The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1844-04-24

the material from US, if she cannot get it else
where. And how is their consumption to be
affected by the inquiry, whether the manu-
facture for our use is 20 be carried on here or
in Europe?
Whether Great Britain can get the article
cheaper elsewhere than from this country, is
problem which time must solve. If there
be danger on this score, the most effectual
mode of obviating it is to secure to ourselves
by fostering our domestic establishments the
foreign market, and thus secure not only the
sale of the raw material, but the profitable
employment of our surplus and otherwise
useless labor. This process has commenced
already. We compete with Great Britain
in South America, in China, the East and
West Indies-indeed, every where where Il
market is to be found. Sir, which is best
to content ourselves with bare competition
for the sale of the raw material only and that
in the ports of our great and only rival in
commercial pursuits, or to enter boldly into
a competition, not for that material only, but
for its value enhanced by our labor, and one
in which we are not 1T her mercy! Does the
Senator imagine that such competition,
tending directly TO transcend the demand for
! the fabric, to an overstock of the market at
! the hazard of the manufacturer, will dimin-
ish the demand for the raw material Sir,
| have high authority for nv position. A
| distinguished citizen of South Carolina,
late member Of this body, once said to
/ mo, " Sir, your protective system will fail
you-your policy is wrong. You must be
manufacturing people, but you must
seek foreign market; when you have
secured thar, your prosperity will stand
upon p stable basis" Sir, that distin>
guished man was right in his advice in
the last particular-he had advised US TO
bell the cat. agree with him. that il we
can secure the foreign market, we are
safe. But he did not advise US how We
were 10 secure the foreign market, with
| out first securi ng our own nor how We
could successfully compete with Great
Britain in the great mart Of the world, if
we suffered her to stille and crush cur man.
ufacturiDg energies al home. Did that
sagacious man suppose that his competi-
ton to which he urged US, aud which was
TO give us permanent prosperity, was to
sacrifice the interests Of bis native State,
and blast the hopes of her sons?
Sir, in the English market we should
have TO compete with Brazil. Texas, in
deed every country capable Of growing
cotton. How far the British East India
possessions may hereafter supply that market,
we are not now able to determine, but warn
| the Senator that The interests OF the North
| en manufacturer and the Southern planter
are identical. Let him see to it, that in de-
stroying the former he does not sacrifice the
| ole N N
the commercial world. Cotton has taken
the place of indigo as a Southern production.
1t will be well to inquire what shall succeed
TO cotton, when that shall have shared the
same fate.
| Mr.. President, there are other objections to
the policy of the act of Ie42. and addressed
rather to the preiudces and selfish passions
than to the sound judgment of men. The
old story of taking the many for the benefit
of the few" so often told and as often refu-
ted, is renewed. The Senator from New
| Hampshire, assuming tha; the duty enhances
| the price of the article TO the extent of the
! impost, and protesting to deal in facts, very
gravely proceeds to give US TO a fraction the
enormous burden laid upon the people of his
state BY this most oppressive tariff lie tells
| US that there are 100000 people in that State;
|
| to an average of twenty-five pounds to each
soul; that duty Of three cents per pound IS
equal TO seventy-fve cents to each person,
and amounts in the aggregate to the sum OF
| S225, 900, being more than four times the
whole State tax. These are facts which Will
not be disputed. But what use does he make
of them! Why, ne assumes that the cost to
| the consumer is increased, and his constitu-
4 IL ffan arH
of this assumption. erroneous as it is, his
facts are not worth straw they furnish no
| aid TO his argument, and lead him TO no such
conclusion. The Senator ID most unfortunate
| in his illustrations. Will he permit me to
substitute for his assumption certain other
/ facts, which | commend TO his especial atten-
ton. The most common, nay, universal use
| Of iron in that section of the country is in the
| form of cut nails, the duty on which, by the
act of 1912, is three cents per pound; get The
article can be bought in the riLtGge lcfere I1re
for three and dhGLf cents per pound. Deduct
| ing the three cents for the duty, the cost OF
the article would be one half cent Does the
Senator really imagine, that if this odious
act were repealed, the price would fall TO that
sum- The honorable Senator also adduces
leather as a further illustration Of the burdens
imposed upon MS people, IleiC HS 10 SIu"A
" unfortunate. He states the duty at 80 to
IS per cent He has not told us the amount
paid by his constituents, but has left that TO
be guessed at Now, the fact is, that during
the last two years for which we have returns
not pound of leather has been imported,
except small amount of morocco. No du-
ty has been levied The manufacture at
home has equalled the consumption. be
will not contend that the price of the article
has been raised by this nominal duty.
Sir. the Senator could not have selected
two articles which would have so happily il
Illustrated the fallacy of his assumption. There
is not an article manufactured in this country
TO anv extent which has not been made chea-
per to the consumer. 1t is not true that the
tax is uniformly paid by the consumer. 1t
depends upon the ratio of demand and sup
ply. When the former increases, the pnce
rises: when the reverse is the case, it falls.
Sometimes it falls upon the consumer, some
times the producer, and often upon the inter
mediate holder, and not unfrequently upon
all.
The Senator from South Carolina argues
tho. the iunorter adds the duty to the cost,