[central_va]

Tariffs funded the USA for the first 80 years of existence. President Washington signed first tariff act in 1790. I would rather pay a duty on imports than an income tax. A tariff would not be that high as slave coolie labor only “saves” about 5% of the retail price anyway. The social damage to the US is incalculable.

[bitterohiogunclinger]

“Tariffs funded the USA for the first 80 years of existence.”
The first 80 years of existence the size of all government spending combined was less than 3.7% of GDP, the GDP was minuscule, and the government consistently ran up huge debts with no way to pay it off. Several times public debt was paid off at a penny on the dollar. The government sold off vast amounts of land to raise revenues.
The list of reasons and excuses for why “funding by tariffs” didn't work then is as long as the history of how we arrived at the all powerful government we have today that sucks up more than half of GDP and is in debt beyond comprehension.