New-York daily tribune., 1845-12-16
PolkIsm on the Tariff.

PolISism on the Tariff.
Hon. ANDREW STEWART of Pa having moved IN
s,ructions in the House Of Representatives to Its
Committee of Ways and Means to le; the Tariff
alone, brought to his feet in reply Hon. Andre'o
johnson Of Tennessee, LocoFoco OF the genuine
stamp, who pounds the Kane letter as the Wings
did before and the Locos have done stnce Polk was
elected. Quite little of-hand debate cnsued be-
tween the two gentlemen, growing out o. ire pro-
fessed inability Of Mr.. Johnson 10 see how fro'ec'
i've Duties could benefit the producers oil ffoee'co
articles without increasing their prices ANA yet
apply this principle 10 any matter Oh "h'e" M
Johnson is no, essentially ignorant ana nc couio
comprehend it easily enough For familiar exam
ple, we will presume that Mr.. Johnson is per Sc
Tennessee lawyer, pleading cases in Justices and
Comfy Courts at an average of S5 each. He gets,
we will say. six cases month and is just enabled
10 live on the proceeds thereof. Now il any change
could be effected whereby he would have forty suits
a month to manage, ne would do far better than at
present although he received but 81 each having an
income Of $3.50 per month instead OF $50. Now this
s precisely the way in which Protection operates to
benefit the American producer OF wares and iaorcs
without increasing the prices OF his products tie
can produce Ten times his former amount al a to~er
Average price, and get make more money. The
Tariff enables him TO do this by shutting out or great
ly restricting capricious Foreign competition which
formerly derangedal his calculations markets and
business, and leaving him rivals but those whom
he can calculate for and meet on a fair and equal
footing. Ii helps him also by making employment
more general and steady among our People thus
,l,o ka, for
wares and fabrics than they would otherwise be-
We see these truths exemplifed in our own busl-
ness Printing Paper is now protected by an utterly
prohibitory duty yet we buy it fully as cheap as
when the duty was nominal The price is regulated
by the cost Of producing it, not al all by the duty
So newspapers, in which Foreign competition Is
virtually precluded by their nature are cheaper
in this country than anywhere else-cheaper than
they could be here with an effective Foreign compc-
tition. We cannot doubtSthat if Foreign Newspa-.
pers could circulate here as Foreign Calicoes can
be Sold answering precisely the purpose and sup
planting the use Of the home made article, Newspa
pers generally would be far dcarer here lsize and
contents considered than they now We say
they would be, because the cost of producing part
Of our supply in Europe and part here would be
greater tnan tllat Ol producing lHe WHOlc HcIe GU
of any other article TO which Nature iuterposcs no
impediment to its unlimited production in the Coun
try where it is wanted with as little labor else
where.
Mr.. johnson summed up his Political knowledge
and the wisdom Of his party in the following axiom,
which clearly embodies the essence of Loco Foco-
ism
ITO hear orators. both In the country at large
and in this House, would suppose that Gornnmen
could build mp class of The citizens ,cith0nt pulling
doOn another. II ioas all faiidciOms
Of course that ends the matter. 80 far az any one
mans assertion end it, Its essence is hostility
to all National encouragement 10 Industry, whether
by Incidental duties or otherwise. If Manufactures
are aided incidentally by the policy of the Govern
ment one class is just as much built up as though
Protection were directly attempted, and of course
some other class or classes must be "pulled domH"
by the process according to Mr.. Johnsons logic
Compare this with the incucations of WASHING.
TON, JEFFERSON MADISON, GEo. CLINTON, ToMP
KINs, JACKSON, lin his better days. &c. &c. who
continually and forciby urging the Protection
OF the weaker and more exposed branches of our
National Industry, not TO pull down others. but in
order that all might be built up and made prosperous
They insisted that Protection to Manufactures was
in truth Protection and aid TO erery branch of Home
Labor and Production. Were they fools Were
they mad Judge ye between the Old and the
Young Democracy