Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1844-12-06
From the N Y Ev Post
The office of a Member OF Congress,

From the N. Y Ev. Post.
The office Of a Member OF Congress
There are different lights in which the office
Of member Of Congress is regarded. The
constitution looks upon him as the intelligent
and faithful representative of his constituents.
The friends of American industry, as the men
who make their fortunes by tariff of high
duties call themselves, have another theory.
They look upon member Of Congress as a
tool who is to be dexterously used for their
own profit and convenience, often without his
knowing it. The constitution presunes thai
he will he certain to understand every ques-
ton that comes before him before he gives his
vote. The protcctionists suppose no such
thing, and they are frequently right. They
suppose that when he Undertakes to settle a
tariff he has taken in hand a matter which he
does not understand and that by little man
agement he may BE- induced to tax his constt-
uents most Oppressively without being aware
OF what he is doing.
An example which come to our knowled oe
lately, will show that these ingenious friends
OF American industry" are not 80 very much
mistaken in their theory as one would sup
pose.
western member Of Congress, by no means
wanting in general intelligence, was in this
city not long since, and being in the ware
| house Of one of our importers, was shown a
sampeI Of cotton goods, and asked how much
duty he thought it paid.
at is cotton, beIieve!" said he.
at is cotton
'Fhen it pays duty of thirty per cent
The tariff of 1912 imposes duty of thirty per
cent. on imported cottons generally"
ut pays duty of more than a hundred -
replied the importer. He then went on to show
how, by the help Of the ingenious trick call
! ed minimum, which the eastern manufacture
ers introduced into the tariff, the goods in
question were made to pay more than hun.
drrd per cent, and how many other fabrics
were taxed twice that amount.
| The member Of Congress was surprised.-
The manufacturers, he said, had claimed a
duty of thirty per cent. as measure necessary
for the safe prosecution Of their business; he
had thought the request reasonable one, and
voted for the tariff with the id ca that he was
taxing imported cotton goods only thirty pei
cent. on their value. .s -s.r. ...r
SO successfully were the members Of Con-
grrsS humbugged in l842-we speak not oil
all who voted for the tariff, for some of the
menhers folder standing must have under
stood what they were doing and assisted in
practising the deception upon the rest-thai
tie rane is now renewed. The tariff Of 1912
IS to he saved from repeal by practising up
un the credniitv which was so successfully
i opp"2."d 10 when it was passed.
! FHc members Of Congress are to be made
! to believe that the prosperity Of the nation de-
penJs npGn the tariff and will be destroyed
the moment it is touched. Accordingly the
viii" newspapers ring with alarming accounts
o(, Ii H.,1
built. and manufacturing companies dissolved
merely because Mr.. Polk is elected. If the
fear of rpdur;on Of the tariff produces such
an effect, they ask, what will be the conso-
qu"ucp Of the actual red"csian1 what but star
vntlon and beegary to halt our population
The design of the clamnr is to practice up
on the li,nidlty and the presumed ignorance o
The members of c congress. and to prevent them
# possible. from reducing the duties to rea
son;.br tate. such as the consumers will cheer
tally bear. NO doubt certain manufacturing
Enterprises nav" been abandoned, and wisely
~ur f.;it'V Is to threaten e.Ch other Will
,u!,., .,vt Ii if tn. tariff were not tn be revised
Oar readers may possibly reco'lect the ruin
which excessive competition brought upon 81
many Of the stockholders in the eastern man
nfActuring companies. some fifteen or slXteeT
wears ago. Thu protective system was in full
effect; everybody rushed into the business o
manufacturing cottOns and wo,llens; man'
families invested all they had in the stock o
cotton and woOlen mills; the market hecam
ovrrStocked, the stocks became worthless, AM
thousands were reduced from comfort TO pow
f erty. Nothing more has now happened thai
that similar madness has been checked, ant
a similar catastrophe prevented. Yet tn
whig organs. by diIigent and daily eXaggera
ton. are striving to magnify this wholesom
check and this h1ppy prevention into a nigh
~ mischief, which is to freeze the souls Of tn
members Of Congress with fear, and induc
them wholly to abstain from meddIing witt
the tariff.