Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1844-04-18
Fer As Ga-effe.
THE EFFECTS OF A PROTECTIVE
TARIFF ON THE WHEAT-GR0N-
ING INTEREST.
NO. ..
EFFECT ON THE PRICE OF
WHEAT AND VALUE OF
WlIEAT-LANDS.

have saved wheat aud the wheat-lsnds OF
the old States from a ruinous decline oil
price; and that Tariff, at least as strong
as the present one, is necessary to save
them in future from such decline.
We have seen that the whole wheat
crop OF The U. States was, in Al, upwards
of 81 600, 900 bushels, and in '42 more
than 102 900, 900. The srhole export OF
aour in Al (see report ofSec. of Treasury
of Dec. IL, l543) was, in money, S7,759,-
646 IN AZ, 81 1915, $50. The same re-
port shows that the maximum of the flour
expectation for The preceding ten or twelve
years was little over $4,000, 1000. 1t
rose to SIC, 000, 900 in '3l, and TO &c.,
900 900 in 40. 1t did not reach So, 000,-
900 in any other year, but frequently fell
below 5,000,0 900. The expectation OF
wheat unmanufac;ured ranges in those
years between 9Th and 10Th Of the -four
expectation /; and an additional million OF
dollars for il will make the full annual
amount of our whole foreign sale of this
particular production. $4,000, 900 may
be taken then as the full annual value OF
our foreign market for wheat and Door,
| And this taken from one hundIei million
bushels, the amour, OF crop 10 which we
have risen, aud below which there is no
likelihood of our falling <, future, leaves
something over 90, 1000 200 bushels to find
market, here at hcine or no where.
The amount OF wheat consumed for food
10 the U. 5. atrresent is estimated at so,
600, 900 bushels; and when We bear in
mnd that eur entire slave population,
numbering q millions, are non-consumers
OF wheat, and that 5000, 900 out oil the
100000 of our white population are
! hide more than infants in their mothers
arms, and consequently consume very lit.
tie; and lastly, that very large numbers
OF our poorer classes, from its superior
chespness, use Indian corn almost exclu-
sively, the estimate would aPpea. to be al
least large enough. Estimating then our
consumption for food at SO, 900, 900 bush
els, we have on excess left on our hands
of more than 10000, 900 bush. Every
body knows that if any agricultural pro.
duct is produced in such quantity as to ex-
coed in very great degree the market
demand for it, ii must fail prodigiously in
price, and bring down at the same time
the value oil the lands producing it. unless
a substitute production can be found. 10
this particular region Of country for which
| am writing, and indeed in all The exten.
slve wheat regions of the country at large,
no grea. staple production could be sub
sttutej for wheat. Indian corn would
not dot is already reproduced cot
ton and sugar do not belong to the Middle
and Northern climate; tobacco and hemp
would not admit OF any great increase Of
production, their prices being already low
with the present measure of supply; one
farmer or one county might produce, as a
principal crop, some one of the important
vegetables, the potato for instance, which
enter largely into general consumption,
but ifan extensive region of country pro-
duced it as a principal production, the
over-supply would gorge and destroy The
market. There can be no substitute,
then, 10 our iarmers for their wheat crop !;
AMI an excess OF its general production
over the market demand for it must, in
the nature of things, unless we find means
of doing it away, bring down the price Of
wheat and the value OF wheat lands.
The friends Of Protection contend
| LIST. That our protective Tariffs have
prevented the great excess in the wheat
crop, over The natural demand, from be.
ing greater by diverting labor and capital
from the production Of wheat and
ID. That our manufactures &C., which
have been created ond Supported by pro.
lection, have sometimes consumed the
whole, and always great and substantial
part of the excess as it stood, and are
likely, in the course OF Their growth ard
increase, to insure regular and const an!
consumption of the whole crop of the
country.
We say that without the protection
which Government has afforded directly
TO great number of American Interests
by the long series of protective Tariffs,
the alarming excess of the wheat crop
would have been by this time far larger
than il is. II we are correct in what we
say, the lands in the Valley of Virginia,
where no general crop can be substituted
for wheat, would have been TO day, FIVE
had been without our protective Tariffs,
selling for about one dollar in five of Their
present market value; in other words,
the present fair prices of our Valley lands
are owing 10 The rery protective policy
which our opponents say is so fatal TO the
agricultural interest.
And are we not correct in these views
In country like the United States, where
the richest lands in the world are abun.
dant and easy of acquisition, The great
mass Of population are always apt TO be.
come cultvators of the soil. The life OF
farmer u.s. IN many respects, preferable
to all other modes of life. 1t is more in.
dependent than any other. lie relies up.
on his own toll to put HIM in the way OF
subsistence, and upon the "early and the
latter rains" 10 make it good TO him; he
is only dependent on providence and his
own industry and thrift for full and sure
supply Of the great wants of life. More.
over, his life is the most agreeable life in
the world-especIall on rich lands and
in temperate and fruitful climate. He
is not cramped up in cities, jostled oy the
current of human nature in the mass,
which is all calculating brairs and eager
hands, and does not recognise sympalhies