High tariffs funded the government completely and allowed manufacturing to develop in the new nation.
while at the same time income taxes or internal taxes were almost nothing.
“while at the same time income taxes or internal taxes were almost nothing.”
If you are going to spend, it is better to tax and pay for it than to print money and debase the currency.
Both parties have given up on any pretense toward balancing the budget. As long as they can get away with money printing they will. At some point the pain will come in hyperinflation and loss of dollar reserve status. At that point the government will be forced to make draconian cuts in spending as well as increase taxes.
Better to tax imports, and provide an incentive for producing in the USA where jobs can be created than raise rates on the 50% of US citizens who are paying taxes to benefit the 50% who aren’t. If the non-productive buy foreign goods, they’ll be contributing to the tariff tax, instead of contributing nothing.