Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1844-09-19


for his wife which costs him two dollars and
hall, pays the greater part of the money. if
we take MIR. Clay's rule for true 10 Mr. Sim
mons, or some other Rhode Islander
1--WE might go on in this way through the
whole oil the tariff. II is true that when the
duty IS so enormously high as to be wholly
prohioi'ory, the price Of the article is not al
ways raised In proportion to the amount of
The duty. But The only reason is, that, i'm such
cases the duty is so heavy that if il were
added to the price, it would make tn. price
so exorbitant that few " ould have the means
to purchase.
"l'he increase Of price is, however, even in
such cases, an approximation more or less
near to tie amount of The duty imposed, and
Mr. Clay in laying down the rule that the
duty is included in the price, uttered an i'm
Portant general truth at the same time that he
pronounced the severest condemnation of the
.driii which he now calls moderate and benc-
fetal"
No one will he deceived, we presume, by
this attempt to inculcate an anti-tarif dogma,
under the sanction of Mr.. Clay's name The
unqualified assertion that the full duty is in
Guided H. the price of a protected article, or
that an increase of price always takes place
aprroximaling TO the amount of the duty i'm
posed, is an assertion which the Post itself
niakes-and il is one which facts utterly re-
Lutte. is 1t true that fustians, shirtings and
calicoes are hundred per cent. higher than
'hey would be without the tariff Are these
goods higher than they were in 1S4l. before
the present tariff was established? II is very
well known that with the exception of the year
iol2, even the manufacturers. who had held
back under the previous low duties, threw an
accumulated stock into the market al a loss. and
the prices Of cotton goods are as low now as
at any former period, and much lower than
The average rates Of the last ten years. lf the
preposerous assumption he true that the a
mount of the duty is always included in the
price, 1t will follow tina, the original cost of
some articles is nothing at ALL
But let us look for moment at the process
by which protective duty affects prices-and
also at the charges Of monopoly and unjust
| taxation
That temporary rise may follow the first
operation of protective duty, will he admit
ted as general thing. Whether the increase
OF price be permanent or not will depend up
on certain condiions-such as the extent of
The resources of the country 10 supply the
raw material of which the article is made,
ana the industry and enterprise Of the people
as manufacturers. Thus, if we had no lead
mines IN the United States, the duty of four
cents per pound on shot would cause a per-
nianent enhancement of the price of that ar
| licle But as we haze lead mines of great ex-
tent and richness, and an industrious popula-
lion engaged in working them and i'm manu-
featuring shot, the result is that the article is
sold Tor five cents per pound. The protec-
1--WE policy then enables us to be independent
oi other nations for an important element of
national defence, and at tho same time it keeps
the price moderate.
Take iron another illustration The |
price o! some kinds Of manufactured iron is |
doubtless increased by the tariff of 1912 |
But what then? Will it remain permanently !
so! We have iron ore in vast abundance, !
coal in profusion, and all the materials and
appliances necessary for producing iron in all |
the shapes which may be required for the
uses of our people. The same results will
happen TO all sorts of manufactured iron which
have already happened in the case of cut nails.
There is duty of three cents per pound
on cut nails, and they are sold at four and
tour and half cents. If the amount of the
duty is here included in the price the cheap
ness with which rails are manufactured is !
most astonishing
The charge of monopofy-how does tina,
stand! This is connected with the alleged
enhancement of prices under the protective
system. We have mentioned as one of the
conditions requisite to permanent modera-
ton of price, in the case of protected ar
'lcie, that there should be abundant supplies
oil the raw material out Of which it is manu-
lactuIed. TO return to our lead mines-C
these were limited 10 narrow space and in
capable Of yielding beyond limited quanli-
~, the protective duty on shot would indeed
create monopoly and cause permanent en-
hancement Of price. But this is not the case
and there Is no monopoly; for any one
WHO chooses may engage in the lead business.
SD vast are the natural deposites Of tina,
mineral. The same illustration will apply To
The iron manufacture, 10 the cotton manulac-
lure, ana to all other great interests protected
by the tariff; and the domestic competition
among these will keep down prices to mod
crate standard.
mere Is one provision in the tariff which
| may De SAID TO create monopoly; and that
Is The protective duty on sugar. This duty is for
inc especial benefit Of the Louisiana planters :;
hecause the culture of sugar cannot be ex-
tended beyond particular district, and that
particular district does not produce enough to
supply, Inc wants of our people, nor can it
oe made To 40 so by any amount Of protec-
iion. when the Florida lands come into
cultivation the monopoly will be less special
yet monopoly still. in every other in
stance Of protection Under the tariff Of 1912,
'hat we now call to mind, the result Of pro-
techon WIZ be to increase Indefinitely the
nome supply OF the protected article, and by
"nf'mhen competition lend to keep the price
mouefale.-B baltimore y8nericdn.
The New Orleans Picayune learns verbally
rem Mexico that the Mexican authorities WERE at