Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-09-22

IN lhiS, show that as unrestricted system as
possible is THE real revenue tariff" | admit tina,
protective tariff will create larger capacity in
The Manufacturing capitalists 10 import and pay
Tor whatever they want from abroad. by ipcreas.
ing their prosperity; and il they were The country,
The Senileman's argument would be conclusive
But, unfortunately for the argument they are but
very small portion Of The country The census
OF lo40 showed, that out Of a population Of up
wards OF seventeen millions, only 79l, 749 were
engaged in manufactures and iradcs; and as
proved 10 my argument on a former occasion,
Ton The Harbor bill,) in reply 10 another gentle
man from Massachusetts, (Mr. Hudson more
Than hall OF the whole number OF these is oil this
lauer class, who are mol benefited by protective
tariH; and very large portion OF the other halt
IS composed OF The operatives, who, as has been
frequently shown in this debate, get no better
wages under prosctive tariff Than without X,
and whose capacity to consume, therefore, is not
increased BY il. admit thar the capacity OF ,he
capitalist 10 consume is augmented by pro'ec-
i've tariff But they are an exceedingly small
class, and class, too Whose ability 10 consume
even under small profits, is such as 10 enable
them 10 supply all their wants. And an increase
OF those profits rather adds 10 their clear gains
than 10 their consumption. They make more
money, but they expend but little more BY
protective tariff, they are enabled TO add 10 their
gentleman must see that such tariff adds very
inconsiderably the capacity, even OF the manu-
featuring class, Tor consumption. As TO all The
rest, who compose the great mass OF the commu-
nliy, their capacity tor consumption is greatly i'm
paired in The depression OF their prosperity. But
the gentleman may say, that here too, am beg
ging The question. ! will prove my position by
his own admission. lie maintains tina, the sys-
tenn which brings with il the greatest amount OF
prosperity, creates the largest capacity for con-
sumption | admit The truth of the proposition.
But he cannot avoid admitting hat the converse
OF il is true, and that the system under which the
largest steady liability of The people 10 import
and pay for whatever they wan, from abroad"
has uniformly existed is the one which brings
with II the greatest prosperity 10 the greatest num-
Der. The truth OF these positions cannot be de-
MED The gentleman virtually admits them
Now lei us turn 10 the facts, and see under which
system this greatest capacity for consumption
has existed. The records prove, that from 1883
when The first tariff was passed, down 10 this
day. the imports retained for home consumption
have been comparatively smaller under high du-
lies, and comparatively larger under low. How
will the gentleman accoun, Tor this upon any
other supposion than that the people enjoyed
more prosperity and had larger capacity Tor
consumption under The latter system than The Tor
mer2 Will he say that the consumption was
not less during the periods Of protection, though
the imports were 2-,hal The deficiency Of The ai
ter was more than supplied by the products OF
orr own factories, brought into existence by the
tariff? He will find that the Imports were con-
stanly Increasing, as The duties We're going down,
under the Compromise, although. as shall here
after show, the building OF factories continued 10
progress al the same time. And he will find
too, that the imports tell off Immediately after the
passage OF the tariff OF 1912, and much sooner
Than il was possible Tor factories 10 have grown
up 10 supply the deficiency. No. sir The true
reason Tor the falling of OF imports i, that the
prosperity and ability OF the great mass OF the
community has regularly risen or fallen as
the duties have. The great mass Of The com
muny are asriculurisIs, and those whose pros.
perily is dependent upon hat oi the asricul,nrist;
and The amount of the export and the price o his
produces have regularly risen or fallen as The du-
lies have. showed this in my speech on The
Harbor bill, and have no disposition 10 repeat
TGs " prcm S" aSh
that "lhe real revenue tariff is the protective ia
riff" is not sustained, and tina, the OF the
proposition is true.
The gentleman from Massachusetts, mr.
Winthrop, in reply TO The argument thai The Ia
rif policy is partial in lis operation, and therefore
unjust, SAYS that the business Of manufacturing.
is not confined 10 any particular locality and he
refers TO few tactorie, in Virginia, North Caro-
lima, Georgia, and even South Carolina. II is
lrne, there are few Struggling factories in those
States; but still, does he not knew lha; il is bu-
siness essentially local, and consequently thai the
advantages Of protection are seciona2 This |
showed in a speech which | delivered in the
Honse OF Delegates Of Virginia on The 9th VI
March, 1912. On that occasion said:
Let there be no mistake on this point. lie
was aware that many supposed tha, the dispro-
portion between The number OF manufactures
which are benefited by Tariff OF protection in
the South and the North, is no, very great. We
have in Virginia, for instance, few cotton fac
tories, which are matter OF curiosity to the COM
munity, and Tor that reason are visited BY almost
verybody. II is very natural, therefore, that The
extent of these establishments should be over
rated He had made some calculations, based
upon the late census The result oil which he would
present 10 the House. In Massachusetts there
are 81 S31 persons engaged in agriculture, and
s5 l16 in manufactures and trades-about an
equal number in each pursuit. In Rhode Island
there are 1868 engaged in agriculture, and
ii 900 in manufactures and trades; being more
than one-fourh more engaged in the latter pur-
suit than he former In Virginia there are
3lS77l engaged in agriculture, and u, 476 in
manufactures and trades upwards Of fourteen
TO one And it must be borne in mind, that those
engaged in manufactures and trades in Virginia
are not OF that class which are benefited by Ia
riff Of protection. They are principally joneis,
smiths, shoemakers &C., whose interest, as far as
Il Tariff goes, is identical with the asricultur.t,
as their pursuit is mol inierered with by foreign
compelilion-and they are themselves the con-
sumers Of the fabrics ui the manufactured. That
they are OF this class is shown BY the TACT that IN
Eastern Virginia, where our cotton manufactures
exist, there are Dbl S27 engaged in agriculture,
and only 4 500 in manufactures and trades-up-
wards Of forty -fve 10 one whereas, in Western
Virginia. where there are scarcely any manuiac-
turing establishments, there are 1894, engaged
in agriculture, and 1856 in manufactures and
trades-not quite six for one. He had extended
the calculation 10 the entire manufacturing dis
lrct, comprising Massachusetts, Rhode Island
Connecticut, the Southern district Of New York
New Jersey, and East Pennsylvania; and he
found that there were little upwards Of two en-
gagged in agriculture 10 one engaged in manulac
lures and trades whereas, in the staple States
comprising Virginia, North Carolina, South Ca
rolina, Georgia Alabama, Mississippi, Louis-
ana, and Arkansas, there are eighteen and nine
ty-nine hundredlhs, or near nineteen, engaged in
agriculture, for every one engaged in manuiac-
lures and trades; and doubtless those engaged in
the latter pursuits were principally OF the class q
ioiners smiths, &c who are not benefited b.
Tariff OF protection"
concluded on 4lh page
We take great pleasure (says the Norfolk He
rald) in calling attention TO the advertisement oil
Mr.. James c. White, late Agent OF the Ports
mouth and Roanoke Railroad, IN another column,
by which il will he seen thai he has made ar
ranoemenls for continuing The running Oh the cars