Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1878-05-23

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RANDOLPH Tucker on THE TARIFF.
The speech OF Mr.. Randolph Tucker
on the revision of the tariff, which he
delivered in Committee of the Whole
Of the House of Representativcs on May
9Th will dnaPpoint no person amongst
Mr. Tucker friends, no matter how high
bis expectations may have run. II isr
distinctly. discussion Of the principles
upon which tariff legislation should rest
and Of the history Of such legislation in
this couniry.
Mr. Tucker begins by noting the
anomaly in the position Of the minority
of the House. part OF the Represen-
tatives OF the .people-in opposing bill
for the reduction Of taxation, and even
in opposing the introduction and discus
sion of such a bill, and the explanation
of the fact, as Mr.. Tucker gives il, in
wolves thorough exposure of the fall
lacious theory upon which the protec-
tive system rests. "Why is it" he
asks
"Why isit that when their Represent
Stives are called on 10 lessen the burdens
of the people there is found in this
House, composed Of Representatives Of
the people, a ssrosg minority against
the consideration even of such propo-
sitIon? The reason is 20 be found in
what must call the fatal entangling al
lance begun in the early history Of the
Government and continued to this day,
increasing as the years have rolled on,
between the regulation OF revenue and
the regulation OF commerce. II has
come 10 pass that the question Of laying
a tax to raise revenue has by the OPP
erations of the Government, been per-
verted into a power for laying burdens
upon the people in order to bestow the
bouniies upon privileged classes.
"For If this was bill merely to d.
minish the taxation to raise the neces-
sary revenue for the Government the
Representatives Of the people here
would not hesitate to vote for such a
bill. But there is back Of this revenue
object desire and interest on the part
of some gentlemen here to keep up a
high rate of duties on imports. They
demand high taxation not for the pur-
pose OF raising revenue for the Govern
ment, but because the duties upon i'm
ports by lndirection put bounties into
the pockets Of the privileged classes
whom they represent, and who favor
burdens on others as the means OF
vast benefits to themselves. The cOun-
try is thus divided on what seems 20
be merely a revenue bill into two par
ties the burden-bearers and the boun-
ty-takers."
Mr.. Tucker contends that by the Con-
stiturion, and especially by its history
and the spirit which went 10 its con-
struction, the power TO raIse revenue
was meant to be absolutely divorced
from the power TO regulate commerce,
and therefore that TO use the revenue
power, "for purposes ofregulating COM
merce and putting into the pockets Of a
privileged class bounties extracted from
other industries is q perversion Of the
| revenue power, contrary to the spirit OF
the Constitution and violative of all
principles Of right and justice"
The consultation. rsq";rins tariff du-
ties to be laid for revenue only, 1t re-
mains to determine what is the proper
revenue duty, and that, says Mr.. Tuck
er, depends upon the resultant of two
factors, the rate OF tax and the amount
Of consumption, which, in a well-con-
sidered tariff scheme, should interact,
and regulate cath other. A tariff which
produces the greatest amount of needed
revenue at the lowest rates of duty is
the one which at the same time favors
consumption most, that IS to say, which
most increases the comforts Of the peo-
pie, which are measured by the degree
of their consumption. A proper reve-
nue. tariff, therefore, is one which pro-
duces the required amount of revenue
by the means Of minimum rates Of du-
ty.
ain view Of what have said these
rules NAV be laid down as within the
spirit OF the Constitution: first, no duty
should be laid higher than the maximum
revenue point; second, that under that
maximum revenue point Injuries may
be made to pay higher rate of duty
than necessaries; third, that it is more
just to have an ad valorem duty. and,
where that is Impracticable because Of
danger TO revenue from frauds in in
voices, that the specific duty should
be so laid upon the article by classical
tIon as to make il as nearly as possible
equivalent to an ad yalorem duty; and,
fourth, that, unless necessary for reve-
nue., raw material may be admitted free
Of duty in the interest of the manulac-
turer as well as of the consumer of the
products from such materials"
The existing tariff, Mr.. Tucker shows,
is not in accordance with the spirit of
the Constitution, nor is tia tariff framed
for revenue. To prove this, Mr.. Tuck
er quotes the exultant report Of the
American Iron and Steel Association, to
the effect that in 1876 the country did
not import ton of steel rails-'that is
TO say, the power to raise revenue by a
tariff. is, according to the ideas of the
gentlemen who represent the iron and
steel interest, TO be purposely perverted
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