Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-06-24

all other occupations. The interest Of the whole is
made up OF the interests OF all the parts. 1t is alb
surdity, then, for 10 call upon the Government 10
interpose lis aid IN the regulation of private inte
rests VIII oh each man best judge OF then for him
self. From these principles It would follow that,
except Tor the sake Of revenue, wise Government
will not Interfere with the industry of its citizens
by any partial favor particular taxation. Even
England begins 10 feel the force of these natural prn
cpes. She is on the OF modifying her Restrictive
Systen-and shall acc retrograde, and by so doing vio
late the principles of Free Trade, and lower the stand
ard CT free Government THIS brings US to the
claims OF the manufacturers, who now 30 clam
for increase ofdu,ies. They tell US, batthey
are suffering from the pressure of the times, and must
be ruined unless tariff of higher duties be adopted
But this distress peculiar To the manufacturers: Are
not all classes aud individuals deeply affected by The
distress which has swept the country! lsnot the
Federal Government Itself deeply embarrassed: Are not
the stocks of most of the Staesof Banking Institutions
and OF almost every corporate body slnguurly dePess
ed? Are not of the citizens OF our to" ms and our
country embarrassed A-e not the farmers IN some oil
our counties calling aloud for stay laws: Is not pro-
perty OF all kinds sold every day al sacrifice: we
do deny, that the manufacturers are cramped, but
that reason that they alone should be aded ny the
Government AS well may all those who have been
unfortunate in their specualions forward TO Con
gess for relief, the manufacturers But " IS not IN
the power of any Government TO administer relief 10
such complicated distrsses OF the Peopie-nuch less
Governments whose powers are 81 limited as our own
II the present crop of wheat had been entirely or con.
sierably cut off by the rust, the farmers could obtain
no relief from the General Government-ie' not only
wuod all releb denied Ia hen but they are TO be call
ed upon To administer relief the manufacturers They
are expected pay higher prices tor The clothing
OF their laborers. In these times OF general c9ioarTass
ment the agricultural interest IS to be taxed ior Tie re-
lief OF the manu:acturers-and the South Is 10 De taxed
| for The relief Of the North.
No one would rejoice more than ourselves, tand, M
deed we are deeply interested IN us successl 10 see
the banks oil canal and our river studded with ma
nufaciurng establishments, provided they can be con
Quoted on their own resources, without the Fictitious
assistance Of the Government, and without levying
an unjust tax the farmer and other classes But
we fear that the subject Is not sufficiently familiar 10
on people of the South that have not The bust
ness habits peculiar TACT which our Northern
brethren possess high degree 10 make them us
profitable they in New England. That qualiii-
cation, however, of small importance 10 the discus
sion OF the principlc-it may be- one reason why our
manui features should anguish more than those oil Tie
| North
The Tariff is intended affect the whole country,
both here and at the North and gronp them all
together. DO not The present duties sufficiently pro-
tec them in ordinary tunes: We must discard from
The present distress, which almost unparas-
!eled. On looking back few years, we find the ma
nutacturers enjoying signal posperty--Ne tnd llrIn
declaring high dividends III short space OF time,
doubling the number Of their spndles: with the u
/ knowledge that BY the lst July, 1872, the duty
would be reduced TO twenty per centum: III. IN The
! Literary Messenger points with triumph to the Ia
nous case of Lowell, dealing out I" her operatives
the comforts nay the luxurles OF life and even ena
bling the factory girls 10 worship at The shrine ct
the muses. until, like all other classes aud lndividu
ais they became intoxicated with their golden dreams
and expanded their schemes 10 such an extent as TO re-
duce Their profits restrict their operations: lao
they been conducted with proper degree OF prudence
and economy, the duties would have been protective
enough and they would not now be humhly appealing
to the Federal Government for erciuSIre iavors Sup
pose tina, they now gra'iiied in their demands
which they base upon their present temporary distress
what would be the consequence: Noald there not
spring up host of competitors, who would seze The oc
casion o.! protective dulies 10 cover the country with
more manuac lores-and they TOO might hereafter
claim the benef, Of the precedent and might equal
" recommend 4 still higher protection, 10 the IN
Jury Of all other classes Twenty years ago. as
! Mr. nabersham's report reminds us, this multi.
pl,cation Of factories and this competition OF the
domestic manufactures among themselves taking the
place Of the competition with the foreign nnhulhc-
rrers was urged for higher duties heir nm
por,un,,es Observation-Disclosures duties we're imposed upon
ore;on roods-many were entirely excluded, and the
imporiatons greatly reduced-the minimum principle
contributing this result Thus i, happened, that IN
few years average amount oil imported cotton goods
was reduced from little than ID 10 little more
than G mil ions-and the Northern manufacturers were
left in full command of an immense field OF production
embracing most OF the coarser cotton iaorcs IL inc
Compromise act be far violated, as TO exact
higher duties not for revenue only but Tor protection
If we tread back the gddy round of unwise
legislation which extended itself from 1916 to les,
the Southern people would have to submit TO an I'M
equal burthen Of iaxation or repeal oil the mono
pnlizing system would involve the manufacturers IN
new e;ubarrassmcnts Smaller duties would be more
beneficial the manufacturers, because they would be
more permanent.
! There is popular argument, that foreign nations
have levied high duties and that we should, therefore,
impose high retalia,ory duties upon them Nonld II
be sound policy in us, for The mere sake OF retaliation,
to mpose higher duties and therefore pay higher prices
for goeds' This would be the height OF FOLLY. Our
Correspondent shows how absurd II would he IN
shoemaker not buy his clothes Of tailor, because
the tailor would buy his shoes OF the same shoe
maker
AT the pre,en, time our true should be 10 re-
turn into The Treasury the Public Lanes. when were
intended 10 provide for the support OF The Government
We should also reduce the public expenses 10 the low
est pcssble be then ssary, TO I'M
pose duties sufficient 10 carry on the Government WIN
Inc aid of the Land fund Bot il these protective duties
be- too hi sh they would reduce the amount oil tic reve
nue. received by the Governrnent-or, they wonld SUI
nu,ae the spirit OF smuggling. In either case, the
revenue would be curtaed and the greater proportion
of the tax would pass into the pockets OF the aaulac
turer of the srnuggler.
The higher duties proposed BY the bill now before
CONGRESS- nomin ally cerlain standard, are really
much heavier than would appear from the lace OF the
b,ll This was fully explained in strong article III
our last headed "Ihe minimum and specitc duuescx
,laired" TO which refer readers These speci-
lie duties amounting in four cases 10 100 per crntum,
would probably exclude these coarser fabrics, SO I'M
portent for our laborers.
/ Amid the excitement Of these times, we have Just
seen meetings in Petersburg and IN Richmond by inter
escd stock hoders-and resolutions adopted for an m
crease of the protective duties But do those who hed
The Sanhedrim in this city, forget the wise spirit which
once animated the commercial and agricultural inter
es, Of the citizens Of Richmond
We have hunted MP the proceedings of large meet
inn of the citizens Of Richmond, at the Coffee house,
in September, 1920, when Mr.. Thomas Rulheri"ord'
CHAIRMAN If committee composed of Messrs. Robt.
Pollard Jno e. Gamble, Charles Ellis, Edmund lay
or. Thomas Brockenbronsh, and William CALI made
an elaborate and able epoTl against Protective Tariff
followed by some strong resolutions, which we give
below.
| We shall hereafter lay before our readers some
interesting extracts from this valuable report pre-,
md diSrlnnel mind