Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1844-02-13

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must be entirely repudiated as the broad
doctrine of protection is. Free trade is the
true and the only ienable ground; 6 TO this
complexion we must come at last" and the
sooner the better for the Interests of the
country.
So says the Milwaukee Democrat, and il
speaks our sentiments exactly. Free trade
is our doctrine. and should be the doctrine
without disguise, of every democrat, for it is
the true policy for the interest of the mass
We cannot help but believe that the people
are in favor of it, and if those who pretend to
speak the r sentiments and advocate then
rights, would not fall behind the age, lei
them grapplc the subject boldly.
Free trade, say many, cannot be cmbra.
ced with safety by the United States, until
all other nations embrace it and it becomes
universal. On this point the Earl Spencer
at an anti-corn law dinner in England, said
"With respect to the objection that foreign
ers will not take our manufactures in eX-
change, if we have their corn they must be
paid for it, know of only one way of pay
ing them, directly or indirectly, and that is
by the industry of the people. | set little
value on reciprocity treaties. If We take
from the foreigner corn, we must pay for il
with our manufacturers The objection ur-
ged against partial free trade is, that willis,
we open our ports 10 the goods of England
their restrictions prevent them from taking
our products in return, whereby the country
is drained of its gold and silver and the peo-
pie impoverished. This we believe is the
principal, if not the only, argument against
partial free trade. But the objection is good
for nothing. SO far as the taking of our pro
ducts by England is concerned, we do moi
see that free trade on our part is TO make
any difference. England will be just as able
to take our products then as she is now and
the same necessity will exist for her having
them; indod, a greater necessity, for the bet.
ter market we give them, the fewer produ-
GERS and the more consumers will they have
But, it is said again, they will sell us theil
goods at a high price and give lis what they
please for our products in return. If they
merely took our products for the sake OF ia
king them, the reasoning might hold good
but whilst they furnish us TO a great extent
with the luxuries, we furnish them with the
absolute necessities of life, so that our hold
on them will probably be as strong as theirs
upon US, and we shall be equally able &c
dictate prices. The Whiglogic would hold
good if the wealth of country consisted on
ly in her stores of gold and silver, instead o
the industry OF her citizens in the develop
ment of her resources. As long as Europe
has starving population of millions ant
America is principally engaged in producing
the necessarles OF lifo, wo need not fear tina
our prices will be dictated to us, or, if we d,
not pursue the narrow policy of restrictn.
foreign importations, that we shall ever wan
market for our products.
A tariff for whatever purpose, is but
splendid humbug, conceived by designing
politicians to effect ends which they dare no
propose plainly. If the people were com
PEELED to pay directly, the tax which they
now pay indirectly by means of protective
and revenue tariffs, it would create rebel
l;on.
A tariff for revenue operates oppressvely
and unjustly. The consumers of the pro
ducts taxed pay the TAX; of course then, al
the revenue raised by this means is paid b,
our own people. Now, direct.tax could be
collected all over the country and paid into
the National treasury, for five per cent, willis
to collect it by customs costs not less thar
twenty-five per cent. And TO what purpose
is the difference applied? does il 90 to ben
eft the people in any way? No, it docs not
1t goes TO build marble custom houses in our
commercial cities, to build and sustain, ant
officer and man, revenue cutters, to make
nabobs of collectors, and furnish fat living
for their hundreds of retainers; to keep ur
a prosecuting attorney, and it opens the dool
and keeps it open for the innumcrable pee
ulations and frauds which the government is
continually suffering, at the expense of the
mass. 1t operates unjustly, because The tax
by no means falls as such tax should, on poo.
pie, according to their property. The pool
man pays as much, if not more tax than the
rich man and he certainly pays more accor.
ding TO his means. He buys many articles
on which he pays tax, necessary for his Ia
Dor, which the rich man does not; he con-
sumes as much of food of various kinds and
nearly as much of clothing. 1t is fact too,
that by the late tariff, the duties are much
greater in proportion on those goods ncces-
sary for, and purchased by the poor, than BY
the rich-and we have no doubt that the man
OF 500 of property pays as much towards
the support of the government, as the man
of 5000. This is not as ii should be; bu,
it is just as it will be, until different system
OF raising revenue is established.