Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1845-12-31
From The Trenton State Gazetie.
THE TARIFF In DANGER.

We are informed by the Journal of Com
mcrce that the sentiments aud intentions of
the Administration IN 'm5ers of Congress have
oech asccrtailed, and II has been found that n
majority oil them will vote for the repeal of
the protective tariff. This comes from a free
trade paper, and not from any Wing alarmist
as those arc inyidioisly called who have fore
warned the people OF the danger of such a re-
suit, and forcwarned them in vain, Wheth-
er II Will prove true or not, time will soon
show. IL however, there is danger of such
mischief, il behooves the people to think of ii
at once; and not to permit their thoughts TO be
distracted from 1t by indammaiory war
speeches or war rumors, that, we trust, are by
no means likely to be realized.
Our readers have not vet, perhaps. fully
comprehended the theory of this Administu-
tion--this protective Admimistration-this
Administration Of "a better Tariff man than
Henry Clay" 1t is a very simple theory, a
theory OF lone idea" and il is thus stated in
the famous Report of the Secretary of the
Treasury: THAT no duty be imposed on any
article above the lowest rule which will weld
the largest amount OF revenue"
Very well. Now let us see how this theory
is put IN practice. We assert, that, in prac-
tice, il we'll amount To a sliding scale. and a
sliding scale not, like the British, i'm favor ol
domestic interests but against domestic inter-
Gets.
Suppose Messrs Polk and Walker and their
co-workers in Congress fix upon twenty per
cent. on iron ds "the lowest duty which will
yield the largest revenue Well il breaks up
most of the iron mills for a while; imported
iron PUSHES in, and The Largest revenue fills
the Treasury TO the great delight of the Score
tary the, o.. Atlengrh, however, the Yankee
inGen iity OF some iron manufacturer triumphs
over the hostility Of our government; he CON
trives TO make iron in some cheaper way, ana
thus can again compete with the imported
iron, drives IL to some extent out of the mar
kct, and thus reduces the quantity imported.
VI course the revenue falls OIL. Well. what
Is MIR. Folks remedy? Why, reduce the duty
again. Put it down 50 that the foreign manu-
f%acturer may break up his American rival-so
that the inporiations OF iron may again rise 10
the Largest amount"-or, TO use MIR. Walkers
words, put the duty at the Lowest rate which
will yield the largest amount of revenue"
This Is the system OF the Administration i'm
practice. II Congress shall undertake to put
this theory in force, they can only do it per
fectly by establishing a sliding scale, by which
whenever d mcddlcsome ingenious American
contrives To sell his manufactures lower than
the imported, and thus diminish imporiations
the duty shall drop down upon him like u
dead iall, enable foreign manufacturers to UNI
dersel him, and break up his business. In
this way the Administration will enectually
prevent tire recurrence or mat when TIE Sec
retarys report treats as a serious evil-namcly
tho diminution of the importation of many
highly protected articles, and the substitution
oil rival domestic products" These impertin-
ent intruding rival domestic products would
thus be driven out of the market as they de-
serve, and British manufactures would mono
police the market! What right have Ameri-
can manufactures TO rival British in Ameri-
can markets?
Such, then, is the theory of James X. Polk
the man who, before his election, represented
himself as friendly TO the protection of Ameri-
can industry. 1t is foreign industry he would
protect. American industry he would pursue
break down, and hunt out of the land. Let
his comtrymen understand it, and PREVENT his
unnatural, unpatrotic policy, if they have
not unfortunately, given him a power too
strong Tor them now TO resist.