Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-07-03

,rs.srs rnestlo,, to rest our jssiseMenf up.
n rhe ;nnsuc,isn Of history, beth here ana
abroad. - 49,
!! Ths snh;ect vas discussed BY tns
..E.ths,, NJ the Constitution who joiasa
i, f,.nin, our sr.t tariff. with marvellous
d,,ecfn~ss, intelligence and foresight, ana
iii, . decided preference for speeahe
duties. - sc.
In 1875 Alexander Hamilton then sec
rotary Of the tressary, saiG
.-In other natI"ns. expefisnSe hs ~
eontYaet. more ard nsore. the namDef OF
articles rated al SaIofem, and OF c"alss, ~
extend the number Of those fa'ea 'ps''A
caIiy." c.,,.-
IN 1901 Secretary Of the Treasury Gail@-
tan said ,,.
en- order to guard, a. far a. possible,
xxzins, the value Of goods being unieffa,f'
| in the invoices, il you'd be ehg1oie 70 Af
sp@cine duties OF all such afticies nov pay
| ing duties al vslorea1, ~ may De saseePN
bic of that alteration.
| In 1917 Secretary Of the Treasury efa.-
ford, unaer resolution of Congress mahe
a thorough investigation OF the subjecI AM
reported; ,..-...
III Il certainly prudent to diminish, A.
far A. practicable, tine list Of articles paying
al yaiorem duties. ,,. -.
A, the session of Congress, ls35@'o'
President Van Buren, forwarded message
covering reports Of the secretary AMI the
comp. roller Of the treasury, with Opinions
of Attorneys General Butler and dfnndy >
and letters from collectors of customs III
all the principal ports pertaining to the
pfat.fieaI opsration, for about Fix years Oh
sd yalorem duties II was the UNANIMOUS
judgement Of these offices that the al yalo-
rem system was unequal. uncertain, IN
safe. diverse in it, construction, injurious
To the revenue. open to unfair practices,
and greatly expensive. from the namoef
of persons required to execute IT.
In ls42 James Buchanan, on the hoor OF
the Senate, said
II am not only opposed to any uniform
scale u all vaiorem duties but To any anu
all al vaiorem duties whatever, except
where, from the nature Of the article I'M
ported, il IL not possible to subject TO
specific duty
In 1856 Daniel Webster, presenting IN
his argument to the Senate, many ihstahces
Of fraud under al valorenl duties, said
ut has been the experience Of this gov
ernment alxsys that the al Vslofem system
is open to ianumersbie frauds. What Is
the case with England? In her notions
favorable to free trade has she rushed
madly into scheme Of al Valorem duties
Sir, the system Of all valorem duties Is not
free trade. but fraudulent trade
In l3ig Secretary of the Treasury Mere
dith said
"a specific duty is more easily assessed,
more favorable To commerce. more equal,
and less exposed to frauds than any other
system
Succeeding secretaries Of the treasury,
including Mr.. Manning, appointed under
the frat administration of Mr.. Cleveland,
gave testimony IN favor of the SPECIFIC and
against the AL valorem system.
Going TO other countries We ind Mt the
present time that England has 81 duty
items, all specific; France, 6l9, all specl-
fic; Austria Hungary, 81, all specihc;
Russia, 10, all specific; Sweden above
800. all specific; Denmark, 63, all specific;
| Germany, i3t, all but two specific; Italy,
s37, all but one specific; Norway, about
500, all but six specific, Spain, 365, all but
one specific. Is the Reform club wiser
than all the nations of the worlds
We commend to all advocates of an ex-
elusive ad vaIorem system study of the
proceedings of the special hunting commit
tee now operating in the city of New York
| a member of which recently offered gra-
tuitously gross and brutal insult to Ameri-
can patriotism, without official censure, re-
buke or notice. IL the testimony taken be
| fore that committee were true, it suggests
iniirection and fraud, possible only under
an al valorem system, and corroborates the
experience of nations that such system is
| a prolific source of crime. The clandes-
tine smuggler commits but one offence. and
that against human law. The smuggler,
| by under valuation, aids thereto the crime
of perjury. subornation of perjury and hui
man debauchery.
Upon the experience of this and other
nations. and in the interests of economy,
certainty and honesty, we condemn an ex-
clusyely al valorcm system in the assess
| ment of duties.
Dated June 10Th, 1898.
Respectfully submitted,
JosEru NJ. DErEL, Chairman.
JoHS FoRD, Secretary.