Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-03-15

Wing, finding themselves in an awkward dilemma
have lately asserted that the Bank, Tariff and Inter
nal improvement questions not in issue in lS40
but that the question was, whether we should have
gentemanly or black guard administration" The Wings
having long since monopolized all the decency and
talents OF the country: the Editor of thinks that
oil the genhemen voted for Gen Harrison, and all the
blachsnards for Mr.. Van Buren,. Blu, II this ques-
ton was the issue, as that Editor alleges, Will he
condescend TO tell why he aud his party charged
Mr. Tyler with perGdy and t'eachery for ve,oing
the Bank bill The truth is, that you, instead
OF Mr. Tyler, have been guilty of peridy and
'reachery. You may deny the charge much as
you please, but your hearts and consciences
cannot and will not sustain you in the denial. Mr.
Newton OF the House OF Representatives, Wing of
talents and high character-has frankly declared, TINT
in 1910 you acualy repudiaed the leading principles
and measures of the Wing party" and why' ITO en-
brace birds OF every feather. | have convicted you
by record evidence, and have also now convicted you
by the voluntary testimony of an entirely competent
ness, who member of the ustrIous party of Va
This review of your political courseths exhibition of
your political profgacy, has given qualification
but on the contrary, excited feelings of modification
and sorrow have been panied to think and to know,
that any OF my countrymen would act thus; above all,
have been panied to find any citizens OF this honored
and venerable Common weallh thus acting. The art
fees and tricks 10 which you rcsorted, were the eff
spring of an ambition as uuchastcned II was unbound
ed Your passions and prejudces proved stronger, than
your Judgment and your sense oil moral obligation. a
thorough repentance and radical reform in your sys
TEN of political ethics, indspensaby necessary for
the quiet of your mnds-the return of your self
respect.
A word or two TO the protective system, which you
advocate with much zeal you protested to op-
pose in 1896, when urging forward your ant-Tariti
candidate, Judge White, to the Presidency. Alexander
Hamilton the founder of the restrictive system in
his Country The highest protective duty which he
ventured 10 recommend twelve aud half per
and he plainly laid IT down true principle that If
the country 4 sufficient state of forwarduess
enable the protected manufacturers u Dispense with
the protection IN reasonable time, il furnished
elusive reason against granting the protection. The
duty then recommended on uoolens was only seven
and half per cent. Neither Mr.. Jefferson nor Mr. Ma.
olson proposed any higher duties than ten iif
teen per cent except as mere measure OF retail
alton What are the rates of duty under the Tariff OF
1872 which you vainly try 10 represent as pro-
tec,ive, nomtee, but as "Revenre Tariff afiordng
only Incidental proteclion The average rate of duty
has been generally estimated al tiryseven per cent
On many articles the duties range from fifty 10 one
hundred and fifty per cent ed velorem. For instance,
the duties on glass average one hundred and fifty per
cent. all descriptions the duties many vcrie-
ties OF iron, including of your plantation tools are
from seventy tive 10 hundred aud fifty per cent,
and more, ad valorem-raw iroD which is almost uni
verSally used pays duty of one hundred and twelve
aud halt per cent.-cotton manufactures pay from
sixty to hundred and fifty per cent dnv upon their
true value; and SALT which is universally consumed BY
man and beast pays eight cents per bushel The artl
Gle costs only fave Six cents per bushe in Liverpool
the duty is hundred and thirly-,hre aad bali
per cent upon the prime cost There eighteen dis
tinct articles, upon each of which the duty higher
under The present Tariff than of 1925. Among
them are boots Shoes rooiens orockeryrare, some kinds
OF glass, cotton efoas and mo!aSSeS. Tins is the
entertainment which you and your associates have pro-
vdrd for usesc the means by which you have sought
TO relieve the dstreses and embarassmeEts OF the coun
frv t,ta d,f,a htph not az
that year "a Bill Of Abomlna,iors, YOU said il
was, with how hule grace, with how little consist.
