Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1844-06-07

ply Will qua! force 10 other State engaged
IN the production Of wool.
A Q further illustration ofthe extent and val
he OF the homo market for tho sale of our agricul-
tural products. | Will mention that Massachusetts
annually purchases and consumes the productions
OF other States. to the amount OF about forty-two
millions OF dollars. OF those articles which are
raised III the west, and which constitute our sta
pie, including bread stutis and pro, isons. she
buys annually fifteen millions of dollars
worth The cntlro amount of cur exports of
these articles IN 1871, but fraction over
thirteen millions of dollars. These facts show
that the west finds IL market IN sachusse.ts for
two millions of dollars worth of her produce more
than she finds IN all the world beyond tho United
States. The consumption in Massachusetts,
however, creates but 4 small amount Of the home
market for our agricultural products. If exam
med in all It's ramilicatlons, 1t will be found tina
it exceeds moro than ten-Iold the entire amount
Of our foreign market for these productions. To
adopt that course ofpolicy which would result in
destruction of this important market, would be
TO lnlict fatal bow upon tho prosperity OF the
west.
IIasng thus partially shown tho operation and
effect of q protective tariff upon the agricultural
interests of the west. will now briefly notice
some OF the objections which arc frequently
urged against it. During this discussion we
have heard tho charges repeatedly rung. upon the
stale and sterootyped charge, that protective
tariff operates as u tax upon the people for the
benefit of the manufactures. This bucbear of
oppressive taxation is the standing tlcmc Of dec
lamatlon with all the antprotoctivc orators of
the day. Knowing that tho people are Justly SON
sive the subject of taxation, they appeal to
thor fears, and oneavnr to excite prejudice
gainst THIS beneficial measure, by inducing the
belief that 1t increases their burdens. They as
sumo that duty imposed upon any foreign ar
tlcic not only increases the prices of tho foreign
article to the extent Of the duty, bat that it also
increases. IN the same ratio, the price of tho do
mcstIc article OF the samo character. If duty
OF fifty per cont. IS imposed cotton shifting of
a gwen quality. they contend that tho foreign
shifting upon which the duty is imposed advances
IN price fifty per cent; and, Also that the donles-
TIC shlrtin9 OF the same quality advances III price
70 tho Same amount. Every mans experience
must convince him TINT this position is utterly
true. The price Of any article III the market
will always depend upon the proportion which
the supply baars to tho demand. Whenever it is
pra.-ad IN the +nit.ad States to an extent sutfi-
Gent 10 supply tho dcmand. 4 duty upon tho tor
cl9n article Of the same character cannot IN
crease the price, We every yoar impor. moro
or less foreign wheat. Oar importations Of this
article have III some years reached several mil
lions of bushels. Suppose VIC should impose a
duty of fifty cents per basho foreign wheat
imported into this country. does any person be-
lieFc that the imposition Of this duty would in
crease tho price Of all tho wheat raised in the
country fifty cents per bushcl! No man in his
senses would hazard such assertion. And
Yet It is as rational as the assertion that duty
upon every description Of manufactured goods
will increase tho price of tho domestic article of
tho same description. Why will not q duty on
foreign wheat increase the price of the wheat
raised here! Tho reason is Obvious. The a.
mount of wheat raised in this country is fully adj
cquatc TO the demand, and therefore the duty VI.
on the foreign article cannot increase tho price.
The same remark will apply to cotton manu-
tacturos. Cotton goods of the coarser qualities.
such as shectlngs shirtlngs, and the calicoes com
monty worn, manufactured in this country IN
quantities sufficient not only to supply the de-
mand at home, but to leave surplus for exporta-
ton. Tho duty. then. upon the foreign article
can no moro increase the price of the domestic,
than the duty upon foreign wheat increase
the price Of that which raise. The protection
afforded to manufacturers by duties upon for
clgn fabrics, Is not by enabling them to sell their
goods at higher prices, but by extending their
market and increasing their sales. In proper
ton manufacturer can cxtond his sales can
he reduce the prices of his commodities, and still
render his business moro profitable. A man en-
gagged IN tho manufacture of calcoes, if he can
find a market for ono hundred thousand dollars
worth of his goods in o year. can sell them at a
much lower price than he could afford to sell them
If he had market for but fifty thousand dollars
worth. The same remark will apply to every
other species OF manufactures. The effect of n
protective tariffs to lessen the foreign compot-
ton and thus enable the domestic manufacturer
to extend his sales, by reason of which he can
cheaper his commodities. 1t is not contended
that an increase of duties win always be follow
ed by reduction of price. Upon such articles
not produced in this country, as tea, Coffee
and spices, the duty may increase the cost to the
consumer. Such may also be the effect of an in
crease of duty upon articles produced here, but
not in sufficient quantities to supply the demand
But even in regard to those articles, the increase
ofprice will rarely. if over, equal tho amount of
the duty. The competition between the foreign
producers, for our market will always have
tendency to bring down the prices to the lowest
point. From examination of the tariff of IS
IL it will be seen that the duties which are i'm
posed with view to protection, are laid princi-
pally upon those articles which can be produced