The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-07-25
[Conlin,l.d from 6rsl page. !

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But let as examine for a moment the reasoning by
which gentlemen attempt 10 prove this strange par
adOx. They attempt 10 establish Il by comparing
the prices Of articles now with what they were at
some former period, and then credit the protective
policy with the whole fall They allow nothing for
the improvement in machinery and SKILL they allow
nothing for the fall in the price Of the material
which, in the Of cotton, has been very creator
anything else; all is put TO the credit OF the tariff
But there is still greater unfalrness in the compar
son they make. They do not eomperea period Of
free trade with Of protection; indeed, with the
exception Of few months, we have had no period
Of free trade for thirty years but they compare one
period Of protection with another, and they take the
prices in this country as the criterion. Now, it Is
perfectly obvious that the only fair mode Of com
parlson Is 10 take the article at the same tme
ascertain the price Of il in Market then aseer-
tain the price Of ii in the foreign market and est-
mate whatsit could be delivered at here under 9
revenue duty. Ii gentlemen will adopt this mode
Of calculation they will find that the fact is directly
in the teeth Of their theory. But how do gentlemen
attempt TO sustain ii BY one gentleman we are
told that IL 10 in consequence Of the domestic com
petition which the tariff creates. Bot what Is the
domestic competition which you raise up IN com
parison with the foreign which you cut OFF, The
yerV ground upon which the tariff policy Is adyoea-
ted is that our manufacturers cannot stand the for
egn competition, although they can the domestic
The gentleman from Connecticut MIR. RoCKwELLl
argues that the effect Of the tariff is to compel the
foreigner to sell cheaper not sell at all, and that
we give more, although he gets less for his fab.
Ties. Ii this were true, do not see how we would
he benefited We would give no more for them
(articles consumed by us) and, as consumer
might not be injured; but as exporters, we
would, as our customers by this policy would
be impoverished. But, sir, is Il possible such an
effect is produced The per eentage which we
take of the entire production Of foreign ma
ti,,. N vary anall-nnueh small Justify
them in reducing the price upon the whole produc-
ton 20 retain our market Take the case OF Great
Britain and the article OF cotton. In the late de-
bate in the English Parliament the home consump-
ton Of cotton is put at forty millions Of pounds
sterling or, in round numbers, two hundred mil
lions Of dollars Her commercial documents show
that, in l54l-that is the latest year for which ]
have returns, and they do not vary materially from
year TO yeaT-in l54l, her exports OF cotton
amounted TO upwards Of twenty-three millions OF
pounds sterling, or one hundred and fifteen
millions Of dollars. Her entire production, there.
fore, was three hundred and fifteen millions Of
dollars. OF this we imported in round num-
bers nine millions. In these estimates all man
uiactures Of cotton are included. In other words,
our imports were less than three per cent
Of her entire production. II the manufacturers OF
England make a reduction In the price Of their
fabrics to retain our market, they must make equal
reduction upon their entire production. They can
not sell at the same time the same article in the
same market at different prices; they cannot sell to
the exporter TO Russia tor instance at one price, to
the exporter to America at another, and TO the
home dealer at third. Any one at all acquainted
with the manner IN which business il done
Will see the. impossbility Of the thing If, for
instance, a manufacturer were to sell to a
merchant engaged in the American trade goods
at a cheaper rate than they were selling to the
home merchants, and TO other exporters, would he
not dispose Of them at homer Is it not evident,
then that the British manufacturer had better aban-
don his market in this country altogether, than
make the paltry reduction upon his entire pro-
duction Of three per cent! IL would be exactly as
well for him to burn his exports which he had been
in the habit of sending this country; for the
ducton Of three per cent. upon his whole production
would equal the value Of them. In answer to this
the gentleman from Connecticut said:
Ills well known fact that the market OF this country
by far the best and largest which Great Britain has
abroad Now well and truly said by the honorable
gentleman from Virginia dr B.rLr in his discussion. o.
the subject the cornsws that the price Of the article OF
wheat home affected by the price abroad and. al
though surplus products exported bear but small
portion the produced and consumed at home the
price Of small surplus Influenced and oen controlled
the price Of the entire amount raised This principle Is
undoubtedly correct Though totally differed IRON him
- the reasoning base" upon H. Now, sir it is well.
row fact this coun'r by far the best consumer which
Great Britain for he anufactures and that the amount
exported to th. country quite sufficiently large,
duced price by composition here to affect their market
at home, and in other foreign countries"
In the argument 10 which the gentleman refers,
I showed why the result would be produced in the
case of our agricultural products, and why it would
not in the case Of manufactured On that occasion
/ said
But is it true that the effect of the duty is to compel
the foreigner sell lower In England fors long time the
zion so active that prices had reached the lowest limit be-
the enactment Of tariff Besides the proportion
which take Of British goods we take more oil them
than Of any other naon-in comparison with her eonsumP
ton home and her exports to her colonies and TO other
probable that to gain access to our market they
would submit TO reduction the great mass of her pro
,oTstber But II may be said that have already proved
that price OF the quantity exported whichis fixed by
price in the foreign market fixes the price OF the entire
production In the of the sgrcurst of this country
but in the in hand II is not In the first
place export of agricultural produce bears much
larger proportion entire production than the exports
fro England this country OF her manufactures does TO
the entire production and OF course exers
greater influence the price. In addition to this the
farmer cannot regulate his supply with the demand The
are scattered all the land and they cannot by
combination the supply to the demand In this
try where of the land is cultivated by the labor
of the soil he has other occupation than its
cultivation and he makes all he without reference to
the price Indeed when the price Is low, farfrom max
ing less he tries by increased production to make for
the smaller price His rotation Of crops is fixed and
cannot well change them His crops pitched but
a year and when pitched they must be saved The guam
y crop depends upon the seasons and for that and
the supply to the demand But ii otherwise with the
manufacturers, particularly Of England They congre
gated ogether large towns and they The
amount OF their production does not depend upon the
sons, other casualty. They do not the labor, and
not compelled TO find for i employment Whenever al
any Of the year. they find the supply likely
the demand and that they will lose by the
quent fall prices than they will gain by increased produc
ton they shorten work, curta expenses at a day
warning aud adjust the supply to the demand This
stitutes the difference Of the two cases"
If this reasoning required confirmation, it would
be found in fact stated by the gentleman himself
He says:
ain relation to articles actual combinations have
long existed England prevent the supply exceed na
the demand For instance there but establish
ments in England and Wales for the manufacture OF railroad
The propretors of these and Of othe
extensive manufactures OF iren in the early stages Of it,
their regular meetings for the purpose Of preventing what
they call excessive supply and of controlling the price
of the article in market They check the manufacture when
is excessive and under their arrangement and direction
the fires oust furnaces quenched
sary to accomplish this result !"
Bot how is the facti The gentleman from New
York Mr.. COLLIN has shown that there has been
reduction of price in the foreign market since the
enactment Of the act Of lS42. The gentleman from
Vermont Mr. CoLLAMER accounts for this paradox
in different way. He says that protective tariff
gives the American manufacturer more complete con-
troll Of the home market, enables him to sell more and