Sharp County record., 1881-05-19
Origin Of the Word "Tariff."

Father, what does tariff mean? l
heard brother Charles say he had been
discussing the tariff at his debating
society last night"
"Well, Mary" answered the gentle
man addressed, "if you will take the
pains to get down the dictionary and
the atlas, | will help you to find out the
history and the mystery OF the word
tariff
"The atlas, father?" said Mary, in
surprise; "why that is where | look for
places-straits and gulfs and rivers and
towns-but | never should think OF
looking into an atlas for the meaning OF
a word"
"Wen, we shall see, daughter" re-
piled her father; and if the readers OF
this will do as Mary was directed to do,
they will be likely to remember the
meaning of the word tariff, and perhaps
to learn something. "Tarif means
list of duties imposed by government
upon goods imported into its territory
from other countries. For instance,
when silk goods are brought from Eu-
rope to this country, the United States
Government collects at the port OF entry
from those to whom the goods are sent
a certain fixed proportion of their value
in money, and this amount is called the
customs duty. All money so received
goes into the National Treasury"
Mary's brother and number of his
associates had been discussing the adj
vantages and disadvantages of the pres
ent system of tariff in this country. In
the debate, there were, of course, two
sides. On one side it was argued that
the Government should collect only
sufficient duties to pay the expenses
necessary for its maintenance. On the
other side it was held that whenever,
owing to cheap foreign labor, goods
manufactured abroad could be sold in
this country at prices lower than those
of similar American products, tariff
duty should be imposed. This, it was
argued, should be sufficient to raise the
price of foreign goods to the standard
of American manufactures. All this
Mary's father explained to her. He
explained, moreover, the definition
given of tariff for revenue only to the
former proposition, and protective tariff
to the latter proposition.
BY this time Mary was anxious to
know the use of the atlas, and a further
reference to the dictionary was found
necessary. Guided by the suggestions
there made, which are founded on
Archbishop Trench's "Study OF
Words" Mary and her father turned to
the map of Europe. They then looked
at Spain. They noticed at the south
ern point OF that country, and running
out into the Straits of Gibraltar, pro-
montory. This, as DR.. Trench says, is
admirably adapted for commanding the
entrance of the Mediterranean Sea and
watching the passing out and in Of all
ships. A fortress stands on this pro-
montory called Tarifa. The name is
of Moorish origin, and was given in the
days when the Moors ruled Spain. 1t
was their custom to watch from this
point all merchant ships going by.
Then issuing from their stronghold,
they would levy duties upon the mer-
chandise carried by the vessels. The
levy thus made was known as tarifa, "
or tariff" and thus, Trench tells us,
we have acquired the word.
After all, with due respect to her
brothers debating society, Mary
thought that the most interesting feat
ure about the tariff was the derivation
of its name.-M Y Observer.