The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-04-02
Falling of.

Now, sir, let US examine what effect this has
had upon prices here; and as | have been dealing
only with wheat, shall con6ne myself to that, or
rather to -four. | conhne myself TO -four, because
the only statement have of prices for large num-
Der Of years, contain the price Of -four alone
The period from the end of 1924 to the 3lst Of
December, 1888, when the first reduction under the
compromise act took place, may with proPriety be
called the era of high duties During these nine
years, appears by table published by the United
States Commercial and Statistical Register, the
age price of -four was So 50. For the next nine
years, when under the operation Of the compromise
act, the duties constantly falling, the average
was So H. And the rise in the average Of wheat,
corn, &c. was about in the same proportion In the
summer Of 1872 the present tariff law enacted
The price of -four in lS4l, the year preceding its
actment was sc so. In lS43 the year succeeding its
enactment, it was 81 a. In 1914, it was 81 so;
and last year, until the partial failure of the Europe
an harvest was ascertaned, it was about the same
amount. Average for the three years succeeding the
enactment OF our present tariff, 81 so. We have
thus that from 1924, TO this time, period OF
% years the price Of -four has invariably risen and
fallen the rate of duties has risen fallen. The
length OF this period precudes the idea that acciden
tai causes have produced the result.
But the gentleman from Massachusetts,, Mr.
HUpsoNl argues that the northern manufacturers
afford the best market for our agricultural produce
He goes into calculation of the amount Of their con-
break down the manufacturers and destroy our best
market
Now, sir, ] insist that the market afforded us by
such manufacturers benefited by the tariff is
very inconsderable. good deal of false reasoning
upon this subject has grown out of the manner in
which the late census was taken. All those engaged
il manufactures and trade, putunder one head;
the factory girl and the ship carpen put tnge-
Their. In this manner those engaged in manufactures
are put down at 79l ,749. Now of these very large
proportion mechanics, joiners, ship carTonters
smiths, masons, brcklayers, shoemakers, &c &c,
none Of whom are benefited, as | will presently
show, by the tariff | have made calculation as 10
my own State which establishes this beyond ques-
tion. II is known that most-nay nearly all of our
manufactures, properly speaking are in eastern
Virginia. and yet in that part of the State there are
222527 engaged in agriculture, and only $500
in manufac ures and UNDERGRADUATES Of As to |
Whereas in western Virginia, where there are
scarcely any manufacturing establishments, there
are 1894 engaged in agriculture, and 1876 in
manufactures and trades-not quite 6 TO |. This
shows that the greater proportion of those in Vir
GINA included under the general head engaged in
trades. The Of the difference in eastern and
western Virginia is this in eastern Virginia our
shoemakers, haters, blacksmths, taors, g., have
been driven from their employment by Yankee
not English competition. Whereas western Vlr-
ginia, in consequence Of its remoteness from the
seaboard, and the want Of intercommunication, is
compelled, TO a much greater extent, to give en-
ploymeEt to resident mechanics.
The same thing is apparent in Massachusetts,.
have before me her late census, taken last year. by
her own officers; and without going into a minute
analysis Of it, assert that even in that State, the
number of persons engaged in mechanic arts, not
benefited by the tariff, greatly exceed the number
engaged in manufactures, benefited by it. The fol-
lowing table, taken from that census, comprises
nearly all those protected by the tariff.
.Namber Of mills, manufactures, &C., and male and
female operatives employed therein.