Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1842-12-02
From the National lntelllgencer.

same time afford ncidentailg but Intentionally an
adequate protection to American industry. 1t has |
been assaulted with good deal of violence by certain
par,zan presses and by Interested individuals The
object Of the present communication is an cxainna-
ton uo the justice of these attacks, and an inquiry
how far they well founded.
1t is true the bill passed both Houses of Congress
by the smallest possible maiorl,ies and after long
discussion. But we should search in vain in those
debates for many objections TO its details IL was
opposed in general terms as highly protective instead
of being HORIZONTAL in conformity with the compro-
mise bill; giving bounty 10 tho manufacturers
at the expense of other interests as interfering with
the distribution of the public lands and as beng too
high for the purpose OF revenue.
II is true that this bill supersedes the compromise
act. ltreestabshes the principle of incidental pro
lection in the mode of levying duties on merchandise
imported. Much discussion has been had whether
protection should be incidendior ntcnttondi it TO
my apprehension it is merely dispute about words
All the positive protection which Unreasonable advo-
Gates of the protective system have claimed is that
import duties for the support of the Government
should be laid with Discrimination, IN manner 10
favor and protect our own productions. This pro
lection is incidental this system of revenue, at the
same time it is positive and intentional.
The object has been TO apply this principle so as TO
protect all the great branches of industry; and the
question is, whether this bill does not fairly accom-
plsh this object II may here be observed that
this is not introduced as new principle 1t is the
policy which was introduced in 1916, and has been
pursued by all our subsequent legislation.
The highest duty is upon the article of iroh this
pears hardest upon the interest of navigation and
considered matter of ma ona interest that we should
ourselves furnish supply of this article, essential
IN war as well as peace, the raw material of which
exists in SO great abundance in almost every part Of
our country. Besides, great amount of capital has
been invested in this branch of business which would
protection. At the same time, such improvements
are making in the application of anthracite coal as
make ii quite certain that, under the inducements TO
further application of capital and skill the price will
be gradually bu, greatly reduced under full domes-
tic competition. After all, great reduction has been
made in the duties on this article. Rolled bar iron:
which pays the hahest Duty having been reduced
from $50 in 1876 S37 in 1924 $50 IN 1923 and 1882,
to 1926 per ton.
The article mex, in general importance is wool,
which high duty has been laid for many years, with
to the protection ola great agricultural interest
common to nearly all the States. This duty has been
reduced from 40 per cent and cents pound IN 1897
10 20 per cent and cents pound The projection
and to few more than to Virginia, which, by the last
census, stands. nm in the wool growing department.
The duty on salt has been reduced from 30 cents
the bushe, in 1876 to cents in the present bill and
yet for want of better grounds of objection, this re-
duced duty has been the object of particular attack
especially by Mr.. Woodbury., in the Senate, who ar
gued with his peculiar logic that this duty, conbn-
ed with the existing reduction IN price, was peculiarly
and especially oppressive TO the great farming interest
Another article which the rate of duty is the high
est is coal, but of which domestic competition is fur
uishing us ample supply at low prices.
The foregoing enumeration shows how utterly
groundless is the charge easily made, and fire.
an especial and exclusive regard TO the benefit of the
manufacturing Understanding, il is presumed,
those of cotton and wool. The highest of these is
that on manufactures of wool-4O per cent. in the
place of so per cent under the act ofl932. The high
duty on wool makes high duty on its manufactures
Indispensable; and 1t is the opinion of practical men
that Under this bill we shall sell more importa,ions
OF manufactured woollens than of the raw nateral.
We now come 10 the manufacture Of cottons, more
important by far, IN amount OF capital invested and
number of persons employed, than any other in the
per cent, being the general rate Of duty fixed by the
Committee of Ways and Means on objects snited to
rev knue alone. Thisis advance of per cent.
ovfr the rate duty in 1882. At the same lime re-
duftion has been made in the minmums, from 80
cehts the square yard to 20 cents plain cottons,
and from "a to 30 on printed cacocs The success
THE cotton manufacturers the triumph of the pro-
teftive principle In all artclesln common and gen.
er use the supply is more than sfiic nj for
<consumptnn' at prices in'rinscaly the cheapest OF
those supplied to any nation under the sun. This be-
ing VIGOROUSLY the case, the question Is asked, why
fix so high minimum This is very fully explained
in the memorial from Boston annexed 10 the report OF
the Committee on Manufactures. The object Of the
minimum is 10 secure specific duty on the finer
branches Of the mnnnaeturc, especially on he rich
and for the purpose of revenue the most appro-
pirate and we'll suited to the application of high rates
of duty. This can only be accomplished by speci-
fic duty in the form Of a minimum.
Nothing can be more disngenuous than the pre-
tence that this duty bears at all on thelaJorng elias
SEES when il perfectly notorious that IN all branches
OF the cotton manufacture used Tor common purposes
are supplied by our own manufacture better and
intnsically cheaper than we could be by any foreign
importation and TINT the domestic competition ha!
reduced the profits Of this branch OF business below
the average in other pursuits in fact at the presen
moment to nothingat ALL The same object. of guard
ing the against fraudulent invoices, led 10
change in the form of the duty on silks 10 specific
duty, by weight of two dollars fifty cents the poun
equal on the average toa duty of . per cent ON lE
value. What speaks most in its favor i the fact tia
the change ia approved by the American importers
hletf NaE hn1g T4ll fIp
complaint
Blu, The wew which seems to be mos, frequent,
presented AMI most generally received is that ihl
tariff high for revenue by its tendency 10 checl
importstion. This idea has been put forward with
good deal ofasslduity, but is wholly false in point
fact as can easily be shown. The best guide is on
own experience and we can appeal TO that, which
perfectly conclusive.
Our hi chest rates of duty were under the tariff G
1928 Invent into operation al the commencement
of period of extreme depression, which terminate
with the year 1890. The year 1881 is, therefore ia
criterion of the operation of the high tariff of 1929 s.
far as revenue is concerned-a tariff much highc
than the present.
The importations of that year amounted accord NJ
to the Treasury report, to SOB l9l, pa The duile
which occurred thereon [see Doc No g. 22d Cong.
to s36, 304,342 gross, or deductng drawbacks an
expenses of collection, to $50 225, 295 net revenue
The mpor, of one hundred and three millions wa
considered very full one at that time, but is un
doubtedly much below what may now be expected i
The committee Of Ways and Means based their cal
culatons on the imports OF l51O-SlOJO00OO0. Tn
was year of light mports-the llghtest of the las
ten. The everage of the next five years is more Ike
" 10 exceed than TO fall short of sl20 100000; III
duties on which will exceed S25,OO0000, without il
GLIDING tea and coffee, which duty will probabl
be laid at the next session of Congress-a measuI
which the actual state OF the Treasury renders hshl
expedient. ~
IL is true that the revenue nccrung during the yea
1912 will be small, and that importation rendere
small by other causes is in some degree still furtht
checked by the existing tariff and that thee check
will continue operate during part of the year 1871
But nothing could he more salutary than this check
the country suffering under plethora OF goods
both foreign and domestic production. Every artcl
ofmerchandse, with few if any exceptions, has bee
and is still selling at loss to the importer manu-
facturer. In this of things check upon lmpor
tstion is the only remedy, the only road TO state
prosperity and free consumption the only basis of
prosperous revenue. There some who appear 4
be disappointed that the revival of trade has not bee
greater since the passage of the tariff. Such com
plants are unreasonable. Little more than tw
months have passed large portion of the countr
hardly out of the last agony of the wretched
pension system: some States are vet debating Whett