Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1878-04-05
FRIDAY, APRIL 9, 1873,
Free Trade Protection,

Inc true import VI tIc w Hlo ~
Trade and Protection, so commonly
used. They seem To think that Free
Trade implies lawless kind OF com
merce, with total abolition Of import
duties; and that Protection is designed
to regulate trade for tho benefit OF all
Nothing could be further from the
truth.
Although q few, not noted for pro-
fundity iii political economy, would
do away with all duties on imports
and with custOm-holSeSa and collect the
necessary revenues Of the government
by direct taxation, through the ordi-
nary state officers, the impolicy Of
this plan is obvious from the following
considerations:
First. The constitution of the United
States provides, that direct taxes shall
Do apportioncd according to tho pop
ulation, net according to the wealth Of
tho people. This would bear unequally
on the tax payers; for while IN one
district one might pay only one dollar
on cyery one hundred dollars Of his
taxable property; in another district,
ten, twenty or amy number of times
as much might be collected on the
dollar On this basis each hundred
Thousand persons in any district would
DO required TO pay the same amount
as any Other district of the same pop
ulation, although one district might
contain ton, 4 hundred or q thousand
times moro taxable property than the
other
Second. Experience shows that
large direct tax is gridgngly )Jlid and
difficult 10 collect,
Third. Our own national history
tells u5 that States frequently fail to
pay not only debts of lllcr own con
tracing, but also thcin share of the
n;liiCnM tax. Ton years sufliced to
demonstrated under the confederation,
that it is wholly ilnpracticable for the
tnilcl States government to depend
on assessments Of the States, for the
funds necessarily run il.
Hence 1T the adoption Of tho Con
atitnton, the government WAS en-
powered To lcyy and collect its own
taxes; and aSa all experience has shown
that import and excise duties or taxes,
arc not only The easiest collected
but also on tho whole the most c0uit-
able yet devised, these chiefly have
boon leYied by our government. Let
MI bear IN mind right here, that 4 duty
oil imports "a well rs an excise duty, il
IL tax and a tux only, levied To obtain
n revenue, and for nothing else Free
traders hola that this ii The only
Legitimate purpose Of duties on inn
ports; and that those should bo 40
adjusted Is to secure tho greatest
amount Of revenue to the government
with Tho least hurthen 70 The people.
This facilitates exchanges both ways
between this and other countries, aud
constitutes what il meant is Freedom
oi Trade,
"Froe Trade then, does not object
10 legitimate taxation for national
rovrnnc, but il salcmnly protests
aganstal unjust restrictions OH trade
imposed not for revenue, hut Is III
crease the profits of one or more
CLASSES Of persons, at the expense Of
commerce and tho mass Of tho people
This latter is the essence Oi the So
called Protection Of This country.
'Protcction" insists THAI tho duties
on AL foreign articles which ara also
produced in the United States Shall ia
lcNicti 50 high that tlry cannot hu inn
ported without loss 10 the importer
and producer This Effected, SECURES
! monopoly to home pro luccrs Whcre.
hy al lhcir products are greatly III
created IA price 70 the coasum1rs, thu
lacrosse going into the pockets of tho
nonoraliSts, while government loses
the revenue thus diverted from lis
NaHl'S luto their Golfers. We Thus
sce tlmt Protection il i system Of r.
StrtctionS On commerce. aud trade: and
II u secured hy 4 no called protective
tarili, On lle other hand, "I'rec
Trade demands i tarilr Tor revenue
nn.y, whereby romalete frraam er
trade Is sccured Ia all.
Vienna speak FIR her of Tie com.
pa.a ~ mevi.s Ut these avStens III
another Tins. Plmlus.