ency, can you hold up the Tariff Act OF 1872,
aud point 10 it, in the language of your Address,
with "exultuon and triumph When the people
know how enormously high the duties upon great
many articles which taxed by the present Tariff,
can you presume that your countrynen are so sur
passngly stupid To believe you your orators, IN
asserting, tha. the present tariff is revenue tarif,
and not n protective tariff In 1916, twenty-five per
cent. duty, was the utmost demand Of the manu'ac-
lures, ard even that granted temporary pro-
tecton the act providing that, in few years. the duty
should go down TO 20 per cent. This provision was
repealed the very next year, and in lS2l The duty was
raised to 3 per cent on woollens and proporionaley
hgher other articles. II IS impossible TO appeaSe
The cupidty of the manufacturers; the bounty under
tariff being urged the argument and preteSt or
increased bounty under every succeeding tarh act
In his speech in the House OF Representatives in lS6
Mr. Clay said 1.-THE object OF protecting manufactures
was that we might eventually get articles of necessity
made cheap home they could be imported, and
thereby produce independence Of foreign countries
In three years. he said, "we could Judge of the ability oil
our establishments to furnish those articles cheap
they obtained from abroad, and he believed that
three years would he suic-n! place manuiactu-
this desirable footing We could then leglsaie
with the lights Of Experience" What has been the re
su,. Protection from time 10 time by successive Ia
riffs and 90 years after this PERIOD to w.t. in 1872, we
found the manufacturers besieging the Halls of Con
gress, and declaring they would be ruined, unless pro-
tected against "the pdupr labor OF Great Britain, the
very country whose example we were invited TO initiate
And Mr. Clay thought the manufactures would soon
"produce Independence af foreign countries. What
a wise predicton-how characteristic of the man
how unsustained by ''the lights of experienced! SIN
dependence of foreign nations Look to the exports
and you will find that instead of being independent Of
foreign countries, we are more dependent than ever
Without the foreign markets. what would become o.
the cotton and rice, the tobacco wheat aud other ng
rcultura products of the union Well, that time rolls
on and the s'three years expire without entirely &C.
curing our independence of foreign countries. "Glpe
US more encouragement and mo:c projections, said
The manufacturers and we will soon make you entire
" independent and ENABLE you to live and stay al
home, ike the Chinese. Their prayers granted
and ample protection given at different periods Were
they and Mr. Clay satisfied Not at all In his
speech in the Senate upon The Compromise in February
1888 he said "Now give time; cease all fluctuations
and agitaons for nine years. and the manufacturers
III erery ranch will sustain themselves against foreign
competition" Recent events afford the best com
meniary upon the accuracy of this absurd prediction
! Nations are slow in The discovery of their true int
rests The deusion which led large portion OF man
kind to believe in the Necessity OF an Established
Church, is passing away. So in like manner will pas'
away the deluson and oppression OF that system whcf
fosters class of society by taxes imposed upon the
agricultural and abong classes, under the empty ant
false assumption, that it 10 necessary for the general
prosperity The restrictive system originated IN an agt
comparatively nnenighteneu, and is relic OF barba
rsm 1t was the offspring ofan anti-commerclal epoch
and has been nourished BY feelings of the ansocia
order The idea OF restriction is akin 10 the idea en-
,e,,ained by the Feudal Barons Of DID, who kept the
castles filled with armed followers 10 defend them from
the assaults of their ghhors. Free trade is the sou
of modern civilization and foreign commerce the IN
strumen, and bond Of peace between the great nations
Of the earth Why destroy commerce 10 sustain thu
manufacturers Does the latter contribute to the sup
port OF Government? On the contrary, do not tht
manufacturers diminish the and impair TIT
annual income Most unouesonahly. And ye
the agricultural classthat great branch of industry
which produces the articles by The exchange of which
the Government has been supported-thls class, nc
cordnr to you ought TO be taxed order to afford as
sisance to those who have already been heavy Ia
mon the Government and people of this country
e a - ia