Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1844-10-10
-S IN A U " IN @ Me-
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1914.
A PROTECTIVE TARIFF.


considerable portion of the capital and enter
prize OF the eastern and middle States from shin
ping and commerce (upon which these measures
had the mos, ruinous eflecD to manufactures and
The means of protecting that now great interest.
The high duties laid after the war TO provide the
means of paying OF the large public debts incur
red by it, though laid with very little if any Wow
TO protecting manufactures, had still tina, eiiec, to
very considerable extent, and they had made
very considerable progress, wien some twenty
four years since it became great question whe.
ther or not the Tariff should be remodeIled with
direct view TO their protection. Then il was that
The contest began between the advocates of the
american system and the free trade party. On
the one side the free trade party contended that
Protective Tariff would destroy commerce, di-
minish the revenue, impose heavy burthens on all
other classes for the benefit of the manufacturers
would prove ruinous TO agriculture, be a contra
veniion OF the designs Of benefcent Providence,
who had bountifully given us world of varied
climates and fruits, and formed the seas as an
easy way Of communication, that each might by
exchange, procure with facility, the rich blessings
bestowed upon all. On the other side, the party
would not injure commerce, or lessen the facility
oil procuring foreign goods, or diminish the reve-
nue., or burthen other classes for the benefit of
manufacturers. Though they admitted that n,
first protection might cause an advance on arti-
Giles, they contended that competition at home and
abroad and Improvement i'm skill and machinery,
would soon have the effect of reducing them
lower than they had ever been True, il would
benefit the manufactured, but that was result TO
be desired, as it would add TO the wealth and
strength OF our own country what would other
wise 60 TO The benefit Of foreigners. AS TO ag-
griculiure it was what they regarded as the great
ana paramount interest of the country which they
wished more than any other TO foster. But how
was this to be done! We were no LONGER the
feeders and carriers Of foreign nations Europe
from state of almost universal war had chanoed
10 one OF universal peace. Those vast armies
that had afforded fine market for our aoricpl
tural products, had been 10 great exten, reduced
ana millions o! men who had so lone ONLY been
The consumer OF those products, Were now prn-
duclng them. Europe was now ordinarily sun
plying her own consumption and conducting her
own trade Ii was only in seasons of scarci,y
there that we were to expect any considerable fo
reign demand Tor our productions. The hiuh
prices that we obtained while the Europeau WARE
continued, no man could nationally calculate ON
"hile the europeans remained AT peace, which
was In all likelihood to continue for lono Time
TO come. The very limited demand abroad for
our agricultural productions was not likely 10 in
crease hut In ratio far below that of our ability
10 produce-probably as about to 4, Ghat is oar
farm productions would be increased four times as
last as the foreign demand for them.) Such a
STATE oil things must, If not counteracted result
In the utter ruin of the farming interest What
then was to be done for this great interest What
hey l'he advocates OF an American system) pro-
posed to do for II was to divert a portion of the
capital and labour engaged in agriculture. and
employ III IN manufactures. and thus at once by
subtractlng from the means of agricultural sun
plies and enIarging the home market to diminish
me vast dlsproportion between those supplies and
me demand for them. This was the only mea-
sure which they could conceive of calculated TO
preserve the agricultural interest. from the most
miserable state OF depression. And they argued
AMY TO maintain their position. But i'm the At
lantic States, south of Mason and Diyon's line.
no man believed them. In those States the op-
posbion 10 protection was almost universal To
tell cltizen OF one of these States that Pro-
tectve Iariii would not raise the price of articles
on Which me duty was laid, by the full amount
! oil the duty, without the deduction of fraction
was regarded as an insult to his UNDERSTANDING
Alter an arduous struggle however, the protection
party In 1924, succeeded in carving their GREAT
measure:--A Tariff for Protection was that wear
passed. The Southern Atlantic States REGARDED
u as most unjust and oppressive measure
iraught with all the evils which the free trade
party had predicted of it, and the consequent in
uigha'on was extreme. Every man over fifty
years oil age who is in the habit of giving atten-
tlon TO great political events will be ready TO We
my the substantial truth of these statements.-
but the protective system had now been adopted,
ana IL only remained FOR experience to prove
which of the two parties was rioht And exne
rlence did prove every prediction or the free trade
party 10 be false, while 1t fully verified the expec-
ta'lons ol the party for protection. Manufactured
ar'claS soon began TO fall in price, and it was not
long before they could be had at a rate far below
what they could before have been obtained nj
Commerce prospered, agriculture prospered. ma
buiactures prospered, the revenue was annie in
snort every interest llourished until the mi .prac
ice OF the Jackson Van Buren, administration
threW ollght over the country that nothing bnt
The othce-holder escaped. This experiences and
these facts have produced so great chapge in
public opinion that in the States i'm which the on
position 10 The American system was almost mi
yersal, IL now numbers, perhaps, as many friends
as opponents, and is constantly gaining oround
Writers upon political economy have laid down
beautiful theory of free trade perhaps well ENOUGH
adaP,ed TO things as they would have them TO be-
out III suited to things as they are. They have
also laid down exceptions TO this theory, which
apply well TO the circumstances Of most nations
ana II mus happens that while abstractionists
'ake THIS beautiful theory for their rule practical
men ana wise statesmen are governed by these
exceptions and adapt their legislation not to
S'"tF " 'h'h8S such as they might desire, but TO
such as may actually exist /; and so il comes tbat
Tree trade is much preached and bat little prac-
used. The democratic party in this State seems
TO be composed Of three classes of men. The
lrst in order are these theorists who honestly be-
lleve in this theory and would carry il into prac-
tee, irrespective OF the condition Of the world
and regardless OF facts. The theory with them
appears to have become a fixed idea. which no