The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-10-02
Tariff Lessons.

and a reasonably just method of tax
alton. And although it is not alto
gether free from objectionable features
il is, perhaps. all things considered, the
best method that can be adopted. To Dem
ocrats, then. the tariff is q tax, levied upon
imports. paid, in the first place, by the
wholesale importing merchant to the gov
eminent collector at the port of entry: the
wholesale merchant adds the tariff tax to
the original price and collects it from the
retail merchants to whom he sells, who in
turn collect it from their customers-who
are the consumers OF the goods-the tax
being concealed in the price of the articles
sold. Thus the consumer ultimately pays
the tariff tax. with something added by the
merchants in the way of interest for ad-
vancing the money to pay the tax when
the goods we're landed. Since the levying
Of duties on imported goods is conceded to
be the most convenient method for the
assessment and collection Of taxes
for the support of government, and IS
the general government is authorized by
the constitution ITO lay and collect taxes,
imports and excise, to pay the debts and
provide for the common defense and gen.
eral welfare of the United States" there
can be no objection to the Democratic pol
icy in respect to tariff on constitutional
grounds. It can only be objected to as a
system OF taxation, and that is an objection
that but few are inclined to urge; and thiE
can be said in its favor: AS the sole put-
pose of levying tariff duties on our imports
= fox, =
governmental purposes, they can be easily
adjusted to meet the necessary expendi-
lures of the government. 1t therefore only
remains 10 show that the tax is necessary
and the assessment just to vindicate the
Democratic position. Democrats favor
levying the said duties upon the luxuries
imported into the country that the burden OF
sustaining the government may fail upon
those best able to bear it, upon the wealthy
while, on the other hand, they favor ad-
hitting free of duty those articles which
enter into the daily consumption of the
people and are universally conceded to be
necessaries of life. This system also adj
mits free of duty raw materials for our
manufactures. and by giving them this free
raw material places them in a position to
produce all the goods we shall need for
home consumption and something to ex-
port abroad.
II is also proper to say in this connection
that Democrats, in the main, favor supple
menting the taxation of imported luxuries
with q direct tax levied upon what may be
called home produced luxuries, or com
modities 1.-THE consumption of which
is especially prejudiclal to the in
hol wines, whisky and tobacco
By tn us taxing luxuries. both those i'm
ported and those produced at home. the
Democrats contend that the burden of gov
eminent viii be least felt. and least COM
plsiningly borne, while the trade and bus
mess of the country being left to the in
1uence of those great natural laws which
control industrial forces, viii develop
along lines which will prove most advan-
tageous 10 the permanent prosperity OF our
people.
Democrats view the tariff on our i'm
ports, we repeat, as a system of taxation:
and the ievying Of tariff duties as an exer
else Of the taxing power Of the government
that can only be used constitutionally for
revenue for the expenses of government.
The only objections we have ever seen
urged against this view of the tariff cues
ton have been against what it does not do
rather than against what It does. Re-
publicans condemn it of course. be-
cause it is not imposed with view to at
ford 'sprotectionn to home Industries. In
reply to that criticism Democrats answer
that they do not believe there is any con-
stitutional right existing to exercise the
taxing power of the government to favor
private interests or for the promotion OF
private gain. With them taxation is
sovereign power, to be used only to tho
extent of public necessity and for govern
mental purposes; and when so used, it
should place the burden, as far as may be.
upon those who viii least feel it's weight.
But since the revenue for government
must be rhised, and it IS conceded by both
parties that the best system for rais-
ing said revenue is by leyying
tariff duties on our imports, why
not so adjus. the tariff as to
have it fall upon goods the like
OF which we manufacture in this country.
In order that our manufactures may be
fostered and home industries built upg
(Let not this suggestion in relation to
tariff be COMPOUNDED with the Republican
position on the tariff question. This would
be tariff for revenue. SO adjusted as to
give incidental protection. With Republic
cars, the first consideration is what they
call the "protection" of American in
dustries, and they SO levy the tariff duties.
With them the raising of revenue for the
government is merely incidentally. To this
Democrats answer, that tariff to be 'sprc-