THE FARMER AND THE TARIFF. 301 



in the United States.* The taxpayer is also enabled to pay- 

 in small and even trifling instalments as he buys liis supplies 

 from day to day, a privilege which must always be paid for in 

 some way, and by many is considered worth all it costs. By 

 timing his purchases to suit other contingencies he can in a 

 great measure select liis time of payment of such taxes as he 

 elects to pay at all, a privilege also worth paying for. These 

 considerations have more or less weight, even from the stand- 

 point of the economists, in favor of indirect taxation. The 

 thing, however, which possibly has greater weight with leg- 

 islators than all others, is the fact that by indirect taxation 

 the people pay taxes and do not know it, and therefore endure 

 a rate of taxation which would excite grave discontent if paid 

 openly, and at one certain time, and under compulsion. On 

 the other hand, there are thoughtful men who believe this the 

 greatest evil connected with indirect taxation. If the sums 

 paid by the people for the public service were more forcibly 

 brought home to them they would compel greater economy in 

 public affairs. 



While upon nearly all the above matters there are honest 

 differences of opinion among economists and the public, none 

 of them are the subjects of partisan controversy in the United 

 States, although upon some of them. Congress may at any 

 time happen to divide upon party lines. But they do not 

 enter into party platforms, or form the subjects of active polit- 

 ical controversy. 



The protection of home industries, however, by means of a 

 tariff on competing imports, irres})ective of the necessity of 

 revenue, has been the subject of political controversy in the 

 United States from the foundation of our government. All 

 persons having occasion to buy commodities, desire the prices 



*0f course the prices of many important articles of domestic origin are 

 raised by the indirect taxation of competing products, but there can be no 

 brief popular exposition of economic doctrine if every statement is safeguarded 

 by exceptions. Each subject would require a book. 



