The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-07-01

friends have termed II the HleTtcdn system, or the
protection Of 1asriean industry. national policy
characterized by terms 80 speclous and imposing is
certainly entitled TO fair investigation and candid
statement of results First, then, to define the
terms. A tariff upon imports is the leyyiDg of an
indirect tax upon all the consuming population Of
the country IN proportion TO the consumption; and
protection is the appropriation Of the aVslls of that
tax TO the exclusive benefit OF the protected class.
The basis Of the system, then, implies partial legisa
Iioni and the question at issue H. whether It's ue-
Tlor and collateral effects such 10 exempt
from that reproach. know, sir, that the giarng
hostility to the principles Of equal rights with which
the system commences and the difficulty of tracing
the ultimate effects favorable result, have driven
many of It's advocates to deny to the operation of
the system the sole object which IA sought 10 be ac-
| eompllshed by II. They insist, (unwisey, think,
for their own puTpose,) that protective dolIes
| instead Of augmenting, actually reduces the
price OF the article upon which the duty 10
| imposed. If this be true, the converse of the
proposition admits of mathematical demonstration.
If the increase of the duty dlmlnshes the price of
articles Of similar character manufactured IN this
country, then reduction Of the duty must enhance
the price of the same article. Assuming this to be
the correct view Of the matter, all further dispute
about il may cease. The people will take the haz-
ard of a tariff reduced TO revenue standard, and
| the manufacturer may pocket the profits which his
| friends have secured to him upon an application OF
his own principles, But It is alleged that the en-
| HANGED prices consequent upon increased duties vii!
| create competition at home and that reduction of
prices below the foreign standard mu,t necessarily
follow. An obvious answer 10 this poaon Is, that
IL the manufacturer can successfully prosecute his
business against domestic rivalry, at ov prices, he
| certainly Withstand all competition rom abroad
al much higher rate Of prices But take IL for
granted that under the system of high duties, COM
petition will ultimately reduce the price 'fdomestic
fabrics below the imported article it you'd be a
| curious speculation IN political economy to ascer-
tain when this minimum has arrived. Upon Its
advent, all further necessity for protection ceases;
| competition at home will then drive fronith mar
ket the foreign fabric. The PROTECTIVE policy
has been in operation, with various notifications
and changes, under every administration sace the
establishment OF our government; and the e OF pr-
ces below the foreign standard has not yet arrived
for the manufacturer and the advocates OF these sys
TENS, upon this floor, are clamorous upon the ne
lcessity Of protection, against what they style in
thar usual redundancy Of epithet, the pauPer LABOR
OF Earope. But IL is not an easy matter TO retua
paradox with serious argument; and now have d.
uded 10 this position merely for the purpose OF show
ing that its friends only defend il by denying tn,
very effect &lch is the sole object Of the system
to accomplish. 1t is with pleasure, then, that now
turn my attention to more legitimate, certainly a
more consistent argument II is said that high du'
ties benefit the laborer that the enhanced profits Of
the manufacturer enables him to pay higher rat'
OF wages TO the operatives This position would
perhaps, be more tenabe il it were proposed to In
corporate in the law graduating the rate of protect
4 i've duties, corresponding scale OF prices, which
= he manufacturer should be bound to pay to hii
" wotkInen. This would be tariff for the benefit o
7, the american laborer, and the only one. | fear
1. (which can be devised for his benefit Tn,
= Iprice Of wages, like that OF all articles o
n commerce, must obey the one immutabe Law
: of trade, that Of demand and supply. As the de-
mand for labor is increased in reference the NUM-
Q Der OF laborers, its rewards will be augmented ant
" in the same proportion diminished as tbs calls fo
Q IL become less urgent and peremptory. No matte
e what the profits Of the manufacturer, the laws o
trade and the instincts Of our nature will prevail
= The interested propensities and money making hab
its of our eastern friends will preclude the idea
e the manufacturer paying more for the labor Of thu
u than the lowest rate at which that abo
to can be procured No, Tir, Is neither tariff moi
" profits which operate for the benefit of the abdfe
it is the conflicting interests Of rival and unproecte
er branches of industry the abundant means OF sur
Id port to be derived from our vast inappropriate
n territory and the rewards to industry and entepris
at furnished by agriculture and commerce. that W
nd protect cur citizens from the discipline and oppre
d. sion of the mill. We may admit that the ne
ut impulse given to business by enhanced prices WI
w extend the business and create temporary deman
a for labor but here, again, the laws of trade who
I'd can never be violated with impunity, will asse
g. their supremacy. The enhanced wages will add I
be the number Of laborers and the diminished price
Id of the product consequent upon extended compel
e. ton will take from the ability of the employer to pay
nj The remedy will be sought in reduced wages fC
!, increased labor II is the operation of these natur
,e laws to which may be traced the deporable cond
ton of the laborng classes in the manufacturing dt
tricts of Europe, where the joys of childhood eve
r are unknown to the period of human life; wher,
n from the cradle to the grave, one sole, continuous
j. | and absorbing care-that of perpetual toll for
= scanty subsistence-is read as well in the droopn
I'll spirit and furrowed brow of early childhood tn
y detection and disease Of maturer years Rear u
v your millions of operatives from childhood in tn
8 | ml-accustom them to no other livelihood c
o means of support-make the wages of their labc
It dependent upon the diminished prices Of the pre-
= duct consequent upon extended competition, an
e upon the will Of avaricous, aristocratc an
t. purse proud corporation, proverbally without
l. soul, and practically without heart, and you WI
Y then have exemplIfed upon own shores tn
g pauper labor Of Europe. 1t is only by following 1t
l. progress until it shall have fully accomplished II
h purposes that enabled TO see in perspecv
all the beauties Of the monopoly and protective sys
i tens. England has carried it to its utmost degre
Of perfection; and have the result in the languag
: of distinguished traveller:
Tho cornaws intended for the protection of
culture The manufacturers, too protectedby the e'
taken care to fix the price ofwages at thr 10 point
endurance while few landholdcrs who have taken tn
island to themselves have fixed the price of bread
highest so that there are six millions Of operatives Stripe
the skim and five millions of peasantry that live to aho
potatoes and salt Much has been said o. the Dutch an
i Italian poor; yet can imagine nothing more wretche
the ragged shiveIng multtudes that deform the lac
, of society in England
We have the result, also, in the parliamentary in
vestigations of the factory system. The blood chlIs
and the heart its pusatons at these sickenIn
{ but authentic details of human misery. May heav
8 en- protect the American aborer from that proecuo
4 which manaces and starves him.
, Sir, the teachings of the past, well az the pres
ent should convince that these deplorable conse
auences flow necessarily from every violation ofth
natural laws of trade. Governments have no mag
power for the creation Of wealth If it were other
, wise they might, without the violation Of any fxe
principle distribute it suited their convenience
caprice
Productive industry is the only source of nationa
wealth, Government may regulate the current ma!
change the possession, may render its existence tn
. more pa pable by accumuating it in masses, but
cannot create wealth, The lands, therefore, which
; enrich the one must mpoversh the other; and tn
{ policy, the direct tendency of which is to amas
. capital in the hands of individual or companies
must drain il from its sourcethe labor of the toll