Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1842-12-05
Political.
From The National hiciii geacer.
THE NEW TARIFF.

enco 10 revenue and proicctiuni II nu.d with y
view 10 raise sufficient revenue, aud the tine
to atorJ accidentally. adequate protection 10 Amerl-
can industry. |, has been assailcl with good deal II
vnehceh by certain partisan presses, aud by interested IN
dlvlduas. The object 81 the present communication IL
an examination nlo the justice OF these attacks, and
inquiry how lar they well founded
II is true the bill pissed both House, Of Congress hy
the smallest possible impurities aud ait r tas sil.
Bat we should search IN vain in ,Jso debates , aar
objections 10 lis details l. va opposed Efurii tss
as highly protective, Instead oi bang hor2n,a n con
ionnly with the COMPROMISE bill; giving bounty to
The manufacturers At the expense oi other m,css; as
Interfering with the distribution OF the ppIn hnts, and
as being too high Tor the purpose OF reycnue.
IL Is true ,ha This bill srposedrs the Haurrunse re-.
II re establishes ths pr,nolpa ot ncdcnal PIT. nut n
the mode OF eyyng duties Oh mrrclnnds' inIarcd.--
Much discussion has been had whether pfut should
BE- Incidental OF ,ientouh. but my apprehension il IL
merely dispute about words All the positive protoc-
ton which the reasonable advocate # The protective
ten have claimed Is. that npon dut,s the support,
oi the Government should bo LAID with Discrimination
in manner 10 favor and protect our own Productions
This protection is Incidental 10 this system Of Ieycnue
at The same time II Is positive and ini""'i". i
$40 object has eecn to ~r,,, ibis n,nclplc ~ 10
protect all the great branches Of industry, aud the uts
ton Is, whether this bill does fairly accomplish this
objccil II may here be observed that hl. 10 intro
duccd as new principle. II Ia the policy which was
introduced in 1916. and has been pursued by all
subsequent legislation.
The highest duty Is upon the article OF iron this bears
hardest upon the interest of navigation and upon manu-
features genemlly but II has always heen derod
of national interest that we should tstv,s fur
ntsh supply Of this article, essential IL war ~ 1
IA peace the raw material of which oNi-s n rleat
abundance IN almost every part of our country BESIDES,
great amount of capital has been invested IN tins
branch obuslncss which would be sacrificed by the
abandonment OF the ptncpIe Of protection. At lhe same
tlme such improvements are making IN the application
anthracite eaal as inake quite certain that under IL,
Inducements 10 further application ol capital aud sll
tho prcc Will be gradually but greatly reduced under
toll d5mesic campean. After NIL. Qicnt reduction
has been made in the duties Ihls article Rolled bar
ron which pays the highest duty. having been reduced
from $50 IN 1916 s37 IN 1921 $50 in ISIS aud 1892
10 So per ton.
The article next in general Importance is wool. on
which huh duty has been laid Tor many years With
view ~ tde protection of great agricultural interest
common 10 nearly all the States This duty has bocen
reduced from Az per ceni and cents pound. in 1882
10 80 per cent aud cents pound. The protection Oh
this article Is interesting To nearly all the Saio. and
few more Than 10 Virginia, who. by the last census,
stands mn IN the wool growing department.
The duty on snlt has been reduced i4n 70 cents the
buShcl in lsl6io cents IN tho proseHt l and yet for
wantui better grounds Of objection, a o4 ttd duty has
been the object Of particular ullarh t,prci,ig by Nh
Woodbury.. IN the senate. who argued win h. perul.
ar logic that this duty. combined with tho EXISTING re
ductlon IN price, was peculiarly and especially orpus
svo 10 the grea, farming l0iocsr Another article ~
which the late Of duty 10 the highest is cal bat Of
which domestic competition Is furnishing an ample
supply at low prices.
1hu foregoing enumeration shows how utterly ground
less Is the charge. easily made. aud frequently
peacJ. thai tins bill has been framed with M especial
and exclusive regard To the benefit Of the manuiaclur-
my Interests -lnenning, II is presumed. Those Of cotton
and WOOL The highest of these is that manufacture.
oi wool-lO per cent IN the place Of % per cent undor
the act of 1892 The high duty on wool makes hlnh
uul disuau n tl,.,
pnlon Of practical men that under this bill shall sell
mporations Of manufactured woolens than Of the
raw material
We now come 10 the manufacture OF cotons more i'm
porlan by far In amount Of capital invested aud number
ol persons employed, than any other in the country.
The duty manufactures Of cotton is 30 per cont being
the general rate Of duty fixed by the Committee Of Ways
and Means on objects suited 10 revenue alone. This Is
an advance OF per cent over the rate Of duty in 1882
Al the time reduction hls been made IA the min
imnms, from 80 cents the square yard % cents on
plain cottons aud from 80 10 30 on printed calicoes
The success OF the cotton manufactures Is the triumph OF
the protective principle. In all articles in common and
general use the supply than sufficient If
consumption, at prices inlrnsic1y the chenps IT those
supplied TO any nation under the This aiuy
ously the case, the question is asked Why H. 10 high
minimum? Thisl IS very fully cNpl!ined in the memoir
al from Boston annexed 10 The rapport Of Gao Committee
on Manufactures. The n,lect of Ae Alninata 10 SO
cure specific dirty the finer Drl.eaes Of tie laoaG
objects Of fancy and luxury, and for the purpose o
revenue. the most appropriate and wil s4.t T. the mp
pcaton Il high rates duty. y only be accom-
pslod - specific duty in The to41l o. minnna
Nothing can BIO more dlsngounoas han the preence
that this duty bears at all the abptg clas3ts, when
is perfectly notorious that in all branches Of the cotton
manufacture used Tor common purposes, are supplied
by manufacture, better aud lnlrinsicay cheaper
than could be by any tugogD importation, and That
the domestic competition has reduced the profits If this
branch OF business below the average in other pursuits,
in fact, at the present moment 10 nothing at ALL The
object Of guarding the against iraudu1 ut
invoices, led to change in the form Of the duty SILKS
tDa specific duty by weight, of two do'isJ any cenis
the pound equal the average u duty OF % per cent.
the value. VIVA, speaks in lis favor the fact
that the change approved by the American importers,
whilst the foreign houses full Of dcnuncialion and
complaint.
But the view which seems to be most frequently pre-
sen,ed and generally received is that this tariff is
too high for revenue by istedency to check importation
The idea has been put forward with good deal of ASST
duty. but is wholly false In point Of fact, can easily
be shown. The best guide Is Cuf own cYrPrence
and can appeal 10 that, Which perfectly couclG
slve.
Oar highest rates Of duty We're under the ,orIll q
1928 II went into operation at the commencement OF
period ofeXlreme depress m which terminated with tho
year 1880. The year 1884 is. therefore, fair critic
ron OF the operation Of the high tariff OF S2s 50 far as
; revenue is concerned-a Tariff much higher than th'
present.
The imporations THAT year amounted, according t'
the Treasury report, to Sl03,lol ,l2t. The dntci
which accrued thereon (see Doc No. 3. 22d Congo t.
S36.504 .342 gross, deducting drawbacks and ex
penses Of collection to }0225, POS nett reyeune--
f,no hn,Jr audi, pnn