Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-07-09
THE TARIFF AND THE FARMERS.

The american does not deny that The farmers
find bui a slow market and low prices for the
fruits of the earth, but insists that this is not ow
ing to The present high Tariff. II is utterly dis
ingenious and untounde,i," says that paper. 10
insist that the Tariff prevents our farmers from
finding market abroad for their agricultural pro-
ducc"
We will make the farmers our Judges in this
matter Let our worthy friends who live BY cul
tvatng the EARTH make ring, and leave the
American and The Evening Post to fight il out
while they stand as the umpies
Suppose that Mr.. Smith and Mr.. Brown are
settlers in the Western country, upon contiguous
farms al a distance from market, and from any
other settlement. Mr. Smiths land is admirably
adapted to the raising of turnips; Mr.. Browns
is an excellent soil fer potatoes. Each OF the Two
neighhors cultivales the crop which succeeds best
and when The harvest is over they supply each
other the one with turnipS and the Other with po-
tatocS
But suppose that, after proceeding awhile on
this plan of free trade, Mr. Smith begins 10 think
that although beautiful in theory, it will not an
swer in practice, and being inspired with vehe-
mcnt passion tor home industry, resolves 10 buy
no more potatoes of Mr. Brown, but TO raise them
for himself though III 4 greater cost. Ii is mani
Test thu, Mr.. Brown will have more potatoes on
hand than he knows how TO dispose Of and will
no longer have the means of buying Mr.. Smiths
turnips The next year he will Of course raise
fewer potatoes, and as he does not choose to be
i1lc, he will apply himself to raising turnips or
some substitute for turnips, such as parsnips or
The ruta baga.
What would happen in the trade between ndi-
viduals. will inevitably happen in the commerce
between nations II we shut out the manuiae-
lures OF any European nation, we leave them
with unsoh goods on hand we diminish their
means of buying of us, and we compel them to
turn their industry to the production OF something
which they NAV substitute for what we were in
the habit of sending them. When you check the
manufactures of Britain by prohibi,ory Tariff,
and turn her artizans ont Of their workshops and
factories YOU increase the number of persons in
that country who engage in the labors of agr-
culture for the cultivation of the earth is suscep-
tible of indefinite improvement and there is hard
" any spot 50 productive that, with more atten-
lien. skill and labor, it might not be made sill
more fruitful When YOU shut up The factories
in England, therefore YOU contract the market
for the products of American farms. You dothis
in two ways--you mpoverish 4 class of our Gus
TONERS. SO that they cannot buy as much as for
mcrly and you transform them into competitors
of our own farmers and hlsbandmen, and sharp
en- their invention to devise methods of doing
without us. |, IS certain. that the cultivation OF
the earth has surprisingly improved in Great Br-
tain within short time past and there is nodouht
that this is owing in great part, to the necessities
Of population destitute OF sufficient food and
employment.
Again: by prohibiting the importation of goods
from other countries, we make it expensive TO
send our produce abroad When the ships which
carry out our exports bring back cargoes in re-
turn, the expense of the voyage is divided between
the imports and the exports; when we export, bai
do moi import, as is the case to considerable ey-
tent under the presen, system, tn. whole expense
falls upon the cargoas exported This is one way
of accounting for the decline which the products
of the American farmers have suffered They
pay too great proportion Of the expenses Of our
shipping. The American intimates, for it does
net venture to assert, that The ports Of the world