The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-07-20
s4sO.776,SI4


1874, tlast returns) ss,7IAl7s 70,s5O,4io
S4sO776Sl4 ss94 67ssso
Hence it is shown that the agricultural is the par
amount interest IN this country. IL is the strongest
at the ballot-box BY more than ten TO one; il has
the power IN It's own hands, and yet it has been
begged and coaxed, not TO say cheated and duped,
into the support Of manufacturers, when the money
to do II with was taken out Of the pockets Of the
farmers.
In l545 there was exported from this country
o63,5l6,3Il lbs. of cotton, which were sold for
s5l, 739 ,643: something like hve-sixths of the
whole crop of cotton is exported, and most of il
sold TO Great Britain. At least one-haf of the whole
exports from this country is its cotton; and yet the
present tariff crpples the sale in foreign countries
by taxing enormously high the articles received in
exchange for ii.
How is il with the great staples of the vest Not
single article produced in Illinois receives one cent
Of benefit from the protective tariff and vet the for
elgn market Is almost closed to us, because have
well nigh taxed those nations out Of our market
who would otherwise gladly exchange their com
nodities for ours. Thus we not only, by this short
sighted policy, compel ourselves TO pay two prices
for the articles made here but by restrictive protec-
1--WE, and, IN some instances, prohibtory duties we
Keep out OF our markets those nations who would
willingly give US their salt iron, sugar, and clot hing
for our cotton, corn, wheat, beef, pork, &c, &c.
The south has hitherto complained most bitterly of
these protective tariffs but their hand is laid most
heavily upon the west. The south can always sell
her raw cotton at some price, because Great Britain
eanno; obtain 1t elsewhere. Not with our sta
Piles. She can be supplied at high prices from the
continent of Europe with her provisions. A new
era has dawned upon the agricultural States in re-
gard to this question They now present an un-
broken phalanx against the protective policy, and
they have only TO will its destruction in order TO
achieve it, Let us alone" is the only petition that
the farmer and planter need send TO the government
3 When Alexander the Great called upon Diegenes
to know what he could do for him, Diogenes re-
quested Alexander TO stand out Of his sunshine. IL
is so with the agrculturst. If the government will
only let them aone-not tinker with the individual
pursuits OF men, but leave every branch of business
open To honorable competiton-deal out Justice to
all and favors to none, then we should avoid these
revulsons and panics growing out of tariff laws
will here give two short extracts from Mr. Web
sters speech in regard to free trade delivered in the
House OF Representatives April, 1924:
On short, sir the general of this age SETS with
strong current in favor of freedom of inter
course and unrestraned individual action Men Weld up
he, notions Of monopoly and restriction, they yield
up other preudces slowly and Reluctantly but they can
not Withstand the general tide Of opinion"
Again:
"r Chairman the best apology for laws of prohb,op
and laws OF monopoly will be found that state society
not only unenghtened but sluggish in which they are
most generally Established Private industry those day s.
required strong provocatves, which governments
seeking to administer by these Something was
wanted to aeuae and stimulate men and the prospects of
such profits as would in times excite unbounded corn.
petition, would hardly the sloh of former ages In
some instances no doubt these laws produced effect
which in that period would not have taken place without
them But our age is wholly of different character; and
its Legislation takes different Society full Of en-
telgenee and industry ask only fair play and an open
ned Profits indeed in such state Of things will be
low and the great body of the people hap
py" .. . 9.a...
The following beautiful sentiment so fraught with
sound philosophy and liberal philanthropy, has not,
NIT
wisest monarchs, been properly needed or sufficient
~ pursued, either by that this country. He said
to the commissioner who was charged with the ne
gotation of treaty with Naples, that,
The earth being the common mother of US ALL what can
be more desirable praiseworthy than, by com
mece to communicate her various productions all her
children "-Anchus, p. 3lS
The Chinese will exchange his silks and teas
the Portuguese the rich wines of Oporto and Made
ria-tbe Frenchman the silks of Provence the Ma |
ay the spices of Banda and Amboyna, of Ternaia |
and Tidore-the Arab the coffee Of Mocha-the |
Hndoo the muslins of Dacca-the Engshman the /
oroadcloth, the cotton goods, and cutlery of Leeds,
and Birmingham-the Spaniard his /
uggar, grown in Cuba-the Portuguese his Turks
STAND salt, for articles of traffic and of commerce
which we have to spare.
The Creator of the universe, in giving to various
countries various climates and various susceptbili-
les in their productions, has furnished bonds by'I
which to draw man to man and nation to nation,
md unite them together by ties of brother
rood. He is no philosopher or statesman who
would throw Chinese wall around each nation
md compel each one to grew or manufacture every-l
hing that it consumed Trade and commerce, like /
elgion, should be left free and unfctered by hu :
nan laws. THE wind bloweth where il listeth, "
md commerce, equally free, should be waited by il
'ntaxed and uncontrolled, to any port on earth to
which it is invited by the best market. The tide of
'ubc opinion in this enlightened age sets strongly
n favor of free trade. Take Great Britain Blum
n. trIo vel, |
With Spain, France, and Portugal, forbade under
eavy penalties the export Of gold and silver from
he kingdom In 1850 she passed act fixing the
rice OF labor; at another time she granted
o corporations the exclusive privilege of
cling, not only the wooen goods Of the
calm, but also the very necessaries of life.
mother mode of interference with her sub
ects was the law fapprenticcships, by which eve.
y one was prohibited making cloth unless he had
erved as an apprentice to the business for the term
fseven years Yet another mode Of legislative in
difference is found in the British corn laws, in
Existence over two hundred years, by which % 600
90 Of people are compelled to eat dear bread in
rider to swell the rentrols of landlords. The
and Of England is owned by aristocracy of thir.
y-two thousand persons who have il cultivated by
oor tenants, and who have managed for the last
wo centuries TO keep up the corn tax for their pecu
lar benefit. Great Britain now sees the folly Of
Ter system Of legislative tnkering in favor of one
lass OF her subjects another and she is dis
osed to retrace her steps slowly, but certainly
70 sustain this position, will here give an extract
rom the speech Of Mr. Goulburn in the British
'arliament, published in the Economist of May 30,
SAC:
Mr Goulburn ther passed TO general review or sum-
hing Of the experience Of the country all the
which had been introduced since lst2 In 1912 duties
vere reduced or repealed on fire hundd md eghfno
cler in lsis on seren articles in sl4 four articles
nd In sS trsnfvone articles were reduced and on four
'dsd end torfgsfEh articles the duties were repealed
nthe present year the measures which have already
assed the House Of Commons reduce the duties on cns
Hrdrtd and tcsies articles anil repeal the duties fiy
srtfces IN the whole period in questionn the five
essions beginning with 1872 and ending with the pres
nthe duties hundred and tvenfpsspt article,
ave been reduced, and those IRE hundred and
cles have been entirely repealed articles too which
ave nearly al though some to lesser snd others TO