458 TEE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



I take the liberty, Mr. Chairman, at this early stage of the business, to 

 introduce to the committee a subject which appears to me to be of the greatest 

 magnitude; a subject, sir, that requires our first attention and our united 

 exertions. . . . The deficiency in cur treasury has been too notorious to make 

 it necessary for me to animadvert upon that subject. Let us content ourselves 

 with endeavoring to remedy the evil. To do this a national revenue must be 

 obtained; but the system must be such a one that, while it secures the object 

 of revenue, it shall not be oppressive to our constituents. Happy it is for us 

 that such a system is within our power, for I apprehend that both these objects 

 may be obtained from an impost on articles imported into the United States. 



In pursuing this measure, I know that two points occur for our considera- 

 tion. The first respects the general regulation of commerce, which, in my 

 opinion, ought to be as free as the policy of nations will admit. The second 

 relates to revenue alone, and this is the point I mean more particularly to 

 bring into the view of the committee. . . . The proposition made on this subject 

 by Congress in 1783, having received generally the approbation of the several 

 states of the union in one form or other, seems well calculated to become the 

 basis of the temporary system which I wish the committee to adopt. 



In closing, Mr. Madison offered a resolution declaring it to be the 

 sense of the committee that specific duties should be levied on spirituous 

 liquors, molasses, wines, teas, sugars, pepper, cocoa and spices, and an 

 ad valorem duty upon all other articles ; and also a tonnage duty upon 

 American vessels in which merchandise was imported, and a higher 

 rate upon foreign vessels. 



From that day until this the United States has maintained a tariff. 

 At times for revenue only, but in the main to produce a revenue and to 

 protect home industries. 



The act of August 10, 1790, was entitled "An act for laying a 

 duty on goods, wares and merchandises imported into the United States 

 ... for the discharge of the debts of the United States and for the 

 encouragement and protection of manufacturers." 



It should therefore be noted that from the very inception of our 

 government the tariff has been recognized as exercising two distinct 

 functions ; to wit, to raise a revenue and as well to protect home manu- 

 facturers. 



Since the act of 1790 there have been passed by Congress thirty- 

 three distinct tariff acts up to and including the act of 1897. Of these 

 the McKinley act of 1890, the Wilson act of 1894 and the Dingley act 

 of 1897, being the one now in operation, are those of most interest to 

 the importer of the present day. 



Probably no tariff act was ever placed upon the statute books that 

 did not contain mistakes and that was not open to criticism from one 

 source or another. The most equitable, the most liberal act must 

 hurt some individual. 



The importer who purchases his goods in other countries to sell 

 at home, is primarily a free trader, and as such regards each per cent, 

 of duty laid upon his particular importation as a tax upon his business. 

 Sometimes he is so short-sighted as to consider his own particular 



