Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1844-05-31
ducc his anticipa,ions of the future to even ap.

| Il
present prosperity, and suffer not ourselves t,
be bewildered by the fear Of evils, which ma,
be fancied but cannot be foreseen.
1t is worthy Of notice, while on this point, that
whatever the practice of England may be, the
teachings Of her popular writer's tend to the
very doctrines inculcated by this report. Au
thors are subsidized to manufacture free trade.
theories for the foreign market, and large sum,
are raised to carry on this new missionary en-
terprise of disseminating through the world those
doctrines If political economy which ENGLAND
is wise enough to repudiate at home.
England spares no pains to acquire an inhu
ence here. She aims to dictate cur economical
theories, our commercial system, our legislation
She commcnds herself to the North, by Boosting
of her achievements in the great cause of the
abolition of human slavery; and to win favor a
the South, she holds out the delusive hope that
her influence will be thrown into the scale o
universally free and unrestricted trade.
But sir, are we never to be in fact, what neal
threescore and ten years ago fathers declared u.
to be Of right, independent Of England Have we
IN that long space learned nothing FROM our own ex
pcrence and is the utmost period Of the life of maj
too short TO teach anything TO n naOnl Are moi
the counsels of the wise and good the dead and the
living of our own land, sufficient for our guidance
For me, sir, the examples and the teachings of ouI
fathers suffice. l look for no instruction in the
science OF Olr government TO BrltlSh writer's at home
Or to British renegndes or aenaed Americans here
and prefer the papable prosperity that see and
feel 10 the airy visions OF the persuasive theoris
But il is time to look little closely at the bill
under consideration, and TO enquire into its real char
acer and purposes. 1t Is scarcely possible to cas-,
glance at it, without discovering that both its arpu.
mcnts and lis facts are derived from unfriend
" to American interests, and more disposed TO color
disor' or suppress, than canddly to disclose the
whole TRUTH You are hearing the arguments and Is
SYMPTOMS of British importers from the mouths oil
American statesmen. The hostility of the bill to do.
nestle labor is 50 thnly disguised, it, indeed, there
be any attempt at concealment that it work
OF super erOgation to point ii but so far as the
policy lnculcaes be referred to any Ineligible
principle II Is this make show of protection to
the raw material. by slight reduction, or as in the
case OF wool not grown IN this country increase OF
the duties imposed by the ext sting law, and then TO
neutIalze this protection, by limiting the manufac-
tured article at a much lower rate. The manufactu-
rer can be induced to purchase the raw material on
ly by the hope of profit on the Manufactured goods
But If you admit the goods such that the for
eign manufacturer can underse him in our market,
he will suspend his operations and buy raw material
no longer. 1t avails nothing to the American produ-
Ger to protect his wool by duty Of thirty per cent,
If you admit wooen goods at the same, or a lower
rate of duty, You destroy his market by destroying
the lnduccinent of the domestic manufacturer TO buy
This Is too papable TO require any calculation beysnd
the simple statement. Indeed unequ, ocally is the
bill characterized by unreienng hostility TO Ameri.
can industry, that it general reduces the duties i'm
posed by the tariff of 1912 foreign manufactures
Just in proportion 10 the amount Of foreign labor ex
pended upon them, This is point of so great i'm
porance that desire draw to it the special atten-
ton OF the Committee. By the tariff of 1912, the
highest duties were imposed on those wares in which
the value OF the raw material bore the lowest proper
ton to the amount of the labor required for their fab
rcation, and far the duty operated n tax for
eIon and a bounty upon domestic labor. The bill now
under consideration proposes to abolish this Just and
sautary discrimination, and in effect 10 give prem
UNI to the ioreltn laoorer Thus. the duty on raw
silk is reduced three and half per cent? the duty on
IRON four per cent? on manufactures Of iron from four
to one hundred and seven per cent. The duty on
common wool, three cents per pound, on woollen
goods from hive to fitty-scven per cent. The duty
the SIMPLER glass wares, one per cent. If partially
cut sxty-two per cent if cut from one third TO one
hall the length, one hundred and ffty-sx per cent
and upon the largest sizes of glass two hundred
and thirty per cent. To what principle, hut hostility
to domestic labor, can refer system of duties
which favors the admission Of foreign wares pro.
