600 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



from articles of voluntary rather than of necessary use, exempting 

 everything that enters into the. process of domestic industry, and 

 taxing only those articles of which consumers may even be de- 

 prived of some part on account of the cost, and yet not be in any 

 degree harmed or prevented from doing the most effective work of 

 which they are capable ; our object being to leave them free, so as 

 to be able to obtain the largest annual product either by the appli- 

 cation of the labor of the people of the country to its own re- 

 sources, or indirectly by devoting their labor and capital to ex- 

 changing their own products for articles of necessity which may 

 be of foreign origin, thus securing every article of necessity at 

 the lowest cost, whether of foreign or of domestic origin. We 

 could then raise all the necessary revenue from spirits, wines, 

 beer, sugar, tea, coffee, silks, the finer textile fabrics of wool and 

 cotton, laces, embroideries, furs, and fancy goods. 



In order to apply this theory to our present condition, we may 

 take as our basis the estimates of the Secretary of the Treasury 

 for the ensuing fiscal year ; but in so doing we must bear in mind 

 that there has scarcely been a single estimate of prospective reve- 

 nue submitted by any Secretary for the last twenty-five years 

 which has not been exceeded in result ; we must also bear in 

 mind, in considering estimates of expenditure, that the recommen- 

 dations of the Secretary of the Treasury have been more apt to 

 be cut down by Congress than to be increased. At the present 

 time, however, when our legislators are so anxious to dispose of 

 a surplus in order that they may not be called upon to reduce 

 taxation, we may find an exception to this latter rule ; but for the 

 purposes of study the ordinary conditions may be applied to the 

 present case. 



I might have attempted to lay down the basis for an act for 

 the collection of our national revenue consistently with theory ; of 

 course, our condition will not permit the immediate application of 

 this theory in its full force on account of our present conditions. 

 A beginning, however, may be made ; and, as the effects of the 

 changes upon the progress of the country are developed, the work 

 can proceed more and more rapidly. 



No one can yet venture to forecast the prosperity of this coun- 

 try which would ensue the moment all crude and partly manu- 

 factured materials which are necessary in the main processes of 

 our domestic industry were made free from duties, and were there- 

 fore supplied to our domestic manufacturers on even terms with 

 our competitors in other countries. As one can not forecast the 

 beneficial effect of the removal of these taxes, so no one can measure 

 the injury which has been inflicted in consequence of the higher 

 price of iron, steel, copper, lead, and other metals, of wool, chemicals 

 and dye-stuffs, through this long term of high-tariff obstruction. 



