Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1831-06-10
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uW1eD"u DoNptCT
THE AMERICAN SYSTEM vs.
This system" (high duties or prohibition y "aas buil,
up, snd !. building up the best interest. OF our country,
m%so,"'"s 1mme,ee and qaiekenins all kinds Of
Let ne take a basty retrospect OF The PAST. ami ..s
"na' iae'' cay. The early history OF this coun.ry's le.
xs'auon,-a' 10 we'd kncwn,-was di..ingui,h,d for
the wisdom otits laws relative TO eommerse. Nil
rate rates OF impost were estaSii.hed-so low az sc.,cs
~ 10 be perceived High duiie, were moi iss,.nsd m
oo Uaue'io me purpose OF building up un wielJy man.
u'ac'oflss, CT a charter Tor " hich the cou,,ry was ma,
ripe. The Federal Cove rnm sn,, IN 20 ssy or maon.r
in'e'iefed with private pursuits. The gre., branches
OF natonai Industry were lef,-a, the should alwavs
oe, when po'sibls,-as free as the genial air ni,nv
assures were f:cs to spring up and n jurisb u,on ,b.i.
own bottom AM il th-y derived any bepe6, FINN d.
.osenue AVS u was incidental to measures adopted for
national purposes" Beneath this wise course cf poli.
~, zoe eolntherciai ~PTo'Pcrity of our country was une.
qua,i'd ia The history OF any Maritime Power mon
'he ace o, The Globe. Havi x recently emaneinare cd
ourselves from colonial vassallage, IA. ent-rprjs. "a in
dividuais turned tie resources O, the rs.oscfiv. So.
INC the most lucrative channels Of investment. Tn.
'aus oil our eommerce whiiened every sea. and her rich
L eaa'n' IPfeaa wealth and prosperity throughout The
Fnd' Up 20 te year 1907. such wa, the aI,-wis.
course OF policy pursued by IN. General Government
|. WIN be remembered that, al this period, the vioiatiops
sou o9'tsses ol he ITO grea, bsil,serart Power.,"
caused 'he mat adoption OF those prohibuory me asures
out OF which grew the war OF 1872, and c,o,sd viii
that coEhict III 1915. With the return OF p,scs on
PoUp e were g'SdIaiiy restored to their customary par.
SUIT. The cheek which bad been put upon n. ,arrssr
oil Napoleon, and the lettering condition in yb,c, ~
'oiu'obs mad i5t The thrones OF European S,yerrig,s
gave 'hs virtual Piejgs thatthey would not soan engage
aS1'a IL wars " IN distant. P-wers. We had, therefore.
ins prospect o! a long peace before US. If our rev.nun
lave had been restored to The basis upon which ~
eh's'ed previously to The war, our commerce .ouIJ
nave Heated the ocean with returning ACTIVITY RI,
an opposite eourss OF policy wes adopted. The sndsI;ne.
OF our armies were fresh In The minds of our n.onI..
anu !" ne'ion wa, seI down as pregnan, with ma ionai
FIS00n. IA ~ - ahn.ll fn.th .L
Manufacturing, that we might produce clio hin, for n ~
soldiers and masinors, and every o,her article which
W. nhsn' Iaofica'e, needed Tor tae consumption of our
people inthe event OF smother war. la our "a, m
render ourselves independent of other nations ya ,o,,I
~ overlooked the real cause Of the want of pro,er IN
Psrei, a. ir our army and navy during the war.
ab . 'aSe mo account, that little preparation was
maze oy the Governms ant f5r that war. Every thing.
elmer needed Tor our army, navy, or our peonle could
ua'e p'icns'e'' u all tunes, at war prices, but
he government had no raised 'unds to buy with.
Bui, az minated be 'ore, tie almost exclusive atts,
lion oil our people was deemed essential 10 proJuc. Tor
ar icies nseded for consumption. We did NOT
look about us, aud inquire what kinds OF maui ac,ures
could best be encouraged first? Nor did We ask. il The
country were ripe Tor this or tha: spsciss nj m,n,tao
turs OF whether we couli enter, all at once. mo a
eomPeliiln with countries that were ceniu.
