The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1832-04-03

Making the increased price to tho
Western farmer and mechanic, G,si 30
Upon every hundred dollars worth Of
goods bought in Europe and carried to the
! West, our people pay Il tax, in conscq quent of
the Tariff, of more than sixty dollars. This
Tariff tax is higher on the western people,
than any other; because, on account of their
distance from the sea. board, and the greater
number of dealers, through whose hands the
goods pass; each adding his profits, and The
time occupied in the transportation, making
the profits higher, they are made to pay
sort Of compound Tariff In this statement,
duty OF 40 per cent. ad rdiorem has been
assumed as tho average amount Of duties,
although 1t is believed, that higher rate of
duty IS actually paid upon most articles con
sumed IN the Western country. Upon pre-
senting this view Of the subject, no ono can
iail to perceive, that the duty does enter into
the price of the article to the consumer,
which refutes at once the fallacious idea,
that high duties have a tendency to reduce
the price of imported articles. To say, TO
plain minded man, that the owner Of Nm ar.
tlcle worth ten dollars, could afford to sell il
cheaper, by compelling him 10 pay FIVE dol.
lars as tax before he sold il, would be to
him very unreasonable suggestion. lie
could not believe il; and yet, il would be just
as rational as the arguments we hear upon
tins subject. admit, that q strong and ar
dent competition between domestic and for.
eign manufacturers, will reduce articles 10
The lowest price at which they can be pro.
duced, and brought into the market; and
therefore, an, not in favor Of taxing out the
foreign manufactures, which must be the eft.
Taaf h,frh 1.tt,a Il n.
wholly in tho power Of the domestic manu-.
facturers. Rather thnn see this state Of
things, ! would say to oil tho nations of the
earth, come and trade with us; bring us the
productions Of all soils aud climates; bring us
the articles produced by your industry, in.
gcnuity, and skill, and receive in exchange
the superabundancc of the products Of our
country. Then, cir, you would SEQ competi-
ton; then you would see prosperity return TO
every portion Of the United States, and more
especially to that, which under the whitening
influence of this high tariff system, has al
most become disolate.
tits urged, that the prices Of articles have
fallen since the adoption Of the Tariff of
1928; and this is nscrbed to tho introduc tion
ofthis system. lfthe gentlemen could show,
that the price Of protected articles only. had
fallen, or that the fall had been confined to
this country only there would then b. some
plauslbility IN what they say. But, the un.
protected articles have fallen in q still grca.
ter degree; ond the fall is eo.oxtensivc with
tho commercial world. We must then look
TO other causes for tho declepsion Of prices,
than our home competition. These can be
found in the first place, in the appreciation Of
our money. Money in the United States, 10
now, Of one third moro value, then il was
few years since. The amount Of the circu-
lating medium has been greatly reduced, in
the reestablishment Of sound currency; the
price OF lands, and oil other property has fal-
len about one third; and the same causes
which havo reduced their value, or price,
must have similar influence upon srtcles Of
merchandise. The improvement of machine
~, also, has contributed greatly 70 diminish
the price Of production in manufactured arti-
cles. Another cause, which has had great
influence upon this subject, Is, that almost oil
Europe 10 now in Q state Of peace, and con.
| scoue ntlv lahoyers hayo kecome plenty. and