The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-09-10

MR., wRlGHT's SPEECH,
Reported for he Daily Albany .hsa.s'
(Oohcluded)

During the last session, was one Of those who
was willing 10 modify the present tarih. wouia
not have agitaled this subject voluntarily although
believed that while the law con NAMED many good
things, it also contained many Just and bad ones
But ! was willing, when the subject came up and
| was compelled 10 act TO do whal / believed 10 DC
right. | will give one instance IN which thought
the law def ctve. As 10 tbis very article oil wool
think the duty on hne wool suihciently hish'
think with safety 10 our farmers, II might be reduced
some made 10 yield more revenue, and YET be an
equally effective protection 10 them. Whether ! am
mistaken or not, time Will determine. But speak
of the duty on coarse wool from abroad. There Is
description nvoced abroad costing not more thah
seven S, which pays daty OF hve cents on The
dollar-a practical duty Of three mills on the pound
of wool 1t is said this wool don't come in compeu-
ton with ours We grow wool worth seven
cents ii is true but our farmers do raise Wool tlal
will The very same purpose that TINS does o
every practical ent, With my own eyes, on my
Journey IRON Washington in the month OF June,
saw in Vermont manufacory, surrounded by wool
growers, employed busily and exclusively IN work ng
the wool OF Smyrna, which paid hve cents duty on
the dolaf three mills on the pound. Anoth.r
factory the street, was working American
wool. Both make the same goods; satlnets Tor The
New York market. How stood these manufactures
with reference TO protection' Precisely allke--the
cloth made by each is protected by duty OF forty
cents on the dollar. But the iooot manufactured by
the is protected by DUTY OF forty cents on the
dollar, and by the other with duty OF five cents on
the dollar. Is the protection equal here II IS not
protec lion TO the manufacturer, equal in both cases
But il the coarse wool charged with much
duty as the fine, would have found factory
working the wool OF Smyrna No If il is right 10
protect the manufacturer, II is right to protect the
ia mer also, and TO tie same extent, This is one
defect. There are a vast many others. great
many defects under this law are what denomina-
ted specific duties not duties the value but duties
the pound weigat of the goods. Take the strong,
firm, black silks, which article generally
in all our country towns and villages. Weigh a
piece of it; value It, 1t will weigh about double the
SAFE numDer of yards Of fine, figured French silks.
1t Will cost half as much money abroad. Yet the
pound weight pays he duty Of two and half
dollars in the case and in the other. What is
The consequence The pam farmers and mechan-
les family, who do not cannot indulge IN SILKS be-
yond the plain substantial dress OF the description
have designated, pay about double the duty that the
family does that INDUCES in the extra, fine and light
silks of france. think this is perverns the whole
matter If you favored either you should favor
those who purchase and wear the more necessary
article. do not pretend that silk dress is necessa
ry; but II is very desirable and comfortable 10 our
wives and daughters and SISTERS and we desire them
to have them; and because We do, sha,l pay
double or treble what the lady does who is able to
wear the rich silks and gaudy aces of foreign coun-
tries
Agan-our coarse cottons--aDd speak in the pre-
sence ol those who under IanJ this better than do
take our duty on cotton manufactures They are not
specibc but there Is another contrvance applicable
TO them, called a minimum duty, which may be thus
explained. The law says, every yard of cotton,
bleach or unbleached, shall be valued hen import
ed, at twenty cents the square yald, and on that
value, pay duty Of thirty cents on the dollar Now
OF all the cotton worn by the of citizens of this
country what does the square yard abroad where
IT comes from What do you suppose is the average
We purchase, believe IN the retail stores, al from
6 to 10 cents. ltis very fine and rich article when
you go beyond that. The average would be 10 or
I2i cents. What would be the cost abroadi Some
of # q or ctnts-tbe mass of it. What is the duty :
Why, you must value TIE yard at 20 cents, and at
that value pay duy of 80 cents on he dollar You
value IL at Two or three times much II is worth
then add thirty per cent-thus making the duty sixty
or ninety, and as the tables will show, hundred
and twenty per cent. Take those who can afford the
snlrtings and sheetings that abroad cost 20 cents
what do they pay Thirty per cent. duty. Here
the true principle reversed The NJ cessary article
Is taxed The highest If not entirely prohibited be-
heVe IL is prohibited; but the domestic competition
relieves us from greyous monopoly In hat part Of
thd tariff Take up the tables Of importatons and
you will hnd the beached cotions coming in on the
highest valuat ms. lake the calicoes. Value eve
~ squire yard at 30 cents; then charge duty of
80 per cent. on that All of you purchase calico
What do you pay Tor the OF wear in this country
vaues II al thirty and then charges a duty of tirty
cents on the dollar. Take caiico, which costs abroad
thlTiy cents That pays thirty per cent duty; while
the pain and cheap artice in common use paws dou-
bic and treble hat duty. Here the true principle IS
again reversed. The cheaper and necessary ariel,
Is the highest taxed. There is determination but
the wrong way. And here think the law defective
doubt f you don't discriminate enough on these
goods, when you make unlfJrm duty on the value
on all IL itl necessary to tax couons 30 per c, nj
tar all the same not pot artificial value on the
poorer article Increase the duty Stll | would
protect generousy-and 60 TO the ia extent of hat
- Just-these manufacturers of cotton and WOOL
They should be protected, but not in Ibis unequal
way.
Let US consider CONTINUED Mr.. Wy as connected
with these articles, the prohibltory poicy-for that
Is the policy of our opponents. Suppose we carry
our duty wOollens and cottons up 10 prohibition
and 10 protect our manufac, urcrs and incidentally
~ the article of wool our farmers We 90 so hip b
with our duty as to prohibit importation. We first
| give our manufacturers monopoly Of the market
Then we have ony domestic competition 10 protect
Us from erorbitan prices. But We lose L millions
of revenue, and we mus, be taxed on some other AL
/ tcies t. make II up. And ask any mar who has
he curiosity TO examine this subject to 90 to the Ia
| bies of mportitions for any number Of years, and
on what he can lay duties TO supply hi. defcrn.
cy DISK millions made by raising this prohibiion-
know Of none but the tea and coffee which are now
free. And would 1t be right to give the manu- actu-
fefs Of wool and cotton monopoly OF the market
and then tax the whole community these necessa-
ries 81 ! believe 1t would be unjust, unequal.
! and most lmpolltic
But we are told this policy is necessary to protect
! the labor Of the country-and that ii is the produc
tive labor OF the Union which desire to protee,
/ by this prohibitory system Let see how lar the
labor Of the country can be ptoected-how far il !.
IN the power Of Congress to project IT, We have
already seen that labor employed in raising grain
beef, pork butter and cheese cannot be protected
them. We export them. ! hen you cannot project
that class OF the labor Of the country. You can pro-
teoi IN his sense the manufacturing labor Let IA,
see how II will operate, ami how far labor will be
benefited Here (auding to the village Of Water.
town. are manufacturers, believe, OF cotton and
| wool, and all about you are farmers raising
] h.rL L.nrL md rraLlr1r L..ia..