Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-04-09

,,, Here is one glorious, and praiseworihy, ana im
.n.,ol benefit conferred on The people OF Virginia
Tbor can under the present Iarii, ouy IRON d. 90
Ton which the Wing Tariff committee averrea con.u 70
al;vered under 90 per cent revenue DUTY IL -" p
80 ucrc i, a tremendous brag OF the fruits OIL tue
wh;r victory. The people have TO pay only t'ree as
~ on as they ought pay for English iron. lney ca',
hy under the Wing Tariff for sos, instead OF $50 ana
mc moor planlers must aud and magnify this boasted
ooniGcent financial measure, because we only nave ~
nav twice the worth of the article under lis oPera',on
poIy considering The embarrassed and depressed con,
d;on of the planters of Virginia, this mpudent appear
n their ignorance is most insulting and insuleraoe.-
They dare not deny the truth of the report made to Con
rress by their committee, nor The accuracy oi TIC
testimony of the iron manufacturers ,o,,
But for the high Tariff passed by the wings IN lol2'
tho duty on iron would have been reduced under The
compromise act 10 20 per cent and the committee say,
iron coud have been delivered 10 us at that duty Tor So
nor ION Under the present high Tariff the wing orags
that we can buy il for 500. The committee ahrm: 'tat
they collected their information from persons whose
means of knowledge and whose accuracy cdaRofbe qes
toned" Keep these facts then, before the peopletha,
The Tariff committee of 1912 and the iron masters them
selves report Congress, that under he ~ per CENT
d,u nc could hare bought iron al 1897 per ton, II Inc
COMPROMISE had not been dslurbed-that the present
bvh duties were laid the instance and petition OF the
iron masters TO prevent getting iron at S37 per ton,
and we are now compelled TO pay $50. il is useless to
call this "yrgnia abstraction ii is ndisputabe
fact authenticated by the high Tariff committee and
youchcd for By the iron masters-cvdence which Inc
Wings dare not attempt 10 fasify II stands recorded
on the journals Of Congress No Tariff man disputed 1t,
when il was repored and it was upon that evidence the
duty on iron was increased to prevent the price falling
to S37 per ton
But the Fcderalists tell u.s. the free admission of Eng
lish IRON or at low Duty would break down our manu-
lacturers, and then the price would rise most exorol-
family | need only say, could not be in orsc
condition. if such state of things should arise There
is certainly little displayed in conserving to pay
double price for iron under such apPrehensions The
Yankee manufacturer modestly tells the panter it you
throw open your ports TO English iron, they will sell to
YOU at half price, but if you pay Inc double the English
price per ton will guarantee the article TO you, and
prevent the English from raising their prices more than
double its present cost The Wing would call this
"lair proposition" For fear of little advance on S3,
we agree 10 pay 500 10 the Yankee. The Tariff may in
this way benefit the Yankee iron MASTER but ii will be
hard to explain how benefits the planters ana iarm-
crs should like TO have il explained.
There is mixture of ignorance fraud and fasehood
in the pretended fear that English iron would rise higher
than 500 per ton if manufactures were totally an
initiated. The price of English bar iron IN Liverpool
has not been high $50 per ton since 1873 and Tor
the greater part of the last twenty years has sold below
$40 per ton The prices given on page 81
of SaonstaIs report endorsed BY the Tariff committee
and tho iron masters As far back ISL 1t sold for
less than $40 per ton; and in ISL 1t was lower than
our iron now This testimony ought to be conclusive
Let US however settle the point BY further cxamna-
ton II proven tctorc the select committee oil the
House OF Commons of Great Britain Gin The report oil
9Th Of May, $780, page 49, that Great Britain produced
three -fourhs of all the iron made in the world Besides
the enormous production in England, there are great
quantities made in Sweden, Russia and Germany. The
population of the United States may be put down IN
round numbers at eighteen millionsthe population Of
the world al eight hundred millions Now, the WING
argument is this If you put down the iron manufactures
of the eighteen millions in the United States, you will
double the price OF iron in the whole world containing
eight hundred millions-when ton of iron cx
ported from the IT, States, and when The cost OF making
il here is three times great as in England where
three fourths Of all the iron is made England makes
three ourths of all the ron and supplies three ourths
Of the consumption OF the whole world. She could ca
silly supply the consumption of the United States. But
to attach much Importance to the iron furnaces of the
United States, with these facts before is too absurd
and ridiculous for argument.
do not know whether such statements proceed from
sheer and unauthorized ignorance or some less mcro
rous apology The capacity and means OF production
in Eng land arc unlimited. 1t is 10 pro-
duce fifty thousand tons al single establishment The
price of labor not half its price here; sometimes not
lourt-he rate Of interest money not hall IS high
as here-thc price of coal used in its manufacture, far
lower-thc cost Of transportation 10 our own markets
cheaper than from our own furnaces. With cheaper
labor, cheaper capital cheaper materials, greater SKILL
larger establishments how we compete with them
The answer is plain. In no other way except BY bur
thcnng agriculture to support manulacturesoy forcing
the planter pay 500 per ton, instead oil 3-by plum
derng The hard and honest earnings OF planting TO up
hold the Improbable investments OF the iron mastrrs
the truth be told Let imposition and fraud be
practiscd on the agricullurist He is VIGOROUSLY op
pressed not benefited He is Systematically swindlcd
by color of law TO pay protected class Of monoposls.
To characterize that legislation unjust and oppressive
is not enough Ii is o1ous and abuminable. 1t is in
imitation Of the features in the legislation OF the
Governments reared upon exclusive pryi-
leses favored classes aud distinct orders 1t is at war
with the genius and spirit OF free institutions, which
recognize in theory equal rights and fair taxation
The high Tariff takes $50 out OF the pocket OF the
planter on every ton of American iron he uses and
places il in the pocket Of the manufacturer. II lax,
not for the Treasury but for the iron master. II goes
snder the of encouraging E" home industry, "do-
nestle manufactures - "American labor" They mean
simply this: The English will sell us iron at 25 per ton,
and take our tobacco and flour in exchange. The Wings
say must pay $50 per ton for English and American
encourage home industry and american fa5or-
The farmer who works with the iron tools must pay
double price for his iron encourage and protect the
iron master They say, must cypress the labor OF
the farmer and planter protect tire labor of the iron
master The labor Of the agricullurat with the iron
tools is rot american labor nor home induslry.H-
You may tax the farmer in his iron, his sugar. SALT hats,
blankets shirts and shoes, ''hls plantation tools, kitchen
utensils and household urniturc"-hs labor is not home
Industry nor "domestic manufacturers" But enough at
present. If you desire, will resume the subject.
A PLANTER.
PENNsYLVANIA-seJe!
Extract OF letter from of The most authentic |
sources in Pennsylvania. W attach great importance
In the iDtellipence and the