The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-04-17
NEw YoRK, April Is, 1886
To The Editor Of The Union:

To The Editor Of the Union:
The columns Of the "Union" have contained some
Just comments upon the statement and Arguments
on the subject Of the tariff, made by Mr. Abbott
Lawrence, Of Boston, in the recent series Of letters
he has published addressed to Mr.. Rives Virginia
Ills possible that some Of your readers have become
tired of MIR, Lawrence's opinions, so often adyerted
| to in the newspapers. They should bear in mind,
however, that his great wealth and associations have
made him the champion Of the doctrines Of pro-
lection, and that so long as the present tariff re-
mains unrepealed, they should not treat with indf-
ference the influence his opinions may have with
the public, The doctrines Of protection, using the
words In their technical sense, are soon trust, to
be severed from the policy OF the nation. In fur
herance of that crisis, it is important that We both
expose the s0phistry Of those who oppose the doc
Tines Of free trade, we'll advocate the princi-
Piles themselves The letters of Mr. Lawrence,
though designed for contrary purpose, have, in re-
atty, had the effect TO strengthen the position of the
anti-tarif advocates, from the meagre summary
they present of the sum total of all the arguments
that can be advanced in behalf ofthe doctrine Of
protection, There are some statements in the last
letter OF Mr.. Lawrence, which have not seen COM
mented upon He says:
| "The President and his Secretary Of the Treasu-
ny have stated that the operations of the present ia
riff law oppressed the poor. confess this asser-
ton surprised me coming from high funchonaries of
| the government, who have the means of obtaining
1
stating, that laboring man may be- and is, clothed
with American manufactures from the crown of his
head to the sole of his foot cheaply us laboripg
man In Great Britain, or any other part Of Europe,
| who wears as comfortable garments; and that the
revenue is raised principally from articles consumed
| airy circumstances.
at is error of the President and Secretary to
put forth statement that the tariff of lS42 oppress
es the poor man, when the principal part of the rev.
enue is derived rather from the uxuries, than the
| necessaries of life
"When we hear from high sources of transfer
ring our workshops to Manchester, Birmingham,
and Leeds, | should be glad to know if it be pro-
posed to transfer our intelligent working men with
| them, and whether farmer in Ohio can be made to
believe that these will eat more of his beef and
pork in Old than in New England"
IL this statement is true that goods worn by la
boring men are as cheap in America as they are in
| England, what have the American manufactures to
dread from foreign competition under the proposed
reduction of the tariff, when they reflect that duty
OF twenty per cent. and other charges for freight,
insurance, commissions, &C., amounting to twenty
per cent more, must be added to the cost of the for
eign goods before they can be offered in our mar
ket In competition with the domestic fabric? Mr..
Lawrence's reasoning may be stated thus:--He has,
for instance lot of cotton cloths, of his own man.
ufacture, which he can afford to sell for $1,000
manufacturer there places the same valuation. And
yet, If these foreign goods should be brought into
the United States, and forty per cent duty and ex-
penses added increasing the cost of them to 81 400
they can be sold, according to the novel reasoning
of Mr. Lawrence, at a less price than the similar
lot OF American goods, costing $1,000. awe sell
goods as cheap" says the Massachusetts n,anufac-
tnrer, ''as they can be sold in England" 1--WE pro-
duce better goods" he adds (for the Boston people
have grown proud as we'll as rich, the merchants
who have been compelled to 60 there for goods this
spring, can verlfyO "and can maintain superiority
abroad, )" but if you admit foreign goods, Gin ex-
change for wheat and corn) it will be great eds
couragement" to American labor, and shall be
compelled to transfer our workshops to Manches-
ter, birmingham, and Leeds''--where he leayes
II to be inferred-in contradiction to what he
denies in theory--goods can be produced cheap
er