The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1844-01-08


nation for that object.
Having thus touched upon DISCRIMINATION in favor
of domestic manufacture however, for the
purpose Of protecting industry bat TO provide the
Of defence in war-he strides off into very
different sort of discrimination determination TO let
in articles free Of duiy) in the following manner.
DETERMINATIONS have constantly been made in ia
yor OF articles imported for the OF philosophical
or literary societies, for the encouragement OF the
fine arts, for the of Seminaries of learning,
specimens in natural history, animals imported to
breed, &c sc. &c.-all founded on the same pFin-
cple in respect To the universally Of the benefits
designed to be secured at the common expense"
And what has all this to do with the protective pot
ICY unless be to cover up his hostility to by talk
ing largely of discrimination for the purposes which
have relation to it whateverl
He proceeds to a most nsidious, aud disn-
genuous argument against protection, which he adj
dresses, in effect, to the poorer classes in the follow
ing language.
''But above all, is the power 10 make them Cdis-
ordinations of inevitable importance, the only
of relieving the poorer classes from the une-
quail operation OF this mode Of collecting the public
revenues, and Of partially realizing Mr.. Je(ferson's
beautiful dPn OF a wise and frugal government--one
which shall restrain men from njnriDg one another,
and shall leave them otherwise free TO regulate their
pursuits Of industry and improvement; and shall
not take from the mouth Of labor the bread il has
earned"
What sort II discrimination is it which is thus to
favor the poo to 'reaize Mr. Jefferson's beautiful
dea''-to '"cstrdn men from njuring one another,'
and to "raye them to regulate their pursuits Of
industry" Wh,, ii Is the kind Of discrim,
nation q which h, had Just spoken, namely-ad-
mit,g articles frne Of duty. This is the discruna,
ton which is '''sol take from the mouth OF labor
the Cread 1t .ss earned."-as though discrimination
involving, not freedom from duty, but a projecting
duty, would take the earned bread from labor's
mouth, when il VIGOROUSLY fills the mouth oflubor by
giving good wages, with steady demand. pro-
tecting tariff is emphaticaly the poor mans friend
This truth is written every page Of the history of
our tariff polcy,-a truth which Mr. Van Buren, entire
ly ovsrlooks while discrimination for free trade ia
held up a boon FOR poverty TO eoyet lie then
| proceeds follows
| "The man OF wealth, when he paysa tax in the
| form Of impost which nures, individually To the nd-
vancement Of special interest, in which he 10 NOT
concerned las though the whole community, rich
and poor mot concerned" in the protection of
every branch Of our industry s, in degree reeonc
ed by the reflection that, il the amount paid, not
collected in this form, itwould be assessed upon him
in another referng to direct taxaton1 by which the
amount Of his contribution in comparison with those Of
hisless uiuent neshbor would be materially euhanc ed
But TO the poor man, such consolation is afforded
! The system [that is the protecting systeml which
operates thus fhvorably to his fortunate neigh
Dor, increases his taxes in increase ratio to his
ability to pay. Every additional mouth that he has
| feed adds to the contribution he is obliged TO
make for the support of government. Mr. Van Bu-
nothing but 'taxes,' and contributions in
protective Tariff II is only by discrimination in
faror Of articles necessary 10 his comfort, THAT let
ting in free OF duty, articles competing with the man
uIacures necessary to his comfort'l that the iujus-
ce 10 which he is exposed can be mitgated. Il 1dis
criminatiOnl IS therefore, power The constant and
faithful exercise Of which is, in my judgment. deman-
ded by considerations Of Justice, humanity and sound
policy"
IT'hai discrimination is this, which is thus deman.
ded J.? Out of its connexion with what precedes il
may be taken and quoted, often has been, dis
elimination for protection; when, connected with
what goes before. it is discrimination or a precisely
opposite character sin favor of art-
cles' used BY the poor man tina, is letting them In
free of duty, upon the supposon that he is thereby
benefited.
This is the mplexon 10 which Mr. Van Buren's
professions of friendship for protective tariff
last. His conclusion rests upon the assumption that
increase ofdutes increases prices TO the same u
mount; when the whole history Of the protective
policy shows that this is true but that in fact
increase Of duty sometimes even dminshes the
price; while with that elimination is connected anot6
advantage the consumer--that Of the increased
demand for labor aud all its products which full en-
Payment Of our manufacturing faclities invariably
furnishes.
The manner in which protection, acting directly on
articles of our manufacture dfiuses its benefits ihro'
the whole community and acts Labor in all its de-
partmen,s, Mr. Van Buren, seems not to understand.
lie affects the contrary, consider protection as
inuyng TO the benefit OF the manufacturers exclusive
ly, whose interests to him be built up at the
expense of other classes and especially the poorer
classes Of the community.
There is one passage of his letter with which
will close my quotations, in which this false view Of
the subject is brought in very peculiar and s,rk
ing manner.
The position assumed by Your convention The says,
''und in which fully concur it, that the incdensl
protection thus devised that before quoted from
"a discriminating tariff for revenue purposes onEy'l
is all the legislative favor which can, this day. be
conferred upon the hanufacturer without great in
justice other interests. We have il from quarters
entitled to respecttha the most consderat Of The d.