Vandalia Whig and Illinois intelligencer. [volume] (Vandalia, Ill.) 1832-183?, 1832-03-28

dispute, Sir, that, if any duty be necessary toI
it can only be, because il enables the
manufacturer to sell his goods for more than he
could otherwise obtain for them. Now, in this
view of the subject, let US see how the question
will stand. How must such a system operate,
FIRST, the different interests, and SECONDLY, on
the different sections Of the country? We will
assume, that's particular manufacture cannot be
produced in the country, within fifty per cent. as
cheaply at home, as the same article could be
obtained from abroad, and that duty which,
with charges, should be equal to about fifty per
cent. was absolutely necessary to introduce and
to sustain IT, Such duty must operate as a tar
on every Other class in the community, for the
benefit of the manufacturer; and supposing it to
be imposed, not for revenue but protection, would
be double tap. Supposesthe value of the i'm
ported articleIto be million of dollars, the duty
would be half million; and if the protection
amounted to an equal sum, here would be tax
of million Of dollars imposed upon the whole
people, to secure bounty OF half million to
one portion of them But it is said the bounty
is not confined to the manufacturers-that other
classes participate admit that there is a Cir
Gle embraced within the range of the manufac-
turing influence, that partake of the benefits of
the system + Farmers, lnahc ncighborhood, who
supply the operatives with food-mechanics, who
construct the buildings and machinery-clergy-
men, physicians, lawyers, and others, who make
up manufacturing village, all come IN for a
share of the gains, and constitute, in fact, the
protected class, which enjoy the benefits of the
system; but all other classes in the community
must obviously be laid under contribution, to-
make that profitable, which would otherwise be
an Improbable pursuit; and, ia the case assumed,
would be taxed to the amount OF one million OF
dollars, to secure to the favored class bounty of
half million. Now suppose, Sir, such system
as this to be extended to all the cottons, wooens.
iron and sugar, made in any countr and wei
will take that country to be the United States.
We will suppose, further, that cottons could mott
be pro6tably manufactured without protectingl
duty of from twenty five to hundred per cent.
-woliens from forty five to two hundred per cent.
iron from one hundred and to two hundred perl
cent-sugar from one hundred to one hundred
and fifty per cent; and that these duties wereI
accordingly imposed on these several articles,
(amounting in the whole to the sum of nine mil
lions of dollars annually that, in consequence
of these duties, the protection on all the cottons|
in the country was equal to threel
cents a yard, and amounted to six millions of
dollars per annum-wollens 20 eight millions
iron to one mllion-and surgar a million and a
half-producing, as the result of the whole
system, tax of nine millions on the foreignl
article to secure a bounty Of sixteen millions
and half to the home manufacturers. have
protection 10 be the exclusive object
Of this system, and it then clearly follows, that
all other classes would be taxed twenty-five
millions Of dollars per annum, in order to Sc
cure to the favored class a protection of six.
teen milions.-The Government would, in
deed, receive its nine millions; but it would
be an aggravaion of the evils of the system.
that this amount should be levied when 1t zuas
not zvanted, in order to secure the protected
classes in their monopoly. The rates of du-
ties which have here assumed, are those now
actually imposed on the protected articles
and which it is proposed to retain as essen.
Iiai to protection,) and the amount of the pro-
lection enjoyed by the manufacturers is sta
ted at the very lowest that has ever been es
timated by any person who has undertaken
to examine the subject. If you suppose half
Of the duty here stated to be necessary for
would not diminish the weight
Of the burthen, though it would lessen to that
extent the injustice Of the tax,-and let gen
Ilemen make what deductions they please,
either from the duty imposed or the bounty
received; and it will make no difference what
ever in the principle. Whether it be one mil
lion or twenty, just so far as the system is
protective in its character, and impose any tax
upon the foreign article, and affords any pro-
lection whatever to the domestic, is the sys
tenn tax imposed upon the other classes to
render profitable the industry of the manufac-
turers. And when this tax amounts, as it in
1uestonably does in the case before US, at the
very lowest estimate, to twenty or thirty mil
ions year, it becomes scheme of monstrous
injustice and oppression.-No let US trace
This system one step farther. Suppose such
, system applied to country of homogene.
Gus character, with the same capacity for man
ufacturing every where, and that manufactur-
ing establishments should consequently be
equally diffused through every section. The
benefits and the burthens of the system would,
in such case, fall equally upon every portion
Of the country, though not upon the different
interests of the State. 1t has been said that
if the profits Of manufacturers were raised by
such system, above the average Of the pro
fits of the whole community, that the labor
and capital absorbed in other pursuits would
flow into new employment; and that the whole
would ultimately be equalized. Admit that
-, orocoee of f;n,or fhis ,nioht ho tho rae,,lt