Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1846-09-19
500 69i

"These prices OF ~bagging, rope and Irvine are taken from
the quotations OF Their prices at Louisville for the last three
months. | believe they ae n0llo-er than the average for
the last twelve months. That they are accurate know
by actual purchases Of those articles IN that market, within
Rfew days psst, for my own use. These prices show that
baRging now sells for within less than two aud a half cents
Of Mr.. Calhoun's estimate OF the duty, and that rope now
sells for bot a little more than half Of his estimate Of
tie duty. IL also appears that cotton bagglng is now sold
by the manufacturers in this country for less than the
cost Of Dundee bsgging in Dundee, during the year 1912.
In the report Of the same debate il is stated, NJ Calhoun
read a letter, from one Of the hrst merchants Ia 5. Carolina,
quoting the price Of Scotch bagging, At for the cotton plan
tiers, at Eve pence per yard" Other gentlemen submitted diff
frrent statements. Mr. Benton after reviewing these different
statements, ~ the same debate says-"About thirteen or
fourteen cents may be assumed as the average or usual cost
Of tho article IN Dundee and Inverness, whence il comes"
A comparison OF the present prices Of domestic bagging
in this country, Of the factories, with these Scotch prices,
show that we now make good bagging IN Kentucky more
than I've cents per yard less than II cost in Dundee in l542,
aud Tor thee or Tour cents per yard less than the present
price In Scotland, asecraining the price according to Mr..
Walkers estimate OF Il for fixing the ad yaloTem duty. 1t
- now generally sold IN the larger markets for distri-
button at less than tie Scotch price in l542, when the
tariff bill was passed. IL is also 4 well known fact,
TO every cotton planter, that, Notwithstanding the du-
~, aud the cheapness Of its production, that the gun
ny bag has continued to fall in almost exact proper
ton with other descriptions Of bsgging, showing how
little influence the cost Of production may have over
the market price Of q commodity in a country remote from
the place Of f. production. These facts have wholly de-
nOlishod the hempen pillar Of this free trade theory. SIR.
Walker may lament over the destruction Of revenue upon
aW'N' ~ NHaNAhAA NSAH A' NNAfF h1@hAN ahA FhFiA
prise Of our Western counuymen. They have 'substiiu-
ted, as he terms u, cheaper and better articles Of dOmes
tic production for the foreign products. ! rejoice IN ovory
reduction to your reuenue Tom imports which lB produced
by this sort q "subsuutoo Z" tits on uncning index Of
the upward progress Of the nation. have dwelt thus long
upon cotton bagging because It was selected by the South
EN- advocates Of free trade 10 test their principles IN 1912,
and because tho whole history OF this trade Is familiar 10
my own constituents. There arc many other articles pro-
teoted by the tariff Of l5t2 which furnish similar results.
but my time, will not slow the to dwell longer upon par.
ucuiar and de.aLod Illustrations"
Facts like hose have satisfied a very large portion Of the
people Of the South, that, 20 far from being Oppressed
10y the Tariff. in the enhancement Of the prices Of the aui
clcs consumed by Them, they have been benefited BY
reduction Va the pHco-a reduction not confined, as we ar
sometimes TOLD. 20 Hose articles in the fabrication Of whie
improved machinery has been sub-uiuted for manual labor
but embracing tho @ aso IN which no machinery is used
or n which, if nsohineV be employed, there has been NJ
improvement calculated ~ cheaper materially the cost 0
production.
One Of the most common. and no, the least influential o
che Arguments heretofore addressed To- the Southern people
200. was drawn from the comparative decline Of Southern
prosperity, ns well DO our large commercial cities, i
witch the foreign trade had greatly diminished, o. In tn
agricultural districts. Al this was oscnbcd TO the tnn
system, dc tendency u which We were told, was 9
ocutraiize the import trade in the Northern cities, and
draw from the consuming classes largo sums to enrich n
Nouhsm manufacturer. This. Likewise, subsequent a.
ponenco hes shown 10 be a~falaoy; and to operation Of til
present tariff will sil farther demonstrate the same fac
The people d the South begin 10 perceive thst the oaus'
Of Their decline, Zoe rather, Of their failure TO keep pac
with tho Nouh) ls fer deeper than the legislation Of III
eonsfsl sovsmmeni, and That tho EEHEDT is IN their ov
hsads. les dom diversity their pursuin-let them bu
lee. oven Il sbsy eel iess-snd it vii not DO long bofoI
the sdysnisess % ibs policy will vindiea,e I've wisdom.
Rspsdly. howeser. a. tho advocates Of the Pro,ecti'
syssm have increased In the southern States. u IL not
~ Soabted hat Il would have been stal mOrs ~. had n
P~sisncisss kep, pace With the people. But, 20 doePy he