Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-06-08


mites Of the present tariff system are fla
gravity strOciOus, aud should be cor
rected. 1t is a system of taxation, says
he truthtully, under which duties are
laid upon several thousand articles of
imported goods, including the commonest
necessaries of life; it is tax levied upon
all articles Of general consumption at an
average rate of 42A per cent. Last year
there were imported into the country
$463. 200, 900 of dutiable commodities,
upon which the tariff imposed
tax of $19s. 900, 900. And who
pays this tax? ut requires,
says Mr.. Turner, mo argument,
no illustration, to show that this immense
taxation falls, at last. upon those who
consume the imported goods" This is
the direct result of the tariff, aud it is
thus seen that its burdens rest upon the
unprotected consuming masses, while
tue protected manufacturer enjoys the
great privilege of augmenting the price
of his goods, without being subjected to
this tax. In this way it is that the con
sumner is forced to pay tribute to the
manufacturer for his personal advantage,
instead of to the government, for whose
benefit the tax is theoretically laid.
Mr. Turner then dwells briefly upon
the fact that though the present onerous
tariff was framed during state of war
and for war purposes, 1t is now,
in time of profound peace, more
Onerous than when war ragged through
out the country, after which he proceeds
to show succinctlY the aggregate burdens
borne by the masses because of the pro-
tective system, and borne, as we have
seen, not for the benefit of the govern
ment, but for the sole benefit of the
manufacturers. Says he:
Assuming that there is an annual
consumption of four thousand millions
Of domestic or American commodities, a
very high authority has recently esti-
mated that one fourth of that sum, or
81, 900, 600, 900, represents the added or
increased value due to the American
tariff. Another authority, equally re-
spectacle, assuming that five times as
much of American goods are con-
sumed as of imported goods,
reaches the same result, the two hun
dred millions of revenue derived from
the tariff multiplied by that figure pro-
ducing exactly the same result. With
out intending in any wise to cast discredit
upon the accuracy Of these estimates,
but in order to be entirely fair, let us
throw off two-thirds of the sum and
make our calculations upon that basis.
Il results that the protected classes make
for themselves by the operation of the
tariff nearly so per cent. more than the
government itself does"
Truly, under such figures as these Mr..
Turner may well conclude as he does
that our tariff is not tariff for revenue
with incidental protection, but, to the
contrary, simply tariff for protection,
with revenue merely as an incident. In
other words, that when consumers are
wealthy enough to import such protected
articles as they may desire, and prefer
to do so to purchasing inferior goods at
home, then the government derives some
benefit; but when the ordinary con-
sumner, who cannot afford to import
his articles from abroad, is forced to
make purchases, he must be content to
be satisfied with whatever quality of
goods the protected manufacturer sees
fit to let him have, at extortionate prices,
which only go to swell the Golfers of.the
privileged protected wards of the ma
ton" Well does Mr.. Turner express
this idea when he says:
I'm order to exclude cheap European
goods from our markets and command
nigh prices for American products we
pay annually to our protected classes
over $500, 900. 900 and to the government
less than 100000, 900. BY the opera
ton of the tariff you give annually to
the beneficiaries of the tariff SIX times as
much as you paid last year to the widows
and orphans and manned victims of the
war. 1t is a civil list unprecedented in
the annals of mankind. You give to
the heroes who fought for the Union and
escaped its casualties, your thanks and
nothing more. To the grim veterans of
the tariff you give more than all govern
ment, Federal, State, county and munich
pal throughout this country costs the
peoplel This aggregate bounty is greater
than the vast and elaborate fabric of our
liberties itself cost US last year. If this
sum had been collected by the govern
ment, it would have extlnguished our
public debt long age"
The able Representative from the Sec
ond Georgia district then goes on to show
that, notwithstanding the wealth brought
into the country from our surplus cotton
and wheat-amounting last year 10
$3.50, 900, 900, and both the products of
the non-protected agricultural classes,
who have to compete with the world in
selling their productions, but are re-
stricted to the protected home market"
when forced to buy-thc incidental reve
nue. received by the government from
the protective tariff would be wholly
inadequate TO meet necessary expendi-
lures. and so, after all, the people must
be again taxed by internal taxation to
make up the deficiency. Says he on this
point:
Gentleman say that the country has
prospered Notwithstanding the tariff.
deny the statement so far as my cOnsti-
tuents are concerned. The protected
classes have undoubtedly prospered But
admitting for the sake of the argument
that the other classes have prOspered
also, would il not be fair TO inquire how
much more they would have prospered
if these enormous burdens had been
alleviatedi We are told that the tariff
prOtects American labor. The preten-
sion Is &C ingenious effort to enlist
the victims of the tariff in its support.
II has been exposed and exploded
many times hitherto in this
debate. But even IL il were true that
the tariff fosters American labor, it could
not be claimed that its beDefcence ex.
tends beyond the protected classes. You
may make employment and wages for
tsilOrs, hatters and shoemakeTs, but in
order to do IL you make all other laborers
and other people pay more for their
clothes, hats and shoes. In order TO help
one poor man you tax hundred more,
and the profits 90 into the pockets Of the