Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1846-04-29
Duties and Prices.

ton to the following striking paragraph from
late Circular Of the American Institute Of the
city OF New York, as disclosing fact which,
susceptible it is Of incontrovertible proof. may
safely defy the abortivc efforts Of the opponents
Of the protective policy to rebut to weaken its
force by wit and ridiculc:
EVERY article which can be manufactured at home,
aud which has received protective duty for seven
consecutive without single excepuoR has by howe
composition, and CONSEQUENT development Of ingenuity
alone, been reduced in price to the below the
foreign cost at the time OF imposing the duty
II this be indeed true,-and we repeat that it
is capable oithe most satisfactory demonstration
IL is assuredly eminently worthy Of the consde-
ration Of the people, especially at this moment,
when the overthrow of system the effects of (which
so beneficial to them, is medaled-indeed,
when the arm is already lifted to strike the blow
by ciass of politicians, who, welded TO plau-
sble theory, are blind moles TO the imposing
array of facts by which its Righteousness is ex.
posed.
Remarkable as il may appear, however, the
uniform and unvarying reduction in the price of
the protected articles, which. rightly considered,
should constitute one of the most powerful argu-
ments with the consuming class, in favor of adhe-
ring to tariff. iudiciously discriminating be-
tween the various articles embraced in IL, as
wisely TO combine the revenue and protective
principles, has furnished the opponents of that po
icy with one of their most plausible and effective
weapons Of assault upon it. We will cite case,
by way of illustrating meaning: When, in
1916, protective duty was imposed upon the
coarser cotton fabrics, the price per yard ranged
from % to 81 cents. The duty, being specific,
=. "A al.lI, a - Al
offs imposition. Under the influence of this
duty, American capital was at once turned into
this new channel of industry, and in process of
time, the domestic competition thus brought into
action has produced gradually progressive re-
duction in the price of the fabric, until, at this
moment, better article may be purchased for
from to 10 cents per yard than that for which
the consumer, prior to 1916, paid from % to 81.
The duty, however, being specific still, though
1--WE believe, for we have not, just now, access to
the record,) remaining unchanged the effect has
been of course TO increase the per centm from %
10 3 or 400. And the opponents OF the System
refer to this "heapy duty" they call it, (Which
is no heavier, in truth, now that il amounts to 3
or 400 per cent. upon the cost, than it was when
it only % per cent? for the purpose of
alarming The people with the idea, which, strange to
say, they have never been able to find out by ac-
tual experience, that they enormously and OPP
pressively taxed, not only TO provide revenue for
the Government, but TO raise bounty to go into
the pocket of the American manufactured II to
enable the consumer to purchase for cents per
yard, an article with which he cannot dispense,
and for which he formerly paid 25, be tar, then
indeed ought the system by the direct operation OF
which that reduction has been effected, to be
Overthrown. But, until the people can be
WINGED of the monstrous absurdity that for every
yard of coarse cotton for which they pay six cents,
they oppressively taxed, both TO supply the
wants Of the Government, and to enrich the manu-.
facurer, although for inferior article they for
merly paid % or 81, prudence will dictate that they
should hesitate before they give their consent to the
subversion ofthe Protective System, lest in getting
rid of this imaginary tar, they nhict upon them.
selves real burthen, by destroying the COMPETE
tion by which this reduction of price has been eff
1ected and enabling the foreign monopoist, upon
whom they will be again dependent, to dictate
his own terms to the consumers of his fabrics.
We have not selected coarse col,ons by way of
illustrating position because in that branch of
domestic manufactures American enterprise and
skill have been more successfully exerted than
perhaps in any other. The tendency Of the Ia
riff TO reduce the prices Of protected articles is
just as clearly shown by the statistics Of every
other branch of domestic manufactures. Let
refer, for example, to Gass-and for this purpose.
we shall draw our facts, not from the North, but
from VTginiu, in the northwestern section Of
which there is extensive establishment owned
by Messrs. NJ. q T.. Sweeny, Some Of the mag.
nfcent specimens from which were exhibited in
this city, elictiDg so many expressions Of admira-
ton and surprise, during the last winter. The
prices in the Wheeling establishment are thus sta
ted by the Proprietors themselves: