Show Tariff lessons A previous article under tbis caption stated the principles on which the Republican Republi-can tariff policy is bottomed the claims urged in their justification and the objections objec-tions or at least some of them that are usually raised against them We now state the principles underlying tho Democratic policy in respect to tariff Democrats recognize necessity of providing pro-viding revenue for the legitimate expenses of the general government and by levying duties upon imports they see a convenient and a reasonably just method of taxation tax-ation And although It is not altogether alto-gether free from objectionable features it is perhaps all things considered the best method that can be adopted To Democrats Dem-ocrats then the tariff is a tax levied upon imports paid in the first place by the wholesale importing merchant to the government gov-ernment collectorat tho port of entry the wholesale merchant adds the tariff tax to the original price and collects it from tho retail merchants to whom he sells who in turn collect it from their customerswho are the consumers of the goods tho tax being concealed in tho 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 advancing ad-vancing the money to pay tho tax when the goods were 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 as the general government is authorized by the constitution to lay and collect taxes imports and excise to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general gen-eral welfare of the United States there can be no objection to the Democratic policy 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 thic can be said in its favor As the sole put pose of levying tariff duties on our imports is for the purpose of raising revenue for governmental purposes they can bo easily adjusted to meet the necessary expenditures I expendi-tures of the government It therefore only remains to show that tho tax is necessary I and the assessment just to vindicate the I Democratic position Democrats favor levying the said duties upon the luxuries imported into the country that the burden of sustaining the government may fall upon those best able to bear it upon the wealthy while on the other hand they favor admitting ad-mitting freo of duty those articles which enter into the daily consumption of the I people and are universally conceded to be necessaries of life This system also admits ad-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 export ex-port abroad It is also proper to say In this connection that Democrats in the main favor supplementing supple-menting the taxation of imported luxuries with a direct tax levied upon what may be called homeproduced luxuries or commodities com-modities the consumption of which is especially prejudicial to the interest in-terest of the people such as alcohol alco-hol wines whisky and tobacco By thus taxing luxuries both those imported im-ported and those produced at home the Democrats contend that the burden of government gov-ernment will be least feltand least complain com-plain Ingly borne while the trade and business bus-iness of the country being left to tho influence in-fluence of those great natural laws which control industrial forces will develop along lines which will prove most advantageous advan-tageous to the permanent prosperity of our people C Democrats view tho tariff on our imports im-ports we repeat as a system of taxation and the levying of tariff duties as an exercise exer-cise of tho taxing power of the government thatcan only be used constitutionally for revenue for the expenses of government The only objections we have ever teen urged against this view of the tariff question ques-tion have been against what it does not do rather than against what it does Republicans Re-publicans condemn it of course because be-cause it is not imposed with a view to afford af-ford protection to home Industries In xeply to that criticism Democrats answer I that they do not believe there is any constitutional con-stitutional right existing to exercise the i taxIng power of tho government to favor private interests or for the promotion of private gain With them taxation is a sovereign power to bo used only to tho extent of public necessity and for governmental govern-mental purposes and when so used it should place the burden as far as may be upon those fvho will least feel its weight But since the revenue for government must bojaieed and it 15 conceded by both parties that the best system for raising rais-ing Bald revenue is by levying tariff duties on our Imports why not so adjust the tariff as to have it faIt upon goods the like of which we manufacture in this country in order that our manufactures may be fostered and home industries built up1 Let not this suggestion in relation to tariff confounded with the Republican position on the tariff question This would be a tariff fop revenue so adjusted as to give Incidental protection With Republicans Republi-cans the flrst consideration Is what they call the protection of American industries in-dustries and they so levy tho tariff duties Vith them the raising of revenue for the government is merely Incidental To this Demacrsts answer that a tariff to be pro I j fj tective must be so high that it altogether or well nigh prohibits tho imorta tion of foreign products For if the tariff does not practically exclude the foreign products then it can scarcely be considered consid-ered as giving protection to American manufactures If the tariff is made so high that it excludes tho importation of foreign products then there would be no revenue flowing iato the national treasury from that source But when our home manufactures fall to produce enough of any given commodity to supply tho demand de-mand in spite of all the tariff laws foreigners for-eigners can import their products Into our markets They add the tariff rates to the cost price and thus make a new price to those who buy Ultimately the consumers pay the tariff taxes Of course the tariff duties collected find their way into the treasury to mako up tho necessary neces-sary revenue for the government but something else has occurred in this very innocent looking transaction The consumer con-sumer has not only paid the taxes necessary neces-sary to the support of the government imposed im-posed upon the imported goods but besides be-sides doing that ho baa been paying tribute to the American manufacturer in the higher prices the latter Is enabled to charge because of the tariff being placed on the same kind of goods he manufactures and sells This tribute the consumers would pay to favored manufacturers under these circumstances would be many times more the amount they would pay into the national na-tional treasury J bus the taxing power of government would operateoven where protection ia incidental in such a way that it would take money from one class of people and confer it upon another class When protection is the main object In the exercise of this power instead of an incident the evil is of course much greater When the reasonable taxation placed upon imported luxuries and a direct tax reasonable in its amount placed upon those products that are raised or manufactured within our own country tho consumption of which are prejudicial to the best interests in-terests of society where a reasonable tax upon these things fails to realizo a suf flcont revenue for the expenses of the government gov-ernment economically administered it will be time enough to consider the question of incidental protection in connection with a revenue tariff |