Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-01-28

| q
man asserts, "tbat the much abused policy OF
| 1924, (thc protecting tariff of that weary has
| filled our coiiers, and enabled Va to pay off the
public debt" debt Of 500, 900 900 of prnci-
pal and 500 100000 of interest Now, Sir,
| II any thing is capable of demonstrate it NAV
be demonstrated, that the protecting system
could not, by possibility, have contibu' ed i'm the
| slightest degree to produce this result. One
would suppose, indeed, hat the ve-y last mer,
which would be ascribcd to this s,stcm, was It's
tendency to fill the 'pubc Golfers" 1t is I'M
ques'ionabv to u tariff, arranged and adjusted
! with single eye to revenue, that we are to
look tor such result. The Object of pro-
tccting tariff, such, certainly is to diminish
or, exclude importationS, and Ut course to lessen
the amount of the revenue derived from duties
The very end and aim of such system is, to
substitute for the imported article paying taxes
u govcrnment-thc domestic article paying
nonc-to t:ansmutc the duty into bounty TO
the manufacturers; and, inst so far as this end
Is attained that is to Just far as the ia
riif is protective-must il cut of the public re-
venue. Do we not all remember, that the lead
ing argument in favor of the protecting prov,-
sionS of the tariff of 1894, was, that they were
necessary, ITO put down ruinous foreign
competitions" and did not one Of the fathers of
that bill publicly declare, "that the vital princl
pie OF the system was, that tie nation should
i command ITS own consumption, and that when
the nation Gid command its own consumption,
'mportati"ns and impos's would cease" Sir,
there are two distinct features in the tariff of
i3e4-rcvcnuc and protection. 1t is the former
that has filled our Golfers and paid off the pub
lie debt; and so far as the latter has operated al
all 1t mast have diminished the revenue and
delayed the extinction of that debt. Sir, will
put 1t to tho candor of the gentleman. whether,
VI the pro- ect'ng duties under the tariff of 1924
had been less, the rcvcnuc would not have been
greater, and that too, without adding to, but on
the contrary, diminishing the burthens of, the
hoy how rht,
c'cs Of their consumption, in increasing quanti-
lies, and at cheaper rate, and been relieved
from the heavy tax which they have been CON-
PEELED to pay to the American manufacturers
why, Sir the policy of 1924 actually taxed to
prohibition large amount of goods formerly
imported. From report made by the Srcreta-
ry OF the Treasury, in January, 1880, 1t appears
that thes" prohibited articles amount to about
So,ooo ouo per annnm, being near one sixth part
OF the whole of our imports. Has this part of
the policy contributed to fill your Golfers, Sir,
the case Is too plain for further argument
and tried by this test, the policy must be utter
ly condemned.
The next test by which the gentleman propo-
ses to try this system, sis the rich fruits which
1t has scattered over the country" Sir, where
are they to be found? Is it in the WEST?
appeal TO the gentlemen from that quarter. We
have heard great deal ofthc flouiishng con-
dition OF the manufacturing establishments else
where, but where are the manufacturing viii
lagos the joint stock companies, the splendid
div:deHds' and other evidences of prosperity to
be found in the Wes' | submit it to the can
dour OF the gentlemen, whether the benefits
Of the protecting system SO far as the west i.
concerned, do not still rest in hope-whether the
system would be sustained day,if it were not
for its supposed connection with INTERNAL I'M
pRovEMENTs-whether it is not indebted for
It's popularity, in that quarter, to the unhappy
the fatal marriage, between the tariff and inter
W 81 vnt hnn n
see dissolved. 1t was left-handed-an unlaw
tul marriage, and surely those whom God hath
not Joined, man may put asunder. Sir, there
are doubtless some Furnishing manufactures
scattered here and there throughout the western
counlry-chietly confined, however, to situatio
beyond the reach of foreign competition, and
OWING nothing to tho protecting system. But
the West has not been rendered prospe-
rous by these establishments. l appeal con-
idently to their actual condition at this
time. With regard to the gentleman's own State
Will apply test which cannot deceive When
the policy of "a was before Congress, the Senator
from Kentucky stood forth its champion, anC
1t was my lot to attempt to answer his arguments
1t IS true, Sir, his speech made in tho Other
House, and mine this floor; but his argument
had been sent forth the manifesto of the party
IL was printed IN pamphlet and laid the tables OF
the senators, and, embodyng the views of the
Tariff Party, it was impossible for to pass it
, over we'll remember therefore, that on that
occasion, the gentleman argued, that Kentucky
was W participate IN the )tectng system by rails
ing largo Quantities of hemp and supplying the
Southern States with cotton bagging,-aud he
strongly insisted that she then only prevented
from so doing, by the ruinous competition of the
! nconsiderable Scotch towns of Inverness and
Dundee And wha: is it, Sir, that we hear
D now-after the lapse of eight years? The old
story repeated. Kentucky still deprived of the
dement's of the protecting system by those formida
bic rivals, Inverness and Dundee They still con.
stltute "the lion in the path" and foreign manu-.
iacturcs ever will BIO ga lion in the path" to those
> whose prosperity depends the protecting system
We know that the manufacture of cotton bagginp is
SIMPLE process requiring hardly any skill or CAPT
tall and yet, the great State of Kentucy cannot get
, along with it, IN consequence of the formidable
rivasnip of two miserable Scotch towns the nha.
bltants oil which are said to be poor and desti.
tute thatithey obliged to import their fuel and
send to DantIc, twelve hundred miles up the Bal
TIC, Tor their hemp, paying freight equal to the
hrst cost. 1t is perfectly clear, there fore, that
Kentucky has not realized the promised blessings
OF the protecting systcm and, am told that this
is substantially true of the whole west But Sir,
1t the west has gained nothing by the system, she
mas had her share of the taxes which it imposes
she has paid hor proportion Of duties to the govern.
ment, and bounties to the manufacturers; and, in
consequence of the dire calamites which the sys.
tenn has inflicted on the south-bla sting our com
merce and whitening prospcrity-the west has
very nearly been deprived of her best customer
When the policy Of '24 went into operation, tho
south wac supplied from the west, through sin gle
avenue, (the Saluda Mountain Gap0 with live
stock, horses, cattle, and hogs, to the amount of
considerably upwards of million of dollars a year
onder the pressure of the system, this trade has
regularly been diminishing.-Tt has already fallen
oil more than one half and from an authentic re-
turn now before me, it appears that it has been
! further diminished near hundred and fifty
thousand dollars during the last year So much
ioi the rich blessings bestowed upon the west by
the protecting system.