The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-12-03

fact, that England has already abated her duties
upon most Of our exports. She has repealed the
duty upon cotton and greatly reduced the tariff
upon our breadstus provisions, and other articles;
and her present bad harvest, accompanied by a
reduction of our tariff, would lead to the repeal Of
her corn laws, and the unrestricted admission, at
all times, Of our agricultural products. The man
ufacturing interest opposes reciprocal free trade with
foreign nations Il opposed the Zol- Verein treaty;
and Il is feared that no other treaty producing a
reciprocal reduction of own and foreign tariffs
will receive It's support Ifthat interest preferred
reciprocal exchange of our own for foreign fabrics
at revenue duties, il would not have desired a
tariff operating, without exception, against all ma
tons that adopted low, as well as high tariffs; nor
would Il have opposed every amendment proposing,
when the tariff Of 1912 was under consideration, q
reduction of our duties upon the exports Of
such nations as would receive free OF duty,
our -four and other agricultural products. Ifthat in
tercst desired reciprocal free trade with other nations
ii would have desired very different tariff from
that Of 1912. II would have sought to confne the
high duties to those cases where the foreign inn
porter would sell his imports for cash only; and adj
mitted drawback of one-half of the duty where
American exports would be taken abroad in ex-
change--not actual barter of foreign imports for
an equal amount in value Of our products but with
out any barter, where sum equal to the value OF
ttCit cApO wan uscu III pufCndoinR mere al cquui
amount in value of any Of our products; and the
shipment made abroad Of these products, upon the
same principle under which drawback of duties
is now allowed on the transportation Of foreign
imports. This would be less simple, and is not
recommended in lieu Of that absolute reduction Of
the duties, which will accomplish the same object
Of unrestricted exchange But such provision
would be selfexecuting reciprocity law, and
should be desired by those believing in counterva
ing tariffs against foreign nations, but in reciprocal
free trade with all-thus enabling our farmers and
planters to sell their products for cheaper foreign
manufactures getting more for what they SELL and
paying less for what they purchase in exchange.
IL seems strange, that while the profit Of agriculture
varies from to per cent, that of manufactures 10
more than double. The reason is, that whilst the
high duties secure nearly monopoly of the home
market to the Manufacturer, the farmer and planter
are deprived to great extent of the foreign mar
ket by these duties. The farmer and planter are,
great extent forbidden to buy in the foreign
ket, and confined to the domestic articles enhanced
in price by the duties. The tariff is thus double
benefit TO the manufacturer, and double loss TO the
farmer and planters benefit TO the former, in near
| y monopoly Of the home market, and IN en-
HANGED prices of their fabrics; and loss TO the lat
ter in the payment Of those high prices, and total
orparnal exclusion from the foreign market. The
true question is, whether the farmer and planter
shall, to great extent, supply our people with
cheap manufactures, purchased abroad with
exchange shall be forbidden by high duties on
such manufactures, and their supply thrown,
| as monopoly, at large prices, by high tar
ifs, into the hands of our own manufacturers.
The number of manufacturing capitalists who de-
rive the benefit from the heavy taxes extracted by
the tariff from twenty millions of people, does not
exceed ten thousand The whole number (inelud-
+ ing the working classes engaged in our manufac-
tures) deriving any benefit from the tariff does not
exceed 5000, of whom not more than 10000
have been brought into this pursuit by the last
tariff. But this small number OF 40 QUO would still
have been IN the country, consuming our agricutu.
tural products and in the attempt to secure them
as purchasers, so small in number, and not consul
ming one-haf the supply Of many counties, the
farmer and planter asked to sacrifice the markets
of the world, containing population Of eight hum
dred millions disabled from purchasing our prod
| ucts by our high duties on all they would sell in
Exchange. The farmer and planter would have the
home market without tariff; and they would have
the foreign market also TO much greater extent,
but for the total or partial prohibition Of the last
tariff. 9"
We have more fertile lands than any other ma
ton, can raise greater variety Of products, and it
may be said, conld feed and ciothe the people of
nearly all the world. The home Market Of ITSELF
is wholly inadequate for such products They must
have the foreign market, or large surplus, accom-
panied by great depression in price, must be the
suit. The States of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, if
cultivated to their fullest extent could themselves
raise more than sufficient food to supply the entire
homo market. Missouri or Kentucky could more
than supply it with hemp; already the State of Mis-
sisslpp raises more cotton than is sufficient for all
the home market; Louisiana is rapidly approaching
the same point as to sugar; and there are lands
enough adapted to that product in Louisiana,
Texas, and Florida, to supply with sugar and
molasses nearly all the markets of the world.
If cotton is depressed in price by the tariff,
the consequence must be a comparative dim
mutton of the product, and the raising in it's
place, to great extent, hemp, wheat, corn, stock,
and provisions, which otherwise would be supplied
by the teeming products of the West The grow
ing West in series of years, must be the greatest
sufferers by the tariff, in deprvng them of the for
eign market, and of that of the cotton-growiDg
States. We demand, in fact, for our agricultural
products, specie from nearly all the world, by heavy
taxes upon all their manufacturers and their pur-
chases from US must therefore be limited, as well
as their sales TO us enhanced in price. Such de-
mand for specie, which we know in advance cannot
be complied with, is nearly equivalent to decree
excluding most of our agricultural products from
the foreign markets Such is the rgor of our re.
stricons, that nothing short of famine opens free
lily the ports Of Europe for our breadstufs. Agri-
culture is chief employment; is best adapted to
our situation, and, il not depressed by the tariff,
would be the most profitable. We can raise larger
surplus agricultural products and greater variety
than almost any other nation, and at cheaper rates.
Remove, then, from agriculture all our restrictions
and, by It's own unfcttered power, il will break down
all foreign restrictions, and, our own being removed,
would feed the hungry and clothe the poor Of our
felow-men throughout all the densely-peopled ma
ton of the world. But now we will take nothing in
exchange for these products but SPECIE except at
very high duties; and nothing but famine breaks
down all foreign restrictions, and opens for time
the ports of Europe TO our breadstufs. IT, on re-
duction Of our duties, England repeats her corn
laws, nearly oil Europe must follow her example,
kcr ,f.ct, ,d,ra,
not be successfully encountered in most Of the
kets of the world The tariff did not raise the price
Of our breadstuffs; but bad harvest in England
does--giving US for the time that foreign market
which We would soon have at all times, by that re-
peal of the corn laws which must follow the rduc-
ton Of our duties. But whilst breadstufs rise with
a bad harvest in England, cotton almost invariably
falls; because tho increased sum which, ia that event.
England must pay for our breadstuffs, we will take
not in manufactures, but only in specie; and, not
having il to spare, she brings down, even to great
extent the price of our cotton Hence the result,
that bad harvest in England reduces the aggregate