Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-05-27
TWENTY-sEYENrH CoNGREss--2d Session.
TARIFF
MINORITY REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON
MANUFACTURES.
House of REPRESENTATIVES, May ., lS92

MANUFACTURES
House Of Representatives,, May D, 1872.
(ConeiadsdJ
We have shown as think clearly, at least we ma
endeavored 10 do that the effect OF high duties ant
protection hitherto in our country has been 10 exc
runous competition, and to prevent an increase OF re
venue on particular articles Of manufacture, OF iarg
consumption IN the confary proportioned 10 our III
creasng population and increasing necessity Tor reve
nue.. We have, we trust also shown, in like manner
that whatever may be the Temporary benefits resulting
to the people in the manufacturing sections IRON hgl
protection, those benefits be only temporary; ant
that, it the further protection demanded is afford
ed, j! vii! only hasten the evil day them, which mus
come, and greatly aggravate the evil when 1t doe'
come-a day when Legislation, even oil the most friendly
character 10 the manufacturer, cannot provide reel
| The danger is FROM domestic competition, which can
not be prevented by any Legislation OF ours; and Tia
domestic competition is not TO be confined TO the com
petition Of domestic capital, skill and labor, but mus
extend 10 cheap English capital and skill, and chez
European lGbnr, planting themselves within owl
borders, in the rcii mountains of the South and Tile
vast and fertile valleys of the West We ask whether
it is not BETTER in the true spirit of the Anglo Saxon
race, that of your pilgrim fathers, to meet the evil
al once, and by sacrifices comparatively small to avert
| it? We ask whether system ct moderate duties de
signed for alone yet afordiDg incidental rea-
sonable protection, not better than system of high
protection even nthoug portion of the capital and
labor now employed in manufactures may be forced
into other employ? And we appeal TO the six millions
or English paupers for experience TO enable US TO an
swer the question:; and we appeal to Ireland, and TO
Great Britain herself and TO her colonies in the islands
of the West and on the continent in the East; We ap-
peal to her. with all her wealth aud al her AFFECT po
very, TO answer the question.
LIT proceed TO inquire INTO the elect ol high
protection upon The consumer, IN whatever part OF the
Union he may 1--we 1t 10 said that high duties have
chea pened the manufactured article and thus the
suuer has been benefited That many articles which
formerly cost twenty cents be bought for ten
or twelve is unquestionab!e but, the other hand IL
is equally true that many articles, which the consumer
of them himself produces and which formerly sold for
twenty cents, cannot now be sold Tor ten or twelve
Cotton and woolien goods are Instances o the former;
the raw cotton and instances Of the latter. The cot
ton and the grower, them as far as their cheapened
consumption goes, gain nothing by the reduction IN the
price of the manufactured article, for pound of cot
ton or rice will buy in quantity no more OF those
manufactures than they did formerly. As far, then,
their consumption Of the article goes, they have gain
ed nothing by the fall Of the price The pound OF cot
ton or rice will buy Just much of those articles now
as il did then, and But when the cotton Or
rice grower comes to pay for articles the price oil which
has not been reduced in like manner, in the case OF
bar or cast on then he feels the reduction the price
of his own product But admit that all he sells and all
he BUYS are cheaper than they formerly, still we
repeat the inquiry, what is the effect of high proec.
ton upon the consumer To answer this question, we
must refer to what we have heretofore stated. The
OF rice, cotton or loDaccoi HoL
or affected materially by the market in the u S., hut
is regulated by the foreign market Now the price
of rice cotton, or tobacco, has fallen in the foreign
market, all foreign products, whether OF manufactures
or of luxuries have fallen there in propor,ion and IT
the producer here received his returns at the prices of
the market in which he sells, still he would lose no.
thinc by the depreciation Of his products. But
the fleet of the duty is TO destroy this equality lie
sells and buys at the prices in the foreign MARKET but
what he buys he cannot at home until he pays
the duty upon it, be- it high low Here the equality
DESTROYED and his loss by the general depreciation OF
the foreign market is just the duty which he pays on
the import; or if he brings back money, and buys the
domestic manufacture, his loss is Just the amount
which the price of the domestic manufacture has been
enhanced over the foreign, by the protection. And
what is his compensation: No'n'ns. FOR we q" not
consider that either the cotton, the RICE the tobac
co, gains any equivalent in the duty imposed to pro-
tect them.
Thus, then, while he loses by the general depre-
citation in the market, by all he sells he gains no equi-
vaent ady by the general depreciation in what lie
buvs. or. if any, very small. HIS BURDEN them con-
,sls in the loss of equivalent advantages-and Us the
duty is increased his burden increases III amount IL
this increase of burden is called for by the necessi-
ties of the revenue, will complain, at least none
ought to complainant if that necessity can be met oy
reduction of the burden, instead of its increase, then
all the consumers have a right to plain and the
more especially, if, while all suffering from The
depression of prices, that burden IS increased on all,
for the protection of particular class, as is avowedy
one object Of the bill reported by the majority ct the
committee But even here, if it were not for the &C.
neral Indebtedness throughout the country, this IN
crease of burden might be quietly acquIesced in But,
while all property and products have deprecated 10
third of their former value IN money, the amount OF
the debt is precisely the same debt OF Sioo,
which could formerly have been paid by two bales OF
cotton is still debt of $780, and requires six bales to
paw it. The same is applicable to the day laborer
who is in debt and indeed TO all classes of debtors
The lose falls upon all The man of large property IS
longer able to pay his debts, except at runous sa
cri6ces of property lie is longer able to employ
the mechanic or the laborer-and the mechanic and
laborer are thrown out of employment, and they and
their former rich employer become beggars together
Such is the in every part OF our country-ano -
it at sueh time as his that wise and just legislation
would extend The arm OF protection TO one class Oh the
neonle by increasing the burdens of the others
We have said that the effect OF protective duties is
IN keen IN the prices here far beyond the prices al
which they could be imported from abroad at mere re-
venue duty Can this be denied! why Go the manu-.
acurers here 10 demand protection al our nahos'
win any one in bis believe that their otJect IS
to reduce the price OF their goods to the consumer
ar tina, they believe for moment, that 1t VIII nave
that effect Is this single question an answer To
all sucb prctences. The very object OF protection IS
n secure Ia the domestic article higher price IN Inc
homo market by adding to the Of the foreign ar
c,e in The same market Now, while We insist that
such is beth the object and effect Of pro!eciIon "e nj
the same time admit that the price thus added TO the
price of the domestic article is not, in all cases, equa
10 the amount of duty or tax imposed on tie 'npofm'
,on of the foreign There has been much discussion
as 10 who RAYS that drty tax; some INSIST that II tails
on the foreign producer, some on the home producer
and oilers On the The view we take OF the
matter is this We premise, however, that IN MI cases
The manufacturer, whether foreign or comesuc' WIZ
sL IN. hobest price which can be had for his comnio
div. Ii The article is produced in this country
the consumer pays the whole duty whatever II may
he, if he obliged 10 buy If the article IS Poluceo
here, and the duty prohibitory the consumer pays
the wholly duty not into the Treasury, ou, INTO Tue
pocket of the manufacturer: but, IN snch case, "
there be competition in the production OF Inc CO.
nestle article, sufficient reduce the price, The con-
sumner saves to the extent of the reduction OF price,
and the domestic producer loses an equivalent amount
Of his profits, and the difference oe'~ee" ,"'. mr
and ,le amount of The duty is paid by tie consu'
mer TO the produccr II the production abroad IS so
cheap as to enable the foreign producer to Pay 'he gu