The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1884-02-13
The Tariff Question Discussed By
Gen. A. II. West.
Ho1r1 srrrsas. yanuary %. 1ssl.


tive Tariff, Free Trade, and "a tarIn Tor
revenue only and IN doing 50 viii discuss
them comparatively.
premise that. as they are vital and all
perTading subjects they should be treated
with the utmost candor and fairness. that
all obscurity of their constitutional mean
ing and objects may be removed The
habit Of discussing them upon the hyPoth-
esis that there still exists opposite interests
between the various pursuits and industries
of the North and the South, keeps alive
sectionalism and class preiudicss detrmen-
tai to the general welfare. The abolition
of slavery placed labor and the varied IN
dustries upon a uniform basis throughout
the United States, consequently all public
measures should be considered from ma
tional standpoint and their general effects
Without premise l viii state frankly my
own opinions and give some Of the reasons
on which they are founded.
The constitution vests in Congress ex-
pressiy the power Ito lag and collect taxes,
duties, imports and excuses to pay the debts
and provide for the common defence and
the general welfare of the United States.
as also to regulate commerce between the
States and foreign nations. Taxes and du-
ties are to be SO laid and collected as to
accomplish all of the objects herein emu
merated. The language of the constitu-
ton and the necessities of the government
render the collection of taxes and duties
for these purposes imperatiye-a duty
which Congress cannot evade or neglect to
perform
There are three constitutional modes of
laying and collecting taxes and duties.
n int On the
property of the people. Another is by
duties on imports fIo n foreign nations
The other is a mixture of these two modes
of raising revenue "A tariff for revenue
only" in a literal sense. is the laying and
collection of duties, exclusively, on such
| imported articles from foreign nations as
| are not produced in the United States.
| snch as tea, coffee, chocolate, spices, etc.
| The list of such articles would be too lfmi-
| ted to furnish three or four hundred mil
| lion dollars annually; indeed it would pro-
hibit their importation, except in very
small quantities for the consumption of
very wealthy families, and even if it did
not prohibit, why should determinations
be made against protection, since taxes
must be collected and can be collected in a
form that will encourage and protect home
industries without increasing the burden
of taxation?
If it Is right to protect American labor
| by prohibiting Chinese immigration, why is
it not right to protect American industries
by laying and collecting duties on the i'm
ported products of the labors of foreign
nations?
The collection of all the required reve-
nue. of the Government by direct taxation
would exclude the idea of protection, and
establish absolute free trade with all ma
tions. The collection of the revenue or
such imported articles as are not produced
in the United States, would exclude botl
the idea of free trade and protection, anG
establish "a tariff for revenue only"
The collection of the revenue by laying
duties generally on imports from foreign
nations, would exclude the idea of free
trade and "a tariff for revenue only" and
establish protection of home industries. a:
all duties collected on such articles as are
produced in the United States would pro
tect Anne lean labor and enterprise to the
extent of the duties collected. 1t is argued
that the consumer pay the duty; that i:
partially true, and should teach economy
and redlc personal burdens. 1t is also
argued that the tariff on foreign goods is
| uOluS W Neutrality-suspicious. lH1I Is uOL
SINCE the money thus collected goe.
into the Treasury, the same as the money
collected under the free trade system Of
the system of "a tariff for revenue only"
Taxes and duties paid under either sys
TEN goes into the treasury and not to tht
manufacturers; but when collected on i'm
ported articles such as are produced in thu
United States, the home producers of thes,
Or ~ TNrntaataH To fba -
duties paid and the general welfare pro
NOTED and the common defence provided
for-irst by the payment of the duties
second, by collecting in a way to encourage
in times of peace, the manufacture of tht
articles and necessities of war. rendering
the United States, in these respects, indie
pendent of all other nations. Besides,
judicious tariff of this character will reg
ulate commerce in harmony with all tn,
various industrial and business interests Of
the country and it is the only mode of levy
ing and collecting taxes and duties that car
so regulate commerce.
Internal direct taxation affords no Incl
dental benefits to any of the great or small
industries of the country, but it is a cold
mean. selfish system, barren of any Qoot
and fraught with strife, contentious, VIC
lence and anarchy. | am, therefore, per
suaded that judicious tariff affording reas
enable protection is much better than free
trade Or "a tariff for revenue only" and
so the fathers of the constitution thought
and practiced. The utopian scheme Of
free trade never entered their minds. The
amount of revenue now collected for the
purposes of government amounts to about
four hundred million dollars If this vast
sum was collected from the people by di
rect taxation the proportion of Mississipp
would not be far from ten million annual
ly; burden that no free people could Oh
would bear. Therefore absolute free trade
is not to be seriously thought of; nor il
halfway free trade by the mixture of the
two systems of taxation to be entertained
| "A tariff for revenue only" is utterly i'm.
| practicable. The veriest tyro in political
economy knows that tariff broad enough
to produce revenue adequate to the necessi.
ties of the government cannot be levied
and collected on imports without affordinp
more or less protection to home industries
hence the use of the word ''only'' has great
| ly embarrassed the friends of revenue re-.
form.
| The profound statesman, Daniel Web
ster, said: Il am in favor of such a revenue
as shall be equal to all just and reasonable
wants of the government; and am deeid-
| eddy opposed to all collection. or accumu-
latlon of revenue, beyond this point. An
extravagant government expenditure and
unnecessary accumulation in the treasurv.
are both. of all things else to be most stn-
diously avoided. am in favor of protect
ing American industry and labor. not only
as employed in large manufactures. but
also, and more especially, as employed in
the various mechanic arts. carried IN, bv
persons acting on small capital, and living
by the earnings of their own personal in
dnstry Protection, in this re-
spect, OF our own labor, against the cheaper
Ill paid, half fed, and pauper labor of Eu-
rope, Is IN my opinion, duty, which the
country owes to its own citizens. I am.
therefore, decidedly, for protecting our own
industry, and our own labor.
1 am OF the opinion that with more than
usual skill. in the application of the we'll
Tried principles OF discriminating and spec-
inc duties, all the branches of National in
dnstry may be protected without imposing
such duties on imports, as shall overcharre
tne treasury The present unreasonable
high tariff and the vicious internal revenne
co1ectlons have overcharged the treasury
ana corrupted the public administration
------ ~'--SNA &c ACNAcCQ 70 meet the inst al0
reasonable wants of the government. IN
deed there Is no power vested in Congress
g oEercharge the treasury with revenue
The power Is to pay the debts and provide
for the common defense. etc. and NOT =,
collect money to be boarded up Tor extrav-
agant expenditures or for fancied ueoess;.
ties.
Manufacturing is in its infancy in the
South and needs the protection and foster
ing care Of the government. that she NAV
advance IN all of the elements of wealfh |
and power commensurate with her bound |
less resources. With reasonable protector
diversified manufacturing enternrises Mi |
soon spring into active and successful -
Silence all over the Southern Stats
adapted to the raw material Of each Ioc.s
hon They will give renewed vaIue Ia raal
state, improvement to agriculture. sheen
iaislng, ETC. and larger and better hon1e
Tor the farmers with increased
profits They viii bring capital ana enter
2riae, and add to our population nan ana
women from the best classes Of Other $50