Independent Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1842-1844, 1843-05-13
: soreySs xsANSAg' s" sIs'

The nuruose Of making this system Of I'm
ius, and oppre sive restriction penn ,nent
iuelsu.c OF national policy. Our establish
rnents, said they, ale in state OF Intancy,,
Protect them tor few years, and we VIII
ask no further aid, but will DEFY compe-
,i,ion. well remember the reply then
made 10 these promi es-whIoh subse.
cuent experience the conouct OF the
manufacturers have confirmed even be-
vond nv an,icipalions. | showed from
Iocumeh,s Of uadoubed practical authority
hat, the costs ofproduclag manu- lures IN
Gre,t Britain consisted OF three elements
viz: three.eigbts Of the woges OF labor,
three eights of the interest upon capitrl,
cnd one fourth ofthe cos, Of the raw ma
,eriaI; and ths1 argued that, as CAPITA
could be obtlincd in England at half the
interest at whi,t i col tie obtained here,
and labor be procured tor less th-n hall, it
WAS apparent that the cause oflhe ina i!ly
Of the American manufacturers 20 main
tain 4 competition with the foreign was
founded on permanent causes-lhe low wa.
gee of .alof, and the low rate Of interest,
causes which, trust, will he eternal; tor
no pati9t can desire that wages here
should be reduced to sixperce a day, or
the profits of capital 10 three per cent,
even to enrich or manufacturers. And
nos after the lapse oflwenIy yeIva, the
wages G. labor and the rate OF Interest in
Great Britain are rs much below VITA,
they are here as they ever wele; and,
though the machinery employed in our
manufactures is in many respects superb
or to The British, our manufacturers ella.
NOR as loud for protection as they did in
1924. Is This oppressive system then 10
last forevcr2 Have gentlemen reflected
onihe consequences which must result
from It, if THIS perpetual? Have they cs.
ti,na,ed the frightul amour! Of burdens
imposed by it on the people Of the United
States
! believe, sir--lhoueh ] have nc; the
documents before me. but from general
recolectlon--that the amount OF manu-
factures Of this country, which are en-
braced in The operation Of the protecting
laws, was, in 1871, about nine times as
large rs The amount Of foreign impor,a.
tons Of the same description that is to
say, that the amour! Of such importation is
about forty millions of dollars, and the
amount OF domestic manufactures Of n SIM,
lar kind, three hundred and sixty millions.
Now, beg gentlemen to dwell a moment
on these facts, and consider what is the
amount Of the tax imposed on the people
Of the United States, estimated from tn use
statisticss An average duty Of thiriy.fvc
per cent, on toity millions Of foreign in
pots would impose burlen of $4,000,
900, though the revenue should be lc.a by
means Of Its prohib.tory operation. The
rrice Of these imports mist riae So per
cent, or the trade will cease. This duty
upon foreign Imports would be distributes
among the consumers, or would be cheer
fully borne ifit ended here. But this is
~ Fl: the s.nales, part Of the burden it
imposes.
But the law cannot rai,e the price Of
imported manufactures, without raising ia
the same degree the price Of similar do
nestle MANUFACTURES This is q self:evi.
dent proposition us much SO as any in
mathematics. No ingenuity can cvate it
Now, sir, my mind shIinks back from the
contemplation ofsuch enormous burdens
Three hundred and sky millions Of do
mestic manuactl!es indirectly taxed at the
rae Of thirty per centun, as bounty to in.
cospora'el wealth Sir, will gentlemen
deay that this tax is real? Will they come
ioraa.d now, and contend that they can
manufacture cheaper thin we can import,
IN The very face of the law passed by them.
sel'esf Not satisfied with the duty i'm
posed ty the fair operation of the conpro-
mise act, and in pa,pable violation Of It's
so'emn pledges, they have male Tho duty
on mHany articles prohihiioy; thus clearly
ndmiti'ng that they cannot compete with
She,!71p2i:ess, even wl,h tho protection al.
forded by a reeenue duty.
Scch, sir. are the eunrmou7 burdens i'm.
po Gu on tho peop'e Of the United Sta.es
Maze any allowance you plsasc-ieduce
TIE rates have ,t,tsd, even to the reye.
nue. STANDARD Of twenty per cent, md yet
tho burden exc eds anything which iu.
nan paien-e woud endure, II the people
were actually sensible Of ;ho true extent OF
those burdens. But, sir, II is no result of
en- indirect sys.e:n Of taxation, which i'm.
Possssihese burdens upon he people under
Fueh DISCUSSES that they kuaW no, what
they suffer They are sinking under the
weight Of their burdens; and vet like a
man who falls victim 70 The influence o:
4 coTrapt atmosphere, y e.o ,,tal!y un.
conscious Of the ie-l causes cf their dis
res.
Sc much, Mr. President, fer the opera
ion ofthe tariff, and the claims OF the
10 special protection. Ia
epard 10 the influence of the system unon