The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-06-13
THE REDUCTION OF THE TARIFF.

THE REDUCTION OF THE TARIFF
At the present moment, when, according TO tn
giVlngs out of rumor the settlement Of the Oregon
question seems at last TO have become visible in The
distance, the mind Of the whole country turns with
intense anxiety TO the tariff the next question Of
capital import which must come up IN Congress
We have been much amused at the views taken by
the wing journals Of our articles published few
days since upon the question OF the tariff as affect
ed by the Mexican war.
We found the protecIlonsts crying out that II
would be madness TO touch our present protective
system while the war with Mexico was on ouI
haads We replied, in substance, that from the
peculiar situation of Mexico, having scarcely any
commerce with US, and without navy, the effect
Of the war, If wdgsd upon US by Mexico alone,
would not be very important in its bearing upon
any question Of our domestic policy Bat we urged
that IN far the existing did affect com
mercial and manufacturing interests, it would tend
TO make the continuance Of our present protective
tariff even less defensJle than it would be IN a state
of peace.
This, as we stated it, is not only true, but 1t is self
evident. Yet some of the wing journals have been
oolsh enough to call our statement "a strange err
ror!" Such a fact only shows the desperate strait
to which the protecuonlsts driven in the defence
of their oppressive and unjust tax law.
We may add, also, that If any confidence Is
placed IN the rumors Of the day, and the Oregon
controversy Is to be adjusted, spring Is to be
given to the general employments Of the country,
commerce speciality that with the energy with
which the Mexican war Is to be prosecuted 1t can
not last long-and it scarcely materially check
this commercial prosperlty-and that lower duties
upon the increased importatlons will bring IN short
time, revenue adequate 10 all our demands
The other argument upon which the tariff men
now mainly rally is Just as ndefensIbe. They say
that the substitution ola reUsnus tariff instead of
protective tariff will diminish the revenue, and that this
will be ruin in a state of war. To this we reply,
that the tariff BILL as reported by the committee,
will secure u.s. from the customs alone revenue VI
twenty-five and half millions. We reply, IN the
next place, that this revenue may be indefinitely IN
creased by the imposition Of revenue duties upon ar
tcles at present not duuable or increasing duties
upon some the nOn.prOiselsd articles. We reply,
in the third place, that under the existing tariff
the fact is now ascertained that the revenue de-
creasing and will continue to decrease. How can
it be otherwise, when the tariff of 1912
was enacted with the special purpose of I'M
impeding or prohibiting large branches of lmPorta-
ton, in order to force the people to pay higher
prlce for the same articles manufactured at home
There is not a statesman in the cosntTy who can
stand up in his place and say that the tariff Of 1912
embodes safe revenue policy. 1t wss not AIMED
with that object. 1t was framed with a purpose
wholly at variance with that object. Revenue was
its occdent not its end. And because of this fact,
the democracy Of the country regard 1t as law
wholly unwarranted by the constitution fthe Uni
ted States.
Selecting almost at random, among great varIe-
ty of similar indications of public opinion, we pre-
sent to the consideration Of the democratic MEM
bers of Congress the facts and the views contained
IN the following brief articles They express opln-
ions upon the subject formed respectively at the
headquarters of commerce and manufacturers in the
country. The illusions Of the Journal of Com
merce to the present state of things in England bear
subject by Congress:
From the y. Y. Journal of Commerce.
The TARFF.-No man become, in the best
sense wise who does not continually study the
events around him. and class them with their
causes and effects. Ii seems to us that the who
are in earnest to sustain the present protective sys
tenn cannot have acquired much wisdom in this
way. The wing free.trade ministry Of England
pro posed to establish fixed duty on wheat of eight
shillings a quarter, about twenty five cents a
bushe The landlords resisted this, and were able
to drive the wings from office for proposing it.
What is the consequence Why, that tn ir own
grea eader is about to carry through total repeal
of all duties on bread-stutfs of every kind. Would
not the landlords be glad to get back 10 eight shi-
lings quarter, if they could? All around us the
policy of protection is giving way before the rresst-
ble arguments of free trade. 1t seems to us that
udcious friends of protection should seize the pres
ent opportunity to part, lest the next discus
sion among the people should leave the manufacture
ers here to condole with the landlords Of England
Who can expect anything else, that duly estimates
the amazing increase Of agricultural population,
and their absolute dependence on foreign markets
for any price at ALL Even now, the price of -four
is lower here than ever before since the settlement
of the country, with only one or two exceptions;
and with the immense extent Of the growing crops,
without the aid of foreign markets, -four would not
be worth three dollars a barrel next fall The opin-
ion, so industrousIy circulated that the repeal OF
the English corn-laws is nothing to us, since their
supplies will come from the north Of Europe wants
but little reflection to be thrown aside. Distance
is but a trihe nowadays; the yalue and productive
ness of land, and the facilities Of carriage, the
great considerations. Where else in the world but
in the United States can one maR raise twelve hun.
bred bushels of corn in year by the labor Of his
own hands, Where else, 10 the best land in the
world, to be had for a dollar and quarter acre.
Where else is there such exemption from taxes, and
burdens of every sort Where else is industry slim
ulated, not by hunger merely, but by the hope Of
competence, afluence, and honor The advantages
which our agriculture possesses that Of all
other countries, very great and their effect must
be, on the other side Of the Atlantic just what it
has been on the banks Of the HUDSON.
From the Lowell Advertiser.
CHANGE OF THE rARFF.-lt is urged by the sup
porters of the tariff it ls'' that no alteration
should be made in present protective duties, be-
cause being in war, we shall need all, and more
than all the revenue that be raised to meet the
wants Of the government Admitting that the great
est amount Of revenue that can be raised will be
needed and the necessity for change of the tariff
becomes greater. Revenue cannot he had from du-
ties imports unless goods from which to raise 1t