Virginia free press & farmers' repository. [volume] (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1827-1832, 1831-07-07
THE FREE PRESS.
ron THE FREE rREss.

Mr.. EDIroR:
l have lately read the speech deli
vered by MIR. McDuifie at dinner gi
ven him in South Carolina. and / be .
iieve It has contributed as much 20
confirm my faith in the policy of the
protecting system. as any speech I
have ever read on that subject. The
great objection urged against the sys.
tenn 10, that il is unequal and oppressive
IN its effects, and Mr. McDuiie's ef.
fort is chiefly direct ted to the establish.
ment of this objection. And here I
would remark, that if | could be con-
WINGED that South Carolina does really
suffer one half the oppression from the
protecting system which is alleged n =
gainst IT by its enemies, I should be
disposed 10 abandon the system at
once, but when | sec a man Of Mr..
McDuffie's splendid talents and ar.
dent zeal in the opposition to the sys-
TEN. so utterly fail in establishing the
chief ground Of opposition. | am con
vinced that the cause is q bad one, and
that the ground cannot be main tanned
by any advocate. Mr.. McDuffie has
stated one proposition, which l think
he fully snstains, and which have long
since believed TO be true, and that IL.
that tax on importations does not al
trays fall entirely on the consumer of
the article taxed: this will depend I'D
on the state Of the market for the i'm
ported article. Whenever The foreign
producer can add the whole tax to the
previous price Of the article, the con-
sumer pays it; but it frequently han
pens that he cannot add tho whole tax .
but must reduce his price in order TO
sell the article, a. Mr.. McDufie has
very we'll shown. This is the very ef.
feet desired by the friends of the pro
tecting system this gives an adyan
tage to the domestic producer over the
foreign producer. and thus protects
American industry. Thus far go
with Mr.. McDufIie, but no farther. -
He assumes that the tax OIL imports
from Britain is 80 per cent. and I adj
init that this presses upon the British
producer, but how he brings it back to
the South Carolina producer. DO not
perceive. lie seems 10 Jump into the
conclusion that this tax upon imports
from q. Britain, is n tax Of the same
amount upon exports frorn South Ca.
rolina. | say he jumps into this con
cluslOn, Tor there ~ complete hiatus
here IN his argumeut--there is a hole
link wanting IN his chain Of reasoning.
IL q. Britain had imposed duty Of
so per cent. upon the cotton from 8.
Carolina. as countcrvaIling duty, his
assumption might be true; our tariff
might then be considered tho cause Of
the tax on the production OF :. Caro-
lima. but the actual duty is mere tri.
lie. Great Britain makes an immense
sum nv the manufacture of the cotton.
and shc does not tax that import, ex-
cept for revenue. cannot imagine
how the planter of S. Carolina loses
this so per cent. on his exports. sun
posing, as Mr.. MoDuflie has done here
tofore. that the planter does his busi
ness himself, he sends his crop of cot.
ton 60 Liverpool and sells il in the
market for what u will bring, and nc
selects from the whole Liverpool mar
kct a return cargo Of such articles as
he thinks he can make the greatest
profit on in the 4. states; he brings
IT TO the L. s. and he sells IL at an all
vance Of 90. so, or so per cent. fthc
amount is not very material 10 the ar.
gumen', bat he certainly sells it At
clear adrGnee,) then where has he lost
the 30 per cent. lie has sold his cot
ton for the highest market price in ~.
verpool. be has purchased British mn
nufaeturcs, brought them 20 the United
States, and sold them AZ profit. then
where, ] repeat, has he lost the 90 per