Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1841-04-15
WHEELING.
SATURDAY MORNING. APRIL Is. IsIl.
A TARIFF.

Political Arena. n condensed rcvIcW OF a report made
~ n oomm~rcial meeting in England. upan the suiseci
ct . tariff which Ne rust believe calculated 10 pro
dure an ircorrcct impression. The main points -
objection there urgei to the high protective duties q
England are ,hcss: 1st. That less duty on some aru
eles wonld yield greater revenue. 2d. That the price
81 corn Is vastly augmented by the high dnucs. the
supply not hcug unough Er the demand. 81 That
the consumer pays in price more than the revenue
raised 9TH. That the consumer paws the whole duty
and the poor, therefore. have an uuduc nm.uni of Tie
burden. 4
Ii viii, we hope, be remembered " yirginians.
that notwithstanding The favorable notice some or tho
easiern papers have taken Of this report. that it's rca-
soning miy he scpaisiical This meeting might have
had two objects IN view in adopting This re- porI-oue
~ furnish Arguments for the nnii-iarif mon Of other
nations which they never expected would or intended
should be acted upon by their own ministry. Another
Object might have been had in we y by them as rom.
Inercisi men. yiz hat commerce might be increased
by a cong iraiiSely free trade On areluciion OF duiie,.
OF which they would derive the beoe6t That any
persons should admit that arguments, not very strong
and sentiments no, fully ard clearly established. should
have weight on their minds, is a uuiter OF surprise to
VS. Undoubtedly. England NAV be too proscrir,ive in
her policy. Her territory. under the prcscu; state Of
cultivation. cannot raise brcad-siuGs enough Tor the
proper supply Of her population, and when the dc
mand Is, as 81 thea beccme.. greater than the supply.
high duties raise tee price 10 the poor, and perhaps
her revenue would be greater with less duties; but
neither Of these facts will apply to lhe United States
for her soil. under ordinary cultivation. $ capable OF
supplying bread-stufs for two hundred millions of
people. Nay. much more than that. and duties must
DO far heavier to reduce The revenue Oh articles not
grown or manufactured.
las, however, not necessary for us To waste paper
IN referring TO the objections TO a tariff embraced in
The report and laid before eur people Us sousd doc.
1nne. but we will proceed 10 discuss the subject under
the heads Of Tariff fr protcctiun." for revenue" and
rs a matter Of public economy" There is no sIaie,.
man OF this age who will contend in favor Of free
trade except as a chimerical folly or elvci:onerrinc
hunbug. Ii never cnn be adopted q. the pnlitical
creed OF any leading man Of any naiinn. Protection
may possibly no too great for The benefit OF The alton
protecting, as in the case Of the duty Of the English
government on b; cad stuas. But 10 deny the benefit
of the protecting policy is a mononania that neither
Mr.. Calhoun nor his satellite cotton planters seem 4,
approve, as they have manifested, as vet. no opposi.
ton 20 the protection OF 30 per cent now existing on
the importation Of a substitute for their staple. IL
then it be true that none are opposed to The principle
OF proec ton, with what force can any one opp,se re-
taliatoy duties' If the policy Of n free trade is CHI,
inereal when reciprocal among all nations. il must be
absurd when proposed as ti.e course of one nation
nlone. while all Others adopt a system Of high rroIcc
ton, and are raising their revenue from the product.
of other countries. Funhermuro. ir We admit the pol.
cy Of protection at all, We must acsnow hedge the pro
priciy Of making our duties equal 10 the purposes lor
which they arc designed, and conform as near as prac
iicable To the duties imposed by other countries fr
protection against Us. A nation among nations Is bat
As an individual among individuals, and duties are bur
as the prices that are paid by one manufacturer to an.
other. All will admit thai The shoemaker will fare
hard Sho makes boots for nothing. while his 1ailor
charges hin ten dollars for making a coat. Ir We
open our Porss entirely free 10 ne odnfs :un OF
the, products and manufactures OF France md Eng.
land. does any one think that they will in return. open
their Psrts TO u.s. But should they even d. So, could
'they place Us upon an equal iooting7 No. We are a
young people, our manufactures are young. and like
yong Children they require protection against their
more advanced enemies. Tho manufacture 5 Of Eng.
land are rich, ours are poor; they manufacture 10 add
millions to millions, We to make a diving. jsAey can.
therefore. live on despite of prcssures. io~ prices. or
losses, from year to year. while ours must iail and close
mp even with one years bad business. and the loss or
a few thousands. IL times are dull, the English snd
French manufacturer holds on 10 hi, good, until they
improve; the American must sell, himself or be sold
by his creditors.
u issessy, therefore. Ger the English manufacturer
To sustain himself for Three years manufacturing one
hundred thousand ya'ds- ofclo'h per year. which costs
hia Eve dollars and seeking the same for qhrce. and
Ice will do 50. If al the cnd Of that lime he can mann.
facfufe an email nnno,rt nay 49,. e.. d.. ,
sell for Ten dollars. while therc arc few American
manufacturers whose capitol is sufficient 10 permy
them, with safety 10 heir business, to lose one dollar
per year on twenty thousand yards. Suppose at this
time there are one thousand manufactured Of woolIcn
goodsin AEer'ca and one thousand in EprIorJ-ou
other things are eqoal but the cupilul, and ofrhis each
OF The Americans can cenmaad fny thousand dollars.
while the English can command five hundred thou.
sand. They manufacture equally, in quantity and
cost There is free trade 10 both countries. The Eng.
i'h say. we 10 not like this competition. We will
put our goods n a low price, thus oompel them 10 sell
lower than they can afford, lose money. break. close
business and leave the market TO Is to sell afterwards
At our own prices. Who will s,y that This conlJ ms,
90 accomplished and that the cunssmer would rot he
obliged TO pay mJro IN the aggregate ,sss h. vy,,,s
houf capital was protected by q high tariff Is t.
ny P'''''" ol our people % oppose pro
tecion'-is It not paracidial1
Hers y. Is W. believe, the tru, th,rar,.r and hon.
7ch'o Of protection. II y not necessary for IN. mote.
ton OF labor entirely, though ia, pr.,sctioo - Incl
dental TO the oher. Let Us sum ny ,he bcncf,. n >.
derived by all FROM his species q r,orcciion. Il ,-
'ect' the capital of she small manufacture. IL cro,,a
towns and villages which furnish msrkei. 10, tho -,
"ouce OF the farmer and by increasing Inc demand t.,
e'eases the price. It gives labOr 10 the merhapic and
furnishes a narke,a at horne fr pc cotton o. Inc s,uh
which, when folly established. c,pp,, CJ az 49,
moro firm md lesa nnrLnnn-u H..