The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-10-15
TIE TARIFF.

OH (Cts, = 1COO'
During the last fiscal year ending
June so, 1886, the Federal Govern
ment collected, under the internal
revenue laws, in round mum bers,
S117, 100000, and from tariff taxa
ton, $194, 900, 900, and some addi-
al millions from miscellaneous
sources. For every dollar paid un>
der the internal revenue laws, q
dollar went into the treasury less
about 3 per cent, cost of collectIon-
Now the only articles taxed are
distilled spirits and tobacco, nom
necessaries, and in a sense luXur;es,
and Notwithstanding there Is more
or less prejudice IN the public mind
against the internal revenue tax, as
it is imposed on non-necessaries. /
am in favor of not only maintaining
the present tax on the IuXuries.
but I am in favor of raising all the
revenue possible upon luxuries, so
that the absolute necessariCs of life
may be relieved from taxation as tar
as possible. Applause. Under
this system of taxation you put 81
cents into the treasury for every
dollar that you pay, three cents
covering the cost of collection.
Not 50, however, under the tariff
laws. Let US consider what it
costs the taxpayer to put a dollar
into the treasury under the ofera-
ton of the law.
A tariff is a tax upon imported
merchandise, and under our present
law the tax varies on different arti~
Giles, but the average tax for the
fiscal year ending June so, was 4G
per cent.
Now, to illustrate the operations
Of that law, and what its costs The
tax payer to put dollar into the
treasury under it. You take this
pitcher. Holding up Il pitcher.
For ten years you have imported
and sold ia New York this class of
pitcher. 1t cost in England 81, but
when you landed at New York you
had to go to the custom-house and
pay so GEMS upon each pitcher for
the privilege of landing them. That
made your cargo of pitchers cost
you, when laid down in your store
On Broadway, as follows: Original
cost IN England, 81; tax at CUSTOM
house, SOC; transportation 1c; mai =
ing an actual cost to the i'm porter,
lald down in his store, of S1.51 for
each pitcher. Now, he must make
a reasonable profit upon his invest
ment of S1.51 in order to pay his
rent, clerk hire and interest on in
vestment, SO that he will have to
sell the pitcher at, say 81, but if he
had not been compelled to pay the
fifty cents on each each pitcher at
the customhouse, it would have
cost him laid down in his store S1.0I
instead of S1,51, and he could have
sold it at 81 so and make a better
profit than to sell for 50, after hav-
ing paid the fifty cents tax,
Now tor the last ten years | have
been manufacturing exactly the
same pitcher next door, on Broad
way, to the store of this importer
He has imported and sold and ]
haYe manufactured and sold and we
both continue; he to import and ]
to manufacture, and we both sell Ill
the same market to the same PEG
, pie. This proves that we both sell
at the same price, tor if either un
| dersOld be would drive thu
out of the market, other
and as the tax of so cent
forces the importer TO sell so cents
higher than he otherwise would, tn,
manufacturer is enabled to sell 81
4 higher than he otherwise would
ISeveral voices, that's sol. Thu
proves conclusiYely that the ccnsu.
mer, WHO'S the ultimate tax-payer
pays the tax "a we'll on the HON
manufactured protected article a
on the the imported dutiable article
and this being true it becomes i'm
portant to ascertain as nearly as w
can the quantity of home manufac
tured protected goods annuall'
consumed in this country, ana th'
quantity Of imported dHtiab!e good
consumed annually, Ia order tia
we may see how many dollars we ar
compelled TO pay IN tie way o
bounty to protected manufacturer
in order to get one dollar into tn
treasury under this tariff system, th
census report shows that our nome