Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-02-09

Il.
shaI he deprived Of our best customers, and h,
rice, and tobacco
ne policy proposed in the amendment which |
n"'c submitted, is founded on the Just principles
nave advocated The arrangement of the details
nc arc wiling TO leave 10 the committee. Wcdo
' propose L" destroy even To iniure the man.
.'"S,"IeS. We are willing they should have the
'"ehlal protection afforded by fair revenue syS.
' 'ho on any plan of reduction, the duties and
No'geS ON tho foreign manufacture will not
, "'"ch short Of 335 per cent; aud surely Sir, il
WIN protection equal to onc-thIrd of the cost OF
u0 article, our manufactures cannot be maintain
=" lhey ougut to be abandoned mt once, since no
'"i'g can bo clearer than that they would then be
H'''"lhed ut Il certain loss to the county We
Wv "'I INSIST on an immediate reduction, to the
ioMcS' revenue standard. As the public debt is
i'' yet paid, we are willing that the re-
"'''oh on the protected articles should he gradual
did spread, if the gentleman please, over two
OF three years; and, if they desire it, will not oh.
J"ct 10 making an immediate reduction on the um
projected articles, Of 10 or Is per cent. The i'm
'neoate elect of this plan far from being iniu
'touS 10 the manufacturers, will, am pcrsus dcd
serve rather TO strengthen them and even in its ul
innate results, manufacture will he injured that
Goes not depend on protection for existence, and
not sustained Mt the public expense. Suppose the
du'" on the protected articles were now reduced
ten per cent. below their present rates and hy
subsequent steps carried down gradually to the true
revenue standard, what would DC thu effect of this
iirSt reduction of ten per cent? III yard of Eng
llsl cloth cost dollar, paid a duty of fifty per
cent, and, with the addition of CHARGES, could be
rctallcd at two dollars the effect of this reduction
would only be TO reduce the price to 81 30.
90 that the protection to the American man -
iacturer would be lesscncd only five per cent.
NOW II tins provision were accompanied by a n i'm
mediate reduction OF the duties the unpro, ccted
articles from fifty per cent TO fifteen would not
the manufacturers derive some compensatiou i,
the diminished cost of every article which enters
INTO their consumption? and if, in addition to this
|herc should be Il considerable reduction of duties
on the raw material, | would submit to their seri
Gus consider ton whether their condition then
would be worse than it is now. The true policy
Oh the manufacturers, it appears to me- consists in
obtnining their materials cheap, and having
thclr expenses diminished by taking off unncccssa-
ry taxes on their consumption. Sir, if this
is TO become manufacturing country, We
must look to the markets of the world. A feeble
and sickly existence may BIO preserved at home by
system OF protection and Of bountics-but TO be
put on sure foundation and TO acquire that vigor
strength, and energy, which will enable them to
enter into successful competition abroad, with the
manufactures of other countries il is necessary
thcy should be prepared Tor the contest, by being
lett, In great measure, to their unaided eff.
forts. In one respect, the United States possess
an advantage over all the world, Of which it
seems to me, it would be madness not TO avail
ourselves We can reduce the cost of production
IN every department of industry, TO the very low
=
down by an almost insupportabc weight of taxa
ton. We have no debt which can never be paid
no burthensome Notwithstanding Kings, Lords
ana Commons, TO eat out the substance ofthe Pco-
pie. In this consists great advantage, and ii
will be our own fault if we DO not avail ourselves
OF 1t to the fullest extent. This sir, is not only
the favorable moment Tor adjusting this great
question, but II it he suffered to pass away, it
can never be recalled The manufactures now
can he let down without shock, from the position
so ed
They will be remuneratcd for any di-
minutlOn OF their protection; but ii the
plan proposed i'll the gcnteman's resolution
should prevail, the immediate effect will
be increase Of Mer protection, an en-
largemcnt of their bounty, and, of course, if
these are to be reduced hereafter, the shock will be
much greater than that 10 which they would now
be subjected. Sir, l consider that, in making my
proposition, am proving myself a true friend to
the manufacturers-and that they are their worst
enemies (whatcver they may themselves believc)
who would adopt the policy embraced in the gen
tieman's resolution. In this opinion, sir, find
am not singular. The manufacturers themselves,
and some OF their ablest and most Jealous advu.
Gates, have avowcd the same sentiments. In a
work Just put into my hands, containing an ex.
position of evidence about to be submitted TO
Congress III support of the memorial of the free
trade convention, lately assembled at Phi!adclpha
"a work to which | earnestly invited the attcn-
tcution of every member OF this body) find some
extracts from the Register of iicZckiah Niles
certainly of the most uncompromising cham
pions OF the protecting syslcm-which furnishes
decisive authority in favor of my opinion. /
there find a letter from person WHO'S represent
cd to be extensive manufacturer, in which he
says:
''The only true friends Of the manufactures are
Those who noW seek to repeal the ridicuLo"a Tmig
OF 1898. I'ut a duty alone on cloths, and remove
the duty on wool. 1t would be much better for us,
if placed in England; for we could there,
with our present hands and advantages, make
cloth, send it to New-Y DIRK, pay the duties, and
take more money than we do now. Tie digcrcscc
rs in tile stock; and this difference is attributable
10 the GbsurduieS of the american SnSicNi, as it
stands. The duties on dye-stuiis, oil, soap, and
wool, taken into conncxon with the arrangement
of trade, by making the manufacturers an exporter,
amounts to much higher protection to the for
clgncT than all the tariff affords TO Such are
the facts, and such the fruits OF Tie 'Svstcm'
which tho American manufacturer has toilod to
support"
Thus, Sir, it will be seen, that VI no propose
repeal the tariff of2S care the only true friends
of the manufacturers, and that they arc their
worst enemies who are striving TO pcrpctuatc the
'absurdItics Of the American system" Next we
have the opinion Of Mr.. Niles himself, "that the
act of 1928, the result of political bargain,
and passed principles dsrcPutablc 10 a Congress
Of the United States" TO which the enlightened
author of the exposition very Justly adds, ''that
nothing can be moro obvious than tho folly Of pre-
tending TO encourage manufacturing industry,
and at the time to tax the materials, iron,
hemp, FAX, wool, lead, indigo and other conpo-
ncnt parts OF manufacturers and constituting the
principal value ofthcm, from fifty to two hundred
per cent" And here L am willing 10 rest my
case.
The act Of 1923, Mr. Niles afirms, ''was Hc
rcsuh ofo yohtjcaL JqygajD, anil passed pri1,.
cipics djsrcputaJic 10 Il Congress If the UHtcd
Siaics:"
The gentleman complains Of fravdg npen Tie
rcrcnue-aud fraudulent invoices, and smuggling
but it is his systcm which has produced these
evils. Smuggling, from The very nature Of things,
must exist, when tho duties exceed tho risk and
expense Of tho Illicit intercourse. For season.