Year: 1870

IF it was the design of the RepubIi-


can State Convention to commit the


party to both sides of the tariff question


from campaign purposes, but particuarl-


ly to the policy of taxing all that the
moneys so raised may be applied, in


part, to enrich the few, the tariff reso-


intiOn of the platform answers the pUr-
pose as we'll as could be expected.


That "a tariff for revenue is indispen-


sable and should be so adjusted as to be


least prejudicial to the Industrial and


producing interests of all classes is ex-


actly what is claimed by those who op-


pose a tariff for any other purpose than


to raise revenue. 1t is not to the tariff


of itself, as a mode of taxation, that OBJ


lection is made, but to any scale Of du-
ties cOntrived to enable favOrite classes


of manufacturing capitalists to advance


the price of their wares at the expense


of consumers. A tariff of that sort is
simply class legislation, and tends to


build up obnoxious mOnOpOlies. Any


tariff adds to the cost to the consumer
precisely the amount Of the duty if that
goes into the treasury it is so much tax
collected; if it be paid to one of the pet
manufacturers, it is so much eXacted
under color of law, to be added to his
fortune.


In case duties are imposed upon inn
ports of such kind as are also manufac-
tured in this country, our manufacturers
are protected against foreign cOmpeti-
ton in advancing the prices of their
goods precisely SO much as the tariff in
creases the cost of the imported goods.
In effect, therefore, the duties fall upon
all consumers of the article in question;
but from the consumer of the imported
goods it is collected by the Government
for the revenue; from the consumer of
the domestic goods it is collected by the
manufacturer to enrich himself. What
is claimed by the Revenue RefOrmers is
that such a tariff is a taxation of the peO-
pie to enrich private individuals, an in-
vasion of personal right, and prejUdici-
al to the industrial and productive clas-
ses, who are as well consumers, and,
unless eXtravagant and invidiOus dis
tinctions are INDUCED in, comprise the
entire population. A tariff, then, so
as to be unPrejudicial to the in
dustrial and productive classes, would
be one under which all the moneys
its operation extracted from the
people would go into the National Treas
ury.


But the resolution is not for tariff of
that sort. 1t is qualified by q declara-
ton for securing to the home producer
a fair competition against foreign pro-
ducers'- -'cOmpetitiOn, seemingly, hav-
ing been carefully substituted for the
less equivOcaI expression protection. -
Now what the few, special, manufacture
ing home producers, who alone ask to
have laws passed to increase, from the
beginning have claimed is, that their
is in an infantile stage, and can
not fairly compete with foreign manu-
facturers. That they might compete,
they have ever asked, and withOutdOubt,
ever will ask, for the imposition of a
duty upon the foreign manufactured
product so that they can make cor
advance in the prices of the
of their establishments. And
that the resolution means any
thing, which, perhaps, is open to doubt
it is that such of our manufacturers rs
are given to complaints that they can
not fairly compete with foreign manu-
facturers, should be enabled to do so by
q tariff which, in the manner We have
indicated, will tax the whole people for
their individual benefit.


Mildly put, this is the doctrine of
revenue tariff with incidental protection,
which, directly stated is, that duties
should be imposed only on foreign man.
ufactured goods of such sort as are man. |
ufactured here, so that our manufacture |
ers can collect from domestic consumers |
as much as the Government |
collects of the importer, for revenue. It'll
means taxation for joint account of the |
and favored manufacture !
ers and It leaves the question open to