The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1886-06-02
onerous and vexatious, and the vital

| question IS, which is the least SO.
I have been led to submit these
observations from a passage in your
letter in which you say:
we have, therefore, resolved 10
urge upon the people Of South Caro-
lima in public meetings the propriety
of demanding Of Congress a speedy
abolition of the artificial barriers and
governmental toll gates by which the
traffic of the world is diverted from
its natural channels, and man is de.
prived by man of his Gcd-given right
to receive the fullest returns to his
labor
If you mean by this the abandon
ment of the system Of laying taxes
on merchandise imported from for
eign countries and abolition Of Gus
tom houses, I cannot join you in the
demand. The collection OF duties
on imports has been in practice from
the foundation Of tie government,
and is much the safest and most eff
cient mode of securing revenue for
the support of the government. Con-
eress has rarely availed itself Of that
power under the Constitution which
provides that direct taxation "shall
be apportioned among the several
States according to their respective
numbers except on occa-
sions of great emergency, as at the
beginning of the late war.
The trainers Of the Constitution
evidently calculated that duties on
imports would be the chief reliance
for revenue, because by the second
clause of the tenth Section Of Article
I it is provided that ''no State shall,
without the consent Of Congress, lay
any imposts or duties on imports or
exports except &C., &C., clearly
showing that this power was left ex-
clusively for the Federal government.
Direct taxation was resorted to by
the Federal government at the be-
ginning Of the late war, and many Of
our best and most respected citizens
in the low counties can testify to the
spoliation and confscation under it,
which made them paupers.
The present internal revenue sys.
tenn of direct taxation is a heritage
Of the war, and if had the power
would wipe out the last vestige of it,
as I would the war tariff and i'm
posts.
If, on the other hand, you mean by
this expression the tariff laws should
be so equitably and fairly readjusted
as to raise the necessary revenue for
the support of the government, and
at the same time as nearly as may be
operate upon all alike, l will unite
most cordially with you. How that
can be best and justly done is very |
grave problem. About the sum Of
S300,000,000 must be raised annually |
by taxation-partlv internal and |
partly external. Of this sum $751;
100000 in round numbers was raised |
by duties on imports, S112,500,000 by |
internal revenue taxation, and the
balance of the S323,500,000 (total or
dinary receipts) was derived from
sales of public lands, patent fees,
taxes on national banks, seigHiorage
dG Gue uluG, SC.
Now the present consideration is
how can this $1S1,500,000 derived
from imports be so imposed as to
bear lightest upon consumers, or how
can it be levied to raise the neces-
sary revenue and unfettcr trade and
commerce. Many of the industries
of this country have grown up under
the stimulating or speculative inllu-
ence Of high tariff, protective in
many instances. and yet raising
large revenues, prohibitory in others,
bringing dollar into the
.reasurv' unjust as this is and
las been to the SfTaEotected Sf classes,
t would not be wise SspEoper %
Knock the props from undefsucN III
lustries with one blow and SEln&
hem down in crash. 1t would 6s>!
more unwise and wrong to continue
his condition Of things. What then
S to be done?
NY idea is that tariff taxation
should be gradually and surely re-
luced until we have reached the
ooint when each article will produce
he largest amount of revenue, and
;hen leave off, transferring from time
% time such articles to the free list
IS should be found from experience
% be most conveniently spared from
he revenue list. Take for instance
he article Of sugar. l insist that
;he present tax of II cents pound
the ayeraoe-is the revenue stand