The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1882-1884, 1882-09-21
THE TARIFF.

the only measure that the Radica
leaders were willing to advocate I'm
der their own name alone before thu
people, was the existing tariff, ;
method of extorting money from thu
people that is nothing more nor less
than legalized robbery. Sitting as
Liberal Convention, Mr.. Moore, Mr.
Mott, Mr.. Cooper, Mr.. Young ane
the rest of them said not wore
about the tariff whether on reaching
the tariff their liberalism became ex
hausted as did the power Of their ju
dietary in the Kirk war may never be
known.
But whatever the cause, the fact is
that the only thing the Radical party
sends before the State upon its own
unaided merits and by its own unaid'
ed efforts, is it's resolution endorsing
and advocating the continuance OF
the present war tariff. that for more
than twenty years has cursed the
country. In everything else they
first put themselves forward as liber-
ais, but when it came to the tariff
question they seemed to conclude
for once to 90 it alone, thinking, per-
haps, the brat was so Enthusiastically
Radical in every feature that it was
idle to attempt to call it by another
name or dress it up in any other
clothes.
Now let us see what this tariff is
that according to Messrs. Mott,
Moore. Ike Young, Spears,
O'Hara, Harris and the rest Of them
has been such q blessing to North
Carolina for the last twenty. two
years.
What is taritf-to begin with?
A tariff is schedule or table of
the taxes levied by a government on
the merchandise thot comes ints ports
from foreign countries, Or that goes
out from its ports to other countries.
To collect these taxes, Custom
Houses, as they are called, are es-
tablished at every port and at other
points along the coast. wacth is kept
that goods be not landed without
payment of the required duties or
taxes.
And what is a protective tariff?
A tariff for protection is system Of
import duties or taxes so arranged
as to prevent the importation Of Ger
goods or merchandise. This is &C.
complished by requiring such goods
to pay very high duties or taxes for
the privilege of entering our markets.
The object is by adding the high duty
or tax to the cost of manu- facture to
prevent the foreign manufacturer
from coming into our markets, SO
as to break down competition and
give the home manufacturer a free
swing to sell at any price he may
choose. Competition as we know
while 1t increases trade diminishes
prices, and protection DESTROYS
competition.
OF course SO long as there is a
government the people who live TN.
der it must be taxed to provide mon
cy for its support, and to tariff there.
fore that looks only to the support of
the government and that is just and
equal in its operations there can be
no objection, for so long as we have
government we must be taxed.
But of all the unjust and UNEQUAL
legislation ever enacted by congress.
the existing tariff is the mos unjust
and the most unequal, and of all the
causes which have operated to pre-
vent the material progress of the
South and to keep the people Door,
this trriff is and has been most potent
for its burdens fall most heavily upon
US who are agricultural people.
The object of this tariff j. not sole
ly Or even mainly to raise revenue
for the supnc-t of the government
but to f:.vor or protect" as it is call.
ed. certain manufacturing industries
OF the country, that is to saw. to ben.
eft one class of people at sslle expense
OF another-the manufacturers for in.
stance at the expense of the farmers
Its effect is to take money out of the
pockets IF the Southern farmers an q
put it in the pockets Of Northern
manufacturers, the South being arri-
cultural and the Moth manufacturinr
in its great interest.
And just here the Democratic mar.
ty steps In and says that money taken
from the people II OF for the sup-
port OF the government. but for the
Deneht OF one class of men at the ex.
M