Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1844-04-04
IEor ~ Gn-elte.
For the Gazette.
THE EFFECTS OF A PROTECTIFE
TARIFF ON THE WHEAT-GRON-
ING INTEREST.
no. /.

I'm GieA 1914 LOCI. ~ a M - 4.
The Democratic speakers are endeay-
curing TO persuade our farmers that the
tariff Of 1912 (which they call the 'Blsek
act") is hostile to our agricultural inter-
ests,--that the protection afforded to the
manufacturing aud other interests, is af-
forded at the expense ofihe farmer. Trey
say that protective tariff injuries The far
mer in several ways.
LIST. BY njuring the foreign market for
his productions.
81. By raising tie prices OF those arii.
cles Of necessity or comfort which, being
unable TO produce himself. he is obliged TO
buy.
/ propose taking up these objections in
the order in which | have placed them
] viii confne myself, this week to the
first ofthe two.
Oar opponents tell the farmers that the
imposition Of high duties on the produc-
tons of foreign country, which that
country wish 5 TO Introduce into our ports,
diminshes the importation, and to some
ext Mt cripp'es The country SO seeking 10
sell to Us, and to the same extent, lessons
us a5i6ty 10 buy our productions in this
way, they contend, the foreign market for
our wheat which is the staple production
Of The lands in this region, and thst On
which their value and the wealth of our
turner's depend, is injured. They say,
NOR over, that protective tariff, in as
much osit b. ars hard on foreign countries
.. a.. - a. Il
spifii OF retaliation and dispcses them
TO shut their markets against the in,roduc
ton Of our -four, and buy from other
quarters. la worl, the argument is
that protective tariff will lessen the d5iI-
iig and the iciH Of foreign countries TO buy
our agricultural Iroducts-~or TO come
down to what more particularly interests
the farmers OF this region, our fow-and
that. consequently, they 'eW buy less.
This was very forclblv urged by my
friend, Mr.. Beding r, the Democratic Elsc-
tor for this d street, in speech which |
recently heard him deliver. will en-
deayor 10 show that it is not entitled 10
much cons Iteration.
Our exports of -four are almost wholly
confined to two markets, the Eng sh aud
the South American. Russia and Prus-
STA and one or two of the MEDITERRANEAN
countries export wheat, and the other ma
tons of Europe feed themselves, 4
Wing tarff can therefore, if it operates as
the Democrats contend, inlure our flour
market only in England and South Amer.
lea, for we have none any where else.
But it is not commended that the South
American -four market is or will be affec.
ted We do not Eeed fence Of protec.
tive duties against Brazil and the other
South American countries, and we will
never build up one until it becomes neces-
sary-which suppose will never be the
case. They want our flour and will no
doubt continue 10 take Vt as they have
done hitherto, without reference to tariffs
which, however burdensome to England,
are not burdensome to them. The En-.
glish market is therefore the foreign Rour
market which the Democrats would have
US believe is, and is TO be, injured by a
Wing tariff.
Let US see in the outset what the value
# this market has been for series of
years, that we may knew what we would
Lose if we lost it Entirely. The wheat
crop Of the United States, for 1889, was
according to the last census "a 600, 900 Of
bushels. The Secretary of the Treasury
in his report of Dec. IL, lS43, states the
wheat crop Of l64l at OIL ,6l2 957 BUSH
els; and that Of 1912 az 02,3l7, $40
bushels. Here is an aggregate wheat
crop which may safely be put down at
one hundred millions Of bushels. Now
let us see what proportion Of this we sell
to England. | give statement taken
from the memorial Of Joshua Leavilt pre-.
sented to Congress in lS4l.