Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1842-09-15


The amount Of duties Levied ON '000'0o0
them, was ,,.oo ooo
Being at the rate of 1874 per cent.
nut let us now come to some of tho art;c,.s
raised In my own district.
Ihe average value of the tobacco export.d IN
1889, 1910, was $0,225,li5
pom TINS was levied a tax, in europe, of S3.
463,54O, being a tax of near 800 per cent. upo,
rue value oi the article in this country.
The following table will show, in detail, the
amount o. the duties IN the principal nations oil
Europe, on some of the most important articles OF
expectation from our country, in 1910.
GREAT BRITAIN.
Wheat So copper quarter, Or % cts rer RSa SS
Unmsnuiactnrcd tobacco - ~ cts Der 10.
'AA'u'ac'ofed TOBACCO $2I pcrpouud.
FRANCE.
HlIua $40 SO per aao lbs.
Unmanufactured tobacco prohibited on private account
n,,n,e,., ,, Government Monopoly.
s Sxv So 81 per bushels
Manuicsasd sobaeco IS per So SO pounds bounds.
And yet in the face of these most ruinous re-
sirictions and eNac,ions, we are invited to throw
open our ports to the merchandise of those whose
ingenuity Is tasked to the utmost 10 devise new
modes OF eXtortIon from us!
But we are told that a chanue i, about 70 t,L n
place In the policy Of England, and thai she will
soon adopt the principles Of free trade and il be-
moves us TO meet her in the proper Shirt, For
my part, sir, before l would be willinu 10 chapqe
The policy OF this Government TO meet the views
oil England, would require rather more substan-
Nai evidences OF hor Intentions, than mere empty
professions. Her system of free trade is well de-
nhed IN the following extract from the speech of
one OF her statesmen, Mr.. Robertson in a recen,
oeoate III the House of Commons, III which he
said:
was dle FOR us to endeavor to persuade other ma
toS 10 Jo win us IN adopting the PRINCIPLES of what
was called Free Trade. Other nations knew as well as
the noble Lord opposite and those who acted with him
what we meant By Free Trade nothing more nor
essthan by means of the great We cnovcd
20 get monopoly OF all their markets for our nanasac-
tares and to prevent them, one and all from cyrr h.
coming manufacturing nations"
That is exactly her policy. She knows sho ha.
moro capital, better machinery, cheaper labor
greater mechanical skill, and more extensive
marine than any other nation on earth ; and that
owing TO these circumstances. no ether nation can
come Into fair competition with her; and hence
she endeaVoTs to delude them by the senseless cry
of free trade.
have been surprised, Mr.. Chairman. that
there has been, during the whole course of this
deonte, an apparent acquiescencc upon tic part of
oil who have adveried TO the subject in tho idea
that, if all nations would adopt the princinles of
free trade, it would DO their true policy. Sir.
dony the doctrine, out and out; and wish as far
as my feeble blow will avail, to strike the axe d.
rectiy to tho root of the tree. l maintain that
what is called free tradethat Isl trade unrestrain
ed by commercial regulations, or lmposts or tax
es of any kind, would DO tho most uneouai trade
that could possibly exist, and would lead to tho
establishment Of the most absolute dominion of
some nations, and the most slavish subsection of
DINERS. In order to give equal ADVANTAGES under
such system, you must adopt the principles of
RATIONAL AGRARlANIsM-you must make all ma
M rn,c ,Jo,, 4,
with the same intelligence, the same industry
and the Same mechanical skill-you must Give
them equal capital, equal machinery, equal wafer
power, and equal amounts of all tho elements Of
hauonai wealth They must be equally refined
and civilized, and have equal facilities for the
transportation of their commodities TO and from
their markets. The slightest disparity in any of
these respects, or In geographical position or il,
any OF a thousand other incidents which mieh, be
named, would destroy the balance of The system,
md In equality IN wealth and power would immed-
htely ensue. How could nation having no ma
culinary compete with one like Great Britain,
whose steam power is probably ten times as great
as the combined animal power of her " hole popu-
lauon! How could there be equality between
an inland nation without barquo TO bear her flag,
and the "Ocean Queen" whose canvass wbi,ens
every sea! How Can there ever be fair competi-
tion-5frecdom IF trade between Power and Weak
ness-between Wealth and Poverty-between
knowledge and lgnOrance-between Industry
nnd ldieness! Sir, the notion is preposterous.-
You had as wei, oppose the helplessness ofclligd-
hood to the matured power of manhood, as to place
the infant manufactures of the United States in
competition with those Of England! About the
system of free trade and the dream Of Pharaoh
will be reversed-the fat kline will devour the
)ean--the more powerful nations will swallow M
the trade Of the weaker. The people who have
the advantages of local position Of industry and
intelligence, will soon assert their natural suneri
ority and become rich and prosperous at the cx
pense of the less favored and the less saoacious.
we have, upon our own continent, d specimen of
free trade III all It's deform,ies. Between the
United States and the Indian tribes, the most per
feet freedom Of trade exists, unrestrained and nm
traInmeled by any restriction or duties and what
has been the result! Has there been that ,nutu-
atty of benefit which the advocates of free ,rada
promise to all who will adopt its PRINCIPLES -
Have the Indians grown rich and prosperous un-
der the benign influence OF commerce freed from
all the siIackles imposed by aniiqualed and ex
ploded prejudices or has the whole intercourse
between the parties TO il been a system Of fraud.
extorlon and plumber on the one side, and on
preston, ruin and anniliIation on the other.
There is yet another example of free trade upon
the continent TO which will barely advert upon
this occasion. j refer TO tho trade between the
various States Of this Unon which under the pro-
visions of our Constitution must through all time.
remain free. Many Of the Southern politicians
have imagined, from time TO time, that the North
ern States have, from some cause, obtained an un-
due advantage over them in the commerce OF the
country, and they have occasionally held conven-
lions and suggested various restrictive measures.
1900 a.. al. Il Il