Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-12-13

had been 70 furnish TO the whole country official demonstration
mat prices had beenreduced by protective tariff fourth
or onenh OF what they had been in 1916 Take plain il
usraon the tariff imposed duty Of four per pound
on nails the pce OF nails in lsl had been Is per
pound so that the duty then per cent on the price
but the same duty told in this report Is 100 DER cent
and how 50 Because the price had fallen from sixteen cents
to four cents per pound Very Oppressive on the
PLANTATION Of all this perfectly pan and easy The effect
Of competition and Of American industry had increased the
supply and by increased supply in this in all other
cases. had reduced the price Of glass; cotton SC whilst Il
had rendered the whole neghbohood prosperous by the in
creased demand for all the productions Of the farmers
Mr. 8. thanked the chairman of the Committee Of Ways
and Means for his document il had furnished TO him and 10
the country undenabe proof from the highest authority
what prices had been reduced nsomuch that the
duty on one article though reasonable first had
three hundred and eighty per cent ad pao brought
about solely by the reduction Of the price. Mr. g. de6ed
escape from this position Let any gentlemen take the
port and examine H. and the they examined. the
they would be convinced that this true explanation Of
the whole matter Yet this held forth for the purpose Of
exciting alarms il furnished topic for popular defamation
it might persuade the poor man. that he greatly OPP
pressed because he paid Of two hundred per cent
his window glass and he perhaps would not understand that
if glass fell dollar box, he would be taxed four hundred
per cent, by any improvement In the manufacture he
should be enabled get his glass fifty cents box, why
then he would be paying the unheard Of tax Of
eight hundred per cent. This "poor man. of the
Secretary sometimes wanted to buy few nails and the Sc
creay alarmed him by the intelligence that nails taxed
hundred per cent their value So they but what
did he pay for them He used pay sixteen cents pound
but this wicked oppressive tariff had brought them down to
four cents. Now who did not that if specific duty of
four cents pound nails amounted TO hundred per
cent, should nails be brought down TO cent pound the
duty would be four hundred per cent What oppression
get nails at penny pound Surely the " poor man,
was likely to be utterly crushed and ruined.
Mr. s. said he had wished to point other of the
extraordinary doctrines contained in this paper of the secre
tary, and there which would sartle the country
covered up in cautious language, but when this veil
drawn asde and the truth exposed he again warned gentle
men that would stare the country This free-trade Sc
cetary had recommended American manufac-
tures Yes that the protection he had provided for
American industry it to take off the duty from foreign
and put it on our own Hear him
ain accordance with these principles il is believed that the
largest practicable portion Of the aggregate should be
raised by maximum duties upon uxures whether
grown, produced, manufactured at home abroad
Let mechanics and manufacturers hear that Every Anne
rican artisan should hear it. The duty to be articles
&C., whether grown produced, manufactured at home
abroad" Here American Secretary distinctly
mendng to levy the highest rate Of duties goods
at home. What this but excise What
was an excise than the manufactured goods
this country Yet this the Secretays recommendation.
How would American manufacturers like it J
Both in the message and in the report the Administration
had given its definition Of Yhat according its under
standng standard Of duty and this the
language of the Presidents message: asr
The precise point the ascending scale of duties which
is ascertaned from experience that the greatest
the maximum of duty which be laid for the bona
f purpose of collecting money for the support Of Govern
To raise the duties higher than that point and thereby
diminish the collected levy them for protection
merely and not for As long, then as Congress may
gradually increase the rate of duty given article and the
increased by such increase Of duty they within
he standard When they beyond that point and
they increase the duties the is diminished de-
royed the act to have for its object the raising of mo-
iey support Government but is for protection merely
Here the rule by which duties TO be laid The
American manufacturer had succeeded in supply
ing market and began thrive in his business that
would be proof that the duty high for it
no longer revenue duty but protective duty and it
must forthwith be reduced. As the American furnished
goods the country, less foreign goods would be imported
would be diminished and the duty down
hat the rule. And Mr. s. would ask, under such
rule this, what in his would dollar in
manufactures What the prospect before him The
moment when by industry and enterprise he should succeed
getting the better Of his foreign competitor down with the
1uy If shoemaker hatter by making better cheaper
hats Shoes had got possession Of the MARKET the eye of
his fee-trade system fastened on him like vuure
The Secretary found he doing WE'LL and the duty
be reduced let the foreigner Suchwas the plan of
his Administration The mechanic, finding protection thus
diminished and having other but his business
would go work longer and to work harder than BEFORE
md when, by working of hours he had conved get
he opposition Of his Government and began get toge
her little profit the doctrine would repeat the process
he duty would be evidently too highown with it The
g poor man. would take his children from school and
,rng them into the shop They too would work, while
he himself worked harder and harder But what would
the result would only bring him under the Secretary
ule the duty be again lowered and still go be
owered, and more, till last this free born American
be ground down by the action Of his Government
he degraded and wreched condition Of English pauper
Russian serf. The moment American laborer sue
eejed by his exertons in shutting out foreign competition
he foreigner must be let in and put him. What Of
rule this For whom would suppose it TO be
made For the American manufacturer, the Eurs-
,ean Clearly a rule for the benefit of the foreigner
md could independent and intelligent American
live under such rule The the American rises
his feet this struggle with foreigners for the American
Market he is to be knocked down by this Executive poker
md tcaifed oper by his Secretary Walker laugh And
his their American system. Mr.. 3. insisted il
British system II just such system Sir Robert Peel
would have recommendd could he have spoken through Pre-
dent Polk his rumpet its PRACTICAL its universal operation
would be what he had just described. And would the
House endorse system like this This the far famed
free trade system for the first time promulgated by an
american fiscal officer Oh how this tender-heared Secrcta
did love the "poor man !" His love great that he
would bring him down level with the British paupers
Since the improvements in steam the cost Of transportation
vas comparatively nothing Take off the duty and the Br
sh workshops would be brought door, Suppose these
British laborers in Alexandria, working twenty five
ent any blind not to that they must
reak down the workmen Of Washington The employer
would begin talk them in very Ineligible lam
uage. My competitors in Alexandria get labor for
y five cents day, and you must take the quit
Vow, where the difference, whether the distance
title greater or little The practical operation Of the
ysem would be just the And this the blessed
ysem Of ce-trade The workmen Of England and France
ould work cheaper than ours and fecadc doctrine held
hat we must buy wherever could buy cheapest Down
vent the duty in foreign goods American
money and and Quit till we had money
end and the people their Government became bankrupt