The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1881-01-05
Tariff for Revenue.

WIN ANy holAN 'NAAAShtAiNeS"$ AANA HhAAS'
But this is hardly to be expected be-
fore the millennium, and therefore
each Government will levy its own
taxes.
That the tax on all imported arti-
Giles is paid by the consumer event.
ually no one will question. In fact
he pays the additional expense for
collection. And if revenue were TIE
only object to be obtained, thea the
cheaper and more equitable way
would be to lay percentage tax up.
on all property assessed by State
laws, and collect from Taxpayers
direct through State officers. This,
however, would tend to bring the
national and State Governments in
to conflict, which is to be avoided
AS the consumer pays the tariff the
first questions to be answered are:
Who is the consumer and upon what
importations does he pay the taxes?
Are the duties laid upon manufact.
ures that are the product of cheap
foreign labor, and do the whole peo-
pie become purchasers thereof? Are
heavy duties laid upon foreign arti,
cles that we can produce in one sec
ton only, SO that all other sections
must contribute TO the support Of the
one by buying its products at a high.
er price than their actual value2
We believe that tariff should be
laid on as few articles as possible,
and that it should be Il discrimina-
ting one. If we want revenue, let
US lay a tax upon articles used pro-
miscuously throughout the country
and not of home product. If we
want our workingmen refined and
intelligent, let US look at the trades
and see what importations are the
products of labor reduced to want by
the greatest of all expressions, mig
gardly wages. If the laboring man
is to be crushed in order TO keep up
competition, then let US destroy com
petition. If by inventions, ifby bet
ter locations, if by richer deposits, if
by economy, foreign capital can make
a cheaper and better article than we
can, then we should turn our atten.
ton TO some other of the many thous-
ands Of products nature and science
lay in our way. 1t is only in sucii
cases that we need a protective tariff
or, rather, a discriminating tariff;
and to carry this into effect our legis.
lators should be well posted on all
foreign products, The American
people live on bread and meat, and
they do not expect to be brought in
to competition with men who eat
"snits" for breakfast and drink water
for dinner to make them swell for
supper,
That a uniform protective tariff,
regardless of the foreign condition, is
a benefit to US, is another mistaken
idea. 1t does not really increase the
wages and comforts of mechanics as
a whole; but is in fact an internal
tax upon the many to keep in luxury
the few; and besides, whore protect
i've tariff is in operation the capital
lists receive two.thirds Of the benefits
and their employees the other third.
Then again when you come to
high protective tariff, surprising the
mining, manufacturing and mechan-
ical interests to be the benefciaries
under the system, who pays the duty
when the articles are purchased by
the consumer Not half our popula-
ton belong to these interests, and it
must follow that one-half of these
taxes on imported articles are paid
by men who are not benefited by it.
What does the farmer receive in re.
tnrn for his outlay2 The mechanic
does not eat more of the farm product
because he gets higher wages. His
surplus is spent in Injuries. The
demands Of the stomach must be
complied with; all men must eat
bread, and small wages will give this.
A man can work three months in a
year at dollar u day and buy more
bread with the money than he can
eat in year, and bread in its varied
forms is all that the farmer raises at
last. Thus it will be seen the farmer
pays half the tariff duties and re.