portion their value has been increased by the EN-
Payment of foreign capital and foreign laborl
The avowed principle of the bill, that, namely, Of
providing for revenue alone, is not merely opposed
to the doctrine of legislative pro,ec tont goes beyond
this and wars dlrec ly upon those interests which
most require protection revenue duty must be
framed us to invite importation. If you discourage
the importation of particular article you diminish or
destroy your revenue from IT, and If you aim to draw
the greatest amount of revenue from each description
Of goods, you must so regulate your tariff as TO induce
the greatest importation of those goods. This YOU
can do only by giving the foreign producer prefer
encc over the domestic IN our own market. A reve-
nue tariff then, is sich arrangement of duties as
Will enable the foreign manufacturer To compete
cessfully with the native and consequently antago.
nistc, only to that which is imposed for the spell
cic purpose of protection, hut to that more rationa-
system so happily exemplfed in the tariff Of 1912,
which, with singular felicity comb mes increase ofrev
snuc with competent protection TO most branches Of
domestic industry.
hat ttorn Il
dare not openly avow hostility to home labor. Like
the chief priests and scres Of old they fear the peo-
pie" and even profess friendship for The But
this bill comes from the democratic Oraclcs. SOOth-
siyers, of higher rank than the mag Of his House,
have been taken into council and mighty astrooger
has pronounced upon the horoscope. Doubtless the
report speaks the real sentiments of the party and
It's policy is destined to be carried if the scattered and
dsprited legions of the democracy can yet be rallied
in sufficient strength to wresl the victory from the
growing and gathering forces of shat army with
Banners" which has already smten them with panic
terror 1t is in vain to deny that the bill is both cal
huclive industry ofour people; and the friendship OF
The styled democrat for the aborer is that of the
q ,aker skipper for the enemvs captain who boarded
his vessel Friend" said Ichabod, fnsing his Draw
ny arms around him, i will not hurt thee, but
presume thee can SWIM" and, SO saying, threw him
overheard.
| do not propose TO inquire into the constitutional
power of Congress to legIsate with a view TO pro-
'""h"n tor ho"o not observed that cOnsthutpn1l
ser piles oppose any very serious obstacles in gentle
mems way, when favoile project is to be carried.
Besides these scruples particularly rife among
The very same class of politicians who entertained no
doubt of the right Of this single House 10 exercise a
power in restricting the right o! petition which the
express words of the Constitution deny 10 Congress
and who, in the case of the four recusant States,
maintained the power of the House of Representatives
TO rillify solemn act Of the national legislature,
passed IN strict conformity with the letter of the Con-
'ttutlon Sir, | have no fear that gentlemen who
swallowed those cames will ever be strangled by so
small gnat as this. The constitutional choic, is
indeed grlovous complaint, oflentimes an excruca.
ing'y painful disease but, happily il is never mortal
Gentlemen are frequently atarkcd by it they sicken,
hey suffer. In the words ofthe law, they langush
md langushlnely do live but die never In the long
ows Of our departed predecessors, in yonder ceme,ry
you find the monuments of those who have fallen |
'Iay TO death in all his varied shapes Gour, apo.
'lexy, consumption, fever and even the hand of vio-
ence, each hath had its victims, but constitutions
'cruples, none For such disorder, il wonId seem
nperiluous to prescribe Besides, The very ris medi-
afrir OF nature sometimes originates der forms Of
disease, by whose action the peccant humors of the
ys,em are carried off, and dangerous organic or
'hronic complaints are prevented or healed Who
Inows but this constitutional malady may serve some |
Ike prophyacllc or indicative purpose in poht-
al system? These scruples often of excellent