New-York tribune., 1841-12-28
Talk. about the Home League.

Rodgers commences by asserting tina; Tariff,
while i; raises the price Of CLOTH raises the rate OF
wages sill more, and is therefore advantageous to
the country. White rejoins: z" Yoa forget tiaf
as much as the demand for lq5or is tscreqssd in
one department. (by Protec,on,) q t-iH be lessen
I'd iR another The easy assurance with which
This dictum IS put forth is characteristic Of the
Free Trade theorists. Facts, Statistics, and the
ike, never trouble them. II these do not sustain
their positions they are treated with profound, IN
eiable Contempt.
But we are aot satisfied with this logic. We
appeal from these assertions to notorious truths
to the innate common sense Of mankind. We
maintain that, as a general rule. the creation or
naturalization Of new and thriving branch Of In
dustry adds to the annual Product, and thus to the
permanent Wealth OF this or any country. We
maintain that the extinction OF any existing branch
II Industry would diminish the annual Product and
the aggregate Wealth Of the country. Does Free
Trade blind men Ia this truth VIII White :
distinctly contend that the destruction, say Of
Wheat-growing or Whaling, BY our People, would
no, diminish the aggregate of our Wealth He
assumes as unquestiosed that all the Labor thus
thrown out OF It's present channels would be imme-
diatey and advantageousy absorbed by others
We deny this and appeal to every mans expert
ence 10 sustain U.s. Whoever remembers the ci-
feet produced upon industry by the adoption Of
the British Corn Laws in 1919, must know
| that the thousands thrown out Of employment by
the closing of our foreign Grais Market, and the
consequent fall of Wheat from 81 81 . IS cents
a bushel, did not readily find empoymcnt-tha that all
fixed property declined universally in pricc-lhat
there was sad falling oil in Industry and Produc-
tion, and a consequent dininuiioR Of the National
Wealth AllProduce was lower for years tRan at
any former period in the history of the country
The cities were deserted, and in New Eng land eve
ry third man was bankrupt and his farm scd by
Inc Sheriff, simply from the unsalabencss and low
price Of Produce, and the consequent fall Of real
estate. The country struck with paralysis,
and in humble opinion would not have fully re-
covered from i, to this day. bad we been
pursue the let US alone plan Of non-resistance to
British pocy-a policy which takes from our la
oorcrs heavy proportion of their earnings, and
puts it in the pockets Of the land-holders and man
ufacturcrs of Great Britain.
But White has Il charming theory on rela-
i've point, viz that Wages sciu rise only rghea
HE ratio 5etreen tie amount Of capital and the
number Of tcorkmen is increased" Such is his
.xprcss proposition. That there may be no mis-
lake, we copy his illustration entire:
Uhite.-Supposa a country, with one million
of capital, and one thousand laborers wages will
be at certain rate. Suppose a million be added
10 the capital while the number OF laborers remains
the same There will now be competition among
capitalists for laborers, and wages will rise. Sup
pose the capital be diminished one half while the
number of laborers remains the same. Some must
| be thrown out Of employment, or all must work
cheaper; wages will TALL. Thus, the rrea'cr the
amount of capital compared 'cth tie number OF
laJorers, tie higher irtA be the rate of icogeS.-
In order, then, mat Tariff may raise the rate OF
vaoes !, must airI-as .i.o O"t'i.I. ..o.n-
~; 81 diminish the number of aborcrs ana it
Toes neither sf them"
Now we deny utterly the correctness of this the
cry, and we appeal again to every mans expert
ence If were correct wages ought to be much
higher in England, than in Iowa or Texas, since
capital is comparatively abundant in the first
yet we all know the reverse is the fact. Wages
should Increase in every Safe with increase of
years and wealth; but do they Surely not. In
crease of Capital, or the fruits of past Labor is
good thing but it does not necessarily increase
lac nominal, much less the real, reward of Labor
Are not wages higher and capital less at Gacna
.han at Portland 1t is the actcity of capital
not the amount OF it, which gives employment to
Labor. But, granting Whites premises we
should still claim verdict for good Protective
Tariff would infalliby attract to US the Manufac-
turing Capital of Europe, it has already attract
ed it to Germany and ether countries, and por-
ton to our own.
White next argues that high prices are not an
advantage TO the Laborer. This point was tho
roughly discussed between Senators Davis and Blu
chanan that We consider the argemcnt exhausted.
Suffice it, then, that we fully concur with John
Davis
White next amuses himself with bullying SIM
PIE Mr.. Rodgers out OF the idea that goods could
be produced cheaper here than elsewhere if the
Home Interest were guarded against ruiuous con-
petition. He does not seem TO know tina, il is
tealiness safeguard against ran.us fluctuations,
that our home producers want, and not perma-
nently Increased price. Let Us give him an in
stance; We are now importing all our Zinc from
Europe, free of duty, at average cost of eight
cents pound New this mineral is found in great
abundance in the mountains of New Jersey. ard