New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1845-06-05
The Tariff Controversy.

are cou.rOycrfed. When -ophi-tlcdl hltarh y" w
Protective Policy appears in LoooF journal
we consider whether il contains any new shii-an!
thing tina, gye have not already answered-and u not
H., i, pass Thus the continued parade Of the large
oroG,s Of a few Manufacturing Companies, keepins
ont Of sight all thos. that fail make short divdend-
with the concurreu, assertion that Farmers can.
M, realize two per cent on The value Of their pro
perry can need no further notice W. Know Wen
A. every one mus, know. that Manufactures must pe
managed with great ability and skill TO realize large
dividends They must have ample capital enap.i'-
them 10 work vigorously when markets are duil ana
stock necessarily low and 20 be ready 70 take ah'a
,agc Of any improvement IN the demand. lheF
,nusi have the newest and best machinery no matter
ai what cost. or how little is that which they
are compelled to throw out they must do their busi-
pes. economically. and be sure they trust their goods
to none but homes, agents and good payinasters Il
all tle- conditions are realized and times are good.
they make large dividends, and the whole world j.
apDris.d Of the fact. Need say that the farmer
Who manage. in this way. has abundant capital,
avail- himself Of every discovery or Improvement
keeps his land al in az in the best condition
makes money too There are such farmers all
around MS who double their property in ten years or
less: but nobody notices the fact. Their names DO
not appear in the list Of dividends and are never the
theme Of comment. Yet all observing, Intelligent
men know such cases There Is farmer near pos
ton who bought poor farm of 1870 acres Tor e@''V'
@Dmc FIVE wears ago when be was barely aoH 10
stock it poorly He now owns II clear OF debt ana
/, il better stocked and worth great deal more IMAM
when he bough, H. But nobody considers HIM
very able or fortunate nobody talks OF his gains
-uch men are 10 b. found all over the country and
All around them others who have made nothing and
can make nothing IN these times This getting ahead
i q knack. which some men have but more want.
mainly depending on clear head and ready hand
set these unprospcrous farmers 10 manufacturing
and they will do no better than now-probably not
% well All who understand the laws which govern
The application of Labor must know perfectly well
hat there canaot be Tariff which shall give one
branch Of Industry permanent advantage over
others. Make the duty on any article which may BE-
produced here TO an unlimited extent as high or a.
ow as you pease--ive thousand per cent. II you
say So or only fye-ts price will, after very brief
interval be regulated by The cost Of productions and
not at all by the amount of duty Whoever pretends
any thing contrary to this must be very superficial
,r downright dishonest
But We proposed to-day TO speak Of the tricky
-huing manner in which the leading advocates OF
Free Trade manage the controversy. They seem
plainly conscious that their will not bear close
examination. Noccl is so slippery-no flea so hard
% fix in any position. Thus the Erea'ng POST
which we have wished to consider plainspokcn and
manly. is content TO be cunning of fence where it
.hould be frank and candid For instance
Some weeks since the Post made the assertion. in
he most mai,or-ofcourse way, that
rhe Farmer feels now and knows his that he pays
prce greatly enhanced Iron IN every FORM sugar and
nolass, on all wooden goods all articles of grocery
ry sallcrlc., on paints on salt, and on glass
That is 10 say. more than those articles would cost
under Revenue Tariff OF course, il the Farmers
kaor any such thing it must be fyWe: if not true
hey might bcliere it firmly. but they could
not know il, We a, once said in substance To the
Post: d" If the Farmers knoc any such thing. yoa
must know i; also IiW y0U be So good then as 10
aafc the present prices respectively at rhich hcsc
ufclcs on your oca list are Hor sold, aloagsidc II
he prices AT rhich hey ooald be obt0ined here 4
he Tariff wcrc reduced to 20 per ccatl' Here was
lac Posts own premises. which sought to
BRING the Tariff controversy 10 prompt and pracii-
al issue w did moi propose to offset list OF ar
icles which the Tariff had reduced in price against
he Posts list we offered to take lis own list adduccd
10 show the oppression of our Farmers by the Tariff
and from that establish position. But the Post
.hrank from the test proposed 10y Itself. ltdarcd not
allow its principles 10 be maihematicaly tested by lis
own facts. Ii refused To answer las II might have
lone in half an hour earnest and urgent inquiry
Yet ON Friday last il vcniurcd the subject
in the following language
Some time ago, The Tribune WAS kind enough TO
direct s attention leading article in the Post on the
ahcc of Free Trade and % deny pumpy an assertion
made in H. that the Farmer knew and felt that he got no
benefit oil from the Protective system but actually
was paving almost every article he consumed.
The Tribune thinks it necessary ter W. 10 prove by
reference 20 Price Currents that Iron costs more now
han did IN ISL addresses its reasoning 10 class Of
readers very different from own. Matters OF com.
mon notoreiy need never be proved II we were 10
open discussion ON the relative advantages U living on
vegetables parakng temporarily of all the goods the
,ods provide US and begin II by proving the necessity
eating should only waste our own time and abuse
| the patience OF our readers.
Set il was not maintained that any advance in prices
was a consequence of system of duties only. The al
vanccd price OF articles alluded % n order 10
-h0w how public opinion which does not always move
with mathematical precision according 10 the raro Of
true cause and effect. gradually forming The
Manufacturers growing rich; the Farmers are grow
ne poor: and the Farmer says one of these results
he consequence OF legislation made toy the Manuiac
uircrs II j. very likely the other J. also.
Is not this the poorest sort of quibbhns The
Post had not asserted, nor had questioned that
prices were higher or lower under the present Ia
riff than at some former time What il had affirmed
AS matter OF mos, glsrine no,oriety Was that h'
| pr,os of certain staples, largely bought and con
| sumed by our Farmers, are much higher Than h,5
| rould NOW be under a Rercave TarF- This VI
had questioned and asked the Post 10 prove by ar
appeal to Price Currents Ii would be very easily
done if as Carlyle would say it were doable a
all-ihc only hardship in the is that the facts up
| set the Posts assumptions. Vet instead of doin-
any thing of the sort the Post. after waiting till th,
topic j. out of the reader mind proceeds 10 iak O
matters OF common noioricty the price Of iron II
l,u aud every ,hinc else but It's assertion which
we had Joined issue Is this your Free Trade man
lincss Can we not shame YOU into facing youi
own assertions Ncishbor Will YOU try to prov,
wha, you said The farmers know. or else admi
| your error