The Whig standard. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1843-1844, 1844-03-20

line " Free Trade" PUBIC Ledger, OF Phlla-
delphia, winces when its own interests are dis.
turbed by the new Tariff bill. 1t is all right to
protect sugar and cotton at the South. Even
the Free Trade Chieftain, Mr.. Calhoun, agrees
to this, but then protection must go no further
beyond this line 1t is unconstitutional, unjust,
and oppressive. But no, says the advocate OF
Free Trade at the North, the Public Ledger, it
is both constitutional and good policy to protect
paper, the article which ,ce consume most Of,
and which we get cheaper than we should were
it allowed to come duty free. Hear this advo-
cate Of Free Trade:
$50 far as paper is concerned, the present
Tariff is well enough, for consumers Of paper do
not complain. Then why should we not let
aoel enough alone? Why cannot we retain the
ton is well tested? Why should we throw all
business into arrangement by another alteration,
which will certainly be followed by yet another,
so soon as the Presidential campaign next after
the present is opened? Give us rest from, legis-
lation; for almost any certainty, however bad,
is better than incessant anarchical all destroying
huctuation."
Upon this the Forum, its neighbor, thus re-
marks:
"What an abandonment of all the former po-
sitions Of the Ledger is here assumed 1t has
been writing the present Tariff down all the
winter its articles have been specious and dan
gerous, and if it has any influence, it has been
exered to produce the very catastrophe which
the passage of Mr.. Mckay bill will bring about.
For as paper is effected, so will every other ar
ticle be, and the arguments Of the Ledger are as
good at one end of the Protective System as the
nh hc
Louisiana about sugar"
This is the argument Of this Free Trade pa
per ON the subject, SO far as paper is concerned
Were the proprietors as much interested in other
articles, such as iron, leather, shoes, hats, cot
tons, aud wollens, &C., they would find equally
cogent arguments in favor of the present Tariff
so far as these articles were concerned. A dis
turbance of the Tariff at this time would be
most unwise, and runous to the indus,y, enter
prise, and prosperity of the country.
The Ledger says:
"But if this bill be passed, and our markets
be supplied with foreign paper, how much the
price of paper will be reduced! Admitting this,
let us look further before we pronounce it ben
eft. Let us suppose that our whole market is
supplied with foreign paper for half the present
prices. Printers of books and newspapers, and
all others who use paper, will save money at
that end of the staff. But it has another end
Seventeen millions of capital must be sunk, fifty
thousand persons must seek bread in some other
business, and 160 millions of pounds of rags
must find a foreign market Shall we send the
latter to France and Germany, where rags cost
little or nothlng9 To England, where paper is
not cheaper than in this country? To Italy and
Turkey, which export rags? But if all our pa
per manufacturing is transferred to France, the
French will want our rags This is true, but they
will pay less for them than the present Ameri-
can prices, and thus the producers, who are the
whole population, will be losers. Journalists
and book printers will gain in cheapness of pa
per. But if seventeen millions of capital are
sunk, fifty thousand persons are driven to other
or no employment, and 100 millions of pounds
of rags lose maket, or afford the producer
much less the number OF readers will be dimin-
ished, and thus the sale Of books and newspapers
will be restrained"
The QUEEN OF THE WEsT.-One of the most
remarkable instances of despatch in the commu-