The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-06-17
rh~ Tars1 Quessio..

WINS WIN ttt1 ural oi ihttfN"~
custom on the question Of the Tariff as it Is con-
Quoted BY the newspapers OF both parties IN 'his
latitude and longitude Of the county Weesnnoi,
Tor the Life Of a.. avoid being infinitely amused by
the peculiar and .cs,afe degree Of ignorance with
which they pus iorh theories utterly baseless in
point Of truth or feet snd utterly ridiculous in poip,
Of all praciical auiiiy Purpo->s 81 legislation or
individual sciion. The most noisy and vociieTous
Of The tariff organs in lhi- par OF the country are
IN. Nss Y@k Tsfb~a< and the COpriev swd En.
susrsr In former years the CsuriU aad Engrirsr
had some practical good sease on thls question. bat
ever since q secured Cor the interest ID Mr..
Webster Cor "the Succession" by an operation set
on foot 20 ettricate Il from iis difficulties Il has
gone. body and soUl. into the ultra notions on the
tariff question, and has not besn whit behind the
sbsurdlt~s. contradictions. and follies which marx
aud Distinguish the Tfibsa
Asa general question perhaps. no Is Opposed
20 just and proper ar.ng~nent Of the tariff laws
calculated to benefit Anercsn manufacturing and
other Interests. 80 far their provisions can have
any indirect influence on commercial and indus
Trial operations. The absurdiiy II imPsfins de-
sire to promote Brush inter- Al the expense OF
Amencan 20 all who not ultra IN their notions
in this question palpibie to every person 81 com.
mon sense Yet we have no doubt that the erTo-
neoas impressions communicated 10 the Pubic
mnd on this subject. have been principally fixed
there by endeavorng 10 make false issue in repre-
seniing an ultra tariff a. besehcial 10 Amercan
interests, and a wise and discriminating tariff a.
being in opposition 10 thoss interests and in favor ci
foreign. Such opinions are dishonest and fsnsii-
cal-st least they psrtake to great eaten, OF
those two Characteristics.
The whole history Of the effects OF tariffs of va
rious kinds, shows that as a measure OF protection,
tariff law is very inefficient and very weak and
that its only protection is OF speculative character,
tending only on the imposition OF high duty
particular article, improve the value ct the
stock and goods OF the special manufacturer who
may happen to come under the provision Of that
law. But in other respects, blind and inconside-
rate tariff, enacted without reference 20 practical
science, has frequently been shown by the com
mercial history OF some years past, TO be extremely
Injurious TO the very interests It proposes to support
Look at the tariff of ~, and mark its efFects
already in commercial and other industrial opera
tons throughout this country. In consequence OF
the high duties imposed by that tariff on mporta-
tons, vast surplus Of revenue has already accu-
mulated in the government banks, and this accn-
mutation, instead OF being beneficial to the CONNER
cal agricultural interests Of the country, exercises
To this accumulation in certain banks may be
ascrbed the of the recent rise ia speculation
in New York, and the other principal cities OF the
Union. This has been the cause OF the increased
value of worthless socks-of the diversion OF large
amount of commercial capital from the pockets OF
the merchants to the Golfers OF the banks, which is
employed in all sorts OF worthless aud ruinous spe-
cuations But does this tariff increase the value OF
agricultural. produce? Does It add single cent to
the price of flour, any other agricultural pro-
duct Certainly not. The whole of It's operations,
thus far, is confined merely TO what called fancy
stocks That is the only kind of product which IL
seems calculated to protect and foster, and, which
we do mol need to say is the most worthless article
of traffic, forming the staple of the operations OF
these spectators, who prey upon the industry and
labor of the whole community at large. But the
beneficial effects agriculture agricultural pro.
auctions not visible at all. II is the
For years past the value of agricultural pro-
duets has not been so low as at this moment, and
the probability is that it will be still lower when the
crops come into the market.
In this point of view, based upon facts which
cannot be denied it will be seen that the present
tariff thus far has been beneficial only to the specu-
lators in the large ctes-to the fancy stock obbers
to the government banks--to all those who are
connected with monied institutions and that the
agricultural laborer in every part of the country
has been more injured and more cramped by the
operations of that very law, which was trumpetcd
forth as being their great protector, than by any
legislative measure ever adopted. If we were to 60
back and trace effects to their cause and relation
to all those tariff laws commencing with 1928, and
going on to 1897 and 49, we would find the same
disastrous results growing out of the same partial,
foolish, and visionary legislation The tariff laws
of 1928 and 1892 produced the vast overplus in the
Treasury that created the whole arrangement in
the currency, and laid the foundation of those
events which resulted in the terrible revulsion OF
81 and 39. BY those injudicious laws, extracting
more money from the people than was required for
the wants Of the government the banks, first the
u 8. Bank, and then the State Banks, and after
wards the various States themselves by reason OF
the distribution law, got hold of the surplus and
made the basis of all the evils that have afflicted
the country since that period.
The tariff law of AZ begins to produce the same
results those we have just described as flowing
from Its predecessors. We challenge discussion
on this point. We ready to satisfy all reason
able men that the statement of the effects which
we ascribe to the operation of this unequal law, is
correct to the very letter.
IHR EXECUTIVE MOVEMENTS. We that Mr..
Ferris has been rejected. This has probably arisen
from the hostility which the Senate bears to Mr.
Curtis, the present Collector who, if they had
wished to retain Mr.. Curtis, would not have re-
jected Mr.. Ferris. For, after the adjournment.
the President will appoint new Collector, and
Mr. Curtis will walk the plank, and with him pro-
badly two-thirds of the subordinate officers.
We perceive that Mr.. James S. Green, of New
Jersey,-a very worthy man,-has been nominated
Secretary ofthe Treasury, and will probably no,
be confirmed He is athoroughgoing Tyler man and
staunch democrat, and would probably facilitate
the Custom House changes. II is curious enough
to see how justice is meted out. John c. Spence