National Republican., 1882-11-25
A Tarir For the United States Only.

n tariff For the United States Only.
The Congress shall have powerto lay aud collect
taxes, duties imposts, and cxcises to pay the debts
aud provide for tho common defense and general
welfare Of the United States; but oil duties, inn
pots and exoiscs shall bo uniform throughout
thn United states.- Constitution u s, Ari J. Sec s.
Sabdiu,l
The list of duties laid ON imports, by
act of Congress passed pursuant to the
above constitutional provision, is called
the tariff. The reader will observe that
the language quoted does not contain the
words for revenue only" Congress is
required to observe uniformity, and that
being obeyed, any tariff which is believed
by that body to "proyide for the common
defense and general welfare" is clearly
authorized by the Constitution. If the
duties shall so operate as to discourage
importations and increase the necessity
for home production, that would be un-
doubtedly constitutional. If it was found
that wheat could be spared from Europe
and South America in such quantities as
to supply the demand in this country at
prices which would be prohibitory upon
wheat growing here, our farmers would
be entitled to relief in the form of a duty
on wheat which would discourage if not
wholly prohibit its importation. OF
course the wheat importers would in such
case secure the services of as many
newspapers as possible to clamor for ga
tariff for revenue only" The editors
would write down protection, and would
labor to show all who did not grow wheat
how much better off the country would
be if all could buy cheap bread. But the
farmers would not agree that the general
welfare could be promoted by allowing
light duties on wheat in order that its
extensive importation might yield reve-
nue. while abolishing wheat-grow ing at
home.
There is no requirement in the Con-
stitution that tariff of duties shall be
so adjusted as to produce the largest
amount of money. There is no require
ment in the Constitution that any reve-
nue. shall be raised at all by duties on
imports. The Congress may provide for
raising all necessary revenue by any
form of taxation known to mankind or
that can be devised. Duties on imports
may be wholly abolished or they may
be placed so high as to entirely prohibit
importations of commodities produced
or manufactured in the United States, if
that policy should seem to Congress con-
ducive to the general welfare. Free trade
would give foreign manufacturers u
monopoly of our market, while pro-
hibitory tariff would give the monopoly
to our home manufacturers. Neither is
desirable. Those who contend that Con-
gress has no power to provide tariff for
any other purpose than to raise revenue
are forced by inexorable logic either to
free trade or to such a schedule of duties
as will stimulate importation, and thus
ensure the desired result. This would
lead to what some term free-trade duties
that is to say, duties so light that i'm
ported goods would have the preference
over American productions because they
could be offered at lower prices. The
people of the United States will not sus-
tain such policy. 1t would reduce the
| industries of this country to such pro-
ductions as could not be supplied to her
from abroad, and would make us tribu-
tary to countries which take better care
of their industries. "The federation OF
the world" has not yet been agreed upon.
The United States will not yet form n
"blind pool" with other nations in which
our artizans and laborers shall find their
wages equalized with those of England
and Germany. A tariff for the general
| welfare of our own people ".only" will
be the American policy hereafter as here
| tofore.