BOOK SIXTH.* 



The Questions of the Day, 



CHAPTER I. 



THE FARMER AND THE TARIFF. 



A TARIFF Oil merchandise imported into a country is pre- 

 sumed to be primarily a means of raising a national 

 revenue. In that aspect, liowever, it is by no means a 

 "question of the day." Practically all parties in the Uuited 

 States have agreed to regard a tax on imports as an important 

 if not the principal source of revenue for the national govern- 

 ment. The question upon which the people are divided is as to 

 the policy to be pursued in forming the tariff; the extremists 

 of one party insist that the tariff should be arranged solely 

 with reference to producing the necessary revenue with the 

 least possible disturbance to business, the tax being made as 

 nearly uniform as possible upon all goods imported, or if any 

 are taxed more than others, such articles to be those not pro- 

 duced in this country. The extremists upon the other side 

 insist that in framing the tariff the items should be carefully 

 examined one by one, and such tax imposed on commodities 

 which can be produced here as shall as nearly as possible pre- 

 vent their importation, only enough import trade in such goods 

 being left to supply the necessary revenue, and that no article 

 which can not be produced in this country shall be taxed at 

 all, except in time of war. Between these extremes there is 



* See Appendix G for documents relating to the subjects of tiiis book. 

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