Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1842-02-04

prcc more than one-haf have taken these prices
from documents furnished from the Treasury Depart
ment and have placed the duty and the prices IN
connection, SO as to show what each article soid io
under each duty. have selected the year 1916 to
show the cos, of the article before the tariff of that
year. and the years 1925 and 1929, to show the eff
fects of the tariffs Of the preceding years. and 1882
as the last contained in the documents referred to
This table shows, most conclusivcly, the wisdom
the protective policy.
Nor is this principle Illustrated by the manufacture
Of iron alone. Other articles which have enjoyed
protection have also fallen in price; The same IA
ling, could he bought in 1882 Tor AID. sterling per
yard. Printed goo Is costing in lelG, 36s. per piece
could be bought in 1882 for from lss. TO 23s. per
piece. Common blue and white calico, costing IN
1916 32s. per piece could be had in 1882 for l2s or
lbs. per piece. Broad cloths costing in 1877, 2Os.
could be had in 1882 for Is l0d. These facts are all
tax en- from official documents, and their correctness l.
vouched for by the names of David Hcnshaw, OF
Boston, and james N. Barker, of Philadelphia, col
lectors of those ports, and Mr.. Secretary Mcl.ane.
And white am upon this subject have one fact
| more. for the special consolation OF my friend from
South Carolina, who has uttered such dooful amen-
tatons over the oppression of the poor man. who was
| so heavily taxed by the manufacturers con every
nail he drove into his cabin" In 1916 cut nails were
selling at wholesale for cents per pound A duty
of cents per pound was imposed by the larlil OF that
| year, and the very next year they went down to y
cents per pound. The duty was sul scqucntly raised
to cents pc pound and the price of nails has been
| 10 u I, u d anu DelltNt W CSlllS pr
pound; that is, less than the protecting duty. This
is the hardship Of the poor man, whose cabin Ill
excite SO much sympathy. am asked, Mr. Speaker
| by gentleman near me, whether the nails which
sllI in 1871 for ii cents were wrought nails, and
the nails which have since been sold for the low
| prices III ntoned, were not cut nails. l will answer
the genema ; they were all cut nails, and nails o.
the same kin1-all penny nals-and this on the
authority of Mr.. David Henshaw. He places
wrought nails and cut nails in separate columns
Wrought mai have not been manufactured to any
considerable extent in this country, and hence the
price of that article has not been materially reduced
Blu, it may be said that these reductions in prices
are owing no, 10 protective tariff but TO the grea
| improvements wh'h have been introduced into ma
chinery | have no disposition to deny that improve
mcnts in machinery have done much 10 reduce prices
| But what has caused this improvement What ha
| given rise to labor savlEE machines The very com
petition which protection has produced, has been tn
efficient producing cau', of hese Improvements Tia
inventive power which has been exertcd in periccl!
machinery would have sumbeied fer ages to come
| as il has for ages past, had not manufactures beef
prosecuted and necessity, which is the mother o
invention de handed the employment OF labor saving
machines. 1t Is to protection that we c0mpctl
ton, and 10 competition that owe thos, invention
which have ii led in the reduction OF prices s.
that, after all, this reduction is mainly 10 he ascrbe
10 protection, and to the industry whh it stimulate:
and to the genius which it excres.
1re-re that this whole 9 hjcct has been treated q
il it were local question, and if New Eng and wa
the only portion Of the Union which was ntcreste
IN the Stlll'tt. MS Is not MASSACHUSETTS question
no, nor New Ena,nd question. The manufic
lures of Massashuse IS could sin I'd wit les protcc,o
than most others. In some of our establishments
large capital is invested and rich capitalists are en-
gagged. They en- ride on almost any gsle--hcv ca
stand any ordinary storm. In fact, such establish
ments as those at Lowell could perhaps do belt,
with n lower rate of duty; because, in such an even
Il sm II omp ors woul fail the amount of mar
ufacturel goods would diminish: and having ii
mnr,et to themselves, they could command llght
price for their cottone. Pennsylvania and Virgin
their non and coal; there imported into the cit
of Boston alone in 1871, ls36,slS bushels Of foreg
coal to the inlry of the con interest of those State
And the same is true Of all the Middle States whei
manufacturing is carried on. Nay. all the gran
growing States have interest in this question,
vital as Massach setts herself Indeed, i'll were
select State which above all others would be ben,
flied by the protec i've 20 lev it would lie Nrgn;
| Nature has been mo ample in her gifts to the OIL
Dominion. Her bcnu,lf bay and her navgabe river
are lmirably adapted TO commerce. Her low land
produce the 'yellow corn" which is n grca, ravor
of the gentleman before me, (Nr Wisc) An VIII j
her low lands furnish food for the suppor, If mani
fnc,urers further up the country she has water pow
| er ample u drive machinery sufficient to man fac
turc for a continent. Her mountains al stored wit
precious minerals salt and iron, in abundance. l.,
her try manufactures, and she would soon find tn;
the interest of her VIII lie people would be promoted
She would find that the protective policy was no al
straciio, but the most praci!cal thing in the world
and her whole people would e in favor of those dis
eliminating duties which are directly recommended
the Presidents Message
Here, the hour having arrived, Mr.. II. gave wa
for an adjournment On Tuesday, " hen the suhie,
came up for consideration, he resumed the subic
and concluded his speech.l