origin, the people paid the tax, +.
the protected producer sold his
bar for not less than enough to .
'arc'y undersell the foreign prof. :
'ocer' whose commodity got into our :.
market only with it's cost increSsed u
y the tax. But though the neople .
aid an increased price on all the !.
0gar consumed, only the increase y
NC to the custom house tax VASE
axation, and went to tho United !.
tates treasury; tho rest was plun-
CT and went to protectionist. This. Il
len' was unequal taxation, and, be- =,
aes' q fetter upon free trade. Att
glance it looks like a fine thing.
M seems like q guarantee of pros g,
Gritty to the protected iudusrrv :,
ct, who delegated to congress the d
ght to select this or that industry sor ;,
casury charity7 And it is certain ii
the long run that protection does 8
protect. A most unjust thing. 81
truth, this protection is; for, after /.
l. tho product of protected indus.
y comes back through tho custom =
'"se, the profits cut down, and the +
ward Of labor arbitrarily diminish
!. No importation Of ~foreign
'ods but has been bought by Ia
% outgoing. product Of some 6
our domestic industries. Why
'osid We Be damaged that others
ny prosperf Asa matter of fact. q,
nee protective legislation began, our n
'ports hare been slaughtered. Th,s TO
q necessary accompaniment .o
election. 1t has cost thss Uuitcd
aaes thoir ship building, tiicir sh;n
vaing, aud nearly all tho export Of in