RES ahead oil us in some kinds OF manufactures? Thu
s oil 1916 went on-and here was the basis OF
'hd' series oil errors which have kept trade huclua,iny
a"u uepiesseu lr ms last 10 yeass,-con!oun ing the
calculations of The prudent aud the wisdom OF lhs sa-
sacious. we nave sought TO force manufacture s, Ia.
'a" mat fiais Tor which we do moi grow, and encoursg.
ed me needless Investment, Of millions oil dollars, which
nave been almost a total loss to stockholders, aud thu,
uifres' ami misery into fSmiies that, bur A faw
years previously, were wealthy with this worlds yo,ds
we nave crippled commerce with burth ensons r,s,ric.
non', and 'hut out millions Oh millions OF her apcien
Pfous' ny congressional enacimeDls, we have heen
year AFTER year, sappiDg the likelihood Of New Eng.
isnd,: p'ospefity-tor commerce is her vital principle.
on this point facts may speak in pathos. We bake a
brief synopsis. With the commencement of our re,t,ic
i've uutles upon Imports, in 1907 sstha felatiS. d.ciin.
OF the population OF New England" begar. "From
l19o to 1900, the increase wa 226, O36; 1900 10 1910. il
was Z3sSS from 1910 10 1920 the increase declined
TO lsS ISL, and the estimated inerea,e. in Is2s va
on'y ioz'oio!" With the Dul. plica,ion OF population
In any section, the ratio Of ,ncreI,e NAV be .xnsetsd
TO decline; but he amount OF the increase ouybt 10
odFe oeeh great In every succe eding ten wears.
" 'HN
We nave said that our commercial prosperity wa, ua-
Paraiied 10 oar early Career. During the first Is ye,r
under The pfesen, contribution, from 1850 10 1907
ino increase q our foreign tonnage was no, far short OF
QUO mi,i'on OF ion'. The increase OF our foreign TON
mage alone, anterior to 1907, Being nearly $50, 900 ions,
'eseeeds the whols amouni OF our Eavig a,ion now en-
pioyed 10 our intercourse between the whole Union
sso ~ nsIon'." We bad, IN foreign tonnage, 10
lSOI, i ,O89,S76 tone; in 1916 Che time ch.n on, pro.
were iDcrsased) h had decreased 10 s77 I62
1873, 10 s2i 7sl-deeIire 10 fifteen years, 50 7SI
fsnr! who weuId desire a better commett,fy iban
'hese iac's an rd,as 10 the inevitable con, eanences vb .ch
re'ni' rom prohit i'iOns upon navigation conirasied
WIN moderate rates Of imposl! The almost miracr-
Iou' growth Of our commerce., prior 10 1907, yp>ek,
vo'unesl fer sac freedom Of irsdt; while he decline
ti our foreign tonnage, particularly during the las, 10
years, breathes a mott limsntabis result Of restrictive
Thefei is one other view In this matter which will
exhibit a more striking contrast. This will be by in.
aeomparison between American and B1.ish
navigation engaged in foreign trade, from 1889 TO 1907,
which term Der policy was pTohtbifoTv and
ours IRE" Dufisg these IS year,, her ,onnags wa,
worse than stationary; IL actually declined rom / 5V7
POO 70 ~I,421,lO3 tons, while ours increased, az we
pave mentioned above,-'rom 1899 oil Os0 $40 ion!
put subsequently, 10 the p'rlod named, every sommer-
car po"er both In Europe and America, commenced
PuuIng restrictions upon imports Her navigation rose
~ me suceeeding 8 years, from 1879 $40, to 2,0ss, O20
Iope! f9r 'he = years preceding 1907, her import.
averaged rom % 10 30 900 900. tut 10 the 4 succeed.
ing years, they rose 10 Al ,0O0, 900; "her exporis, from
81 70 45 and $4,000, 900 sieriins!p-Ths reign Of re-.
s'rlc i've terror crippled tbs resources OF every nation
tnat adopted and ''neu rslizing the bad effects" Of
Great Britains own bad sys,em, gave new impulss 10
her wealth ADD power" I,is well known tbai gssat
bi,sin ba A. last 40 possible. been IRE, ozsdiog rom
prohibitions TO moderate duiss"-The almost simuIts-
htous change OF policy In lhs two counties. will or.
ninh me true soDseqsenee', resulting from high duties
'h' moacfh'e rates Of impost. While our Iorsign ton.