New-York daily tribune., 1844-05-03
THE TRIBUNE
To tho LaborinS Classes IN the United
S;atcs-Gem. Mckay's Tariff B;I..


AT this crisis, when 1t has become the policy c
OF demagoguos 10 the seeds OF dissens;or
among the different classes of producers, BY re
presenting thepr;nciple OF Protection as ONLY cal.
cula,ed to enrich the manufacturer, at The expense
Of other pyoducers-whcn in the face of the yen
cra improvement in ali branches of business, un.
der the benciiccnt operation Of the present Tariff
j. is proposed to dash our hopes TO the ground by
g new Tariff, substituting bounty to The deprcs-
ad labor of Europe, insteadof Protection to 4.
men of all parties, to pause before the final leap
taken, which will plunge us into an abyss, whose
dcPth no man can calculate; and from which
there can be no return, but through general bank
ruptcy and widespread rum.
am not, and never have been, concerned IN
any branch of manuldctures-I am tlIler Of the
soil; and obtain my bread by tho sweat OF nv
brow. My position enables to take an ;,nbi-
ased view OF the operation Of Protection upon all
the Producing Interests; and find, what every
man who vii! take the trouble 10 examine for him.
self Will and must perceive, that all branches OF
labor are SO connected and interwoyen tha, if
any one Of them is affected for good, or for evil,
that effect IS extended 10 ell. These interests are
so identified that there is, and there can be, no
separation. They must rise or sink together.
do not fatter myself that any thing | can say
will open the eyes Of the wllluy bllnd--but
it IS possible that few plain truths, told in
a pam way, may convince some, who are
open to conviction, and honestly desire to do
right. cannot sit down quietly, and sec such
manifest errors about to be Incorporated into our
public policy, without making an effort to avert
the blow-ieeblc as that effort may be. Let all
who depend upon their labor, and wish to secure
for that labor an adequate reward, arouse from
their cthargy while there is yct time. Let them
pour into Congress petitions for the preservation
Of Protection. Let them speak in united voice,
and that voice will be heard.
Gen. Mckay, Chairman of the Committee o!
Ways and Means, has reported bill TO the House
Of Representatives, destroying Protection at one
fell swoop"-a bill which, If 1t becomes a law, will
throw us, bound hand and foot, at the foots,oo Of
European cupidity. This bill he has prciaced
with a long Report, gosscd over with specious
professions of irendship-o the judtcious kind
but if he is sincere in what hc says. It is per-
ectly evident, from the whole scope of his argu.
principles of Protection. He sets out by adopt
ing the tallacious and sEortsgh;cd dogma Of
Free Trade that in all cases, tho duties paid
upon any article must be added TO the price, and
90 on increasing with every succession of profit,
added by each successive dealer, the whole con-
stituling the cost to the consumer. \ greater
mistake never entered the head of statesman
He coniounds two things as distinct and often
tbp NAT 10 al Is
the actual cost of an article TO the producer or
importer And what is the price which the
same article Will actually bring in the market
The cost TO the importer, for instance, is made
up of the first price of the artce--freisht, nsu-
rance, interest, duty, &c. The sum OF these
charges constitutes the price at which he a.
ford to sell the article at the place Of import But
the price at which he can sell it-and mast sell
it if nc sells it at all is governed by very differ.
eat prncipleS-the proportion of supply to the
demand. This is the fundamental rule, which
in every age and every country has governed ard
will continue TO govern the pnce paid by The con-
samer, without any kind Of reference to what the
article cost the producer importer; or, in other
Words what they can gford to sell it for.
The market price at which they mast sell, may
be &higher or lower than the cost, Just as the mar
Re: happens to be, Scaafiiy or fully supplied.
| This is illustrated by every days occurrence
Should spccuator purchase up all so much Of
| spartcuar article as to secure tho monopoly o!
| The market, he withholds 1t so as 10 produce
| Garctv; he then sells it out in measured qudn.
tteS-snd the consumer must pay such prices
Swill give the monopolist large profit. without
! any kind of reference to what u cost han. But
| En the mean time, Il new supply comes INTO
market, 50 as to make the article Pteat1Hl, then
| Il will become chedp--and the monopollst must
| sl for the market price; that Is, Just what he
| eaget, without any reicreuce TO what Ii cost
I'm; and every additional charge, as duties, Nc
Sl only add SO much TO his loss, without raii
ng the price title to the consumer.
The price to the consumer being thus regula-
led by the proportion Of supply 10 demand, every
class Of articles which is produced in abundance
nihc country of the consulner-or in such guam
i,y as, if added to the amount which Will ord.n-
arly be imported, will in the aggregate make an
| tsundance-as Salt foI instance: Or, II the ar
tcie is not produced here, but is produced III 9TH
er countries, in such abundance as amply 10 sup
ply the markets of the world, as Coffee for IN
stance in all such cases the market will be, OF.
IN snaverage GbuHdantiy supplied and the price
10 the consumer Will have little or no respect
whatever to the cost, lc, that cost be made mp OF
dutieS, or whatever else 1t may. An increase oi
the cost will not increase the price in II market
sready abundaAtiy supplied. For the article
slll bring the market price and no more,
ss the article come from where 1t will, or cost
shat II will. And the importer will make Just
% much less profit, or lose Just so much more, rs
Inc cost may be increased by duties, or otherwise
The consumer Will pay Just the market price-no
more and no icss-without reference to the profit
erioss Of the seller Competition, III an abnnd
\ anily supplied market, will always keep the prcc
Il DOWN 10 the icloest marx which any class OF sell
efs can possibly afford it for; and all other cass-
es Of sellers must either give up the market, or
reduce the first cost, go much as TO obviatc the
increase of charges, which they have TO cncount-
!, e in the shape OF duties, &c. For instance,
Wheat now pays duty of 25 cents per bushel.
The domestic producer keeps our market abGnd-
| anlIy supplied If an importer would compete
i with our citizens in New York market, he must
4 t,,c ,ts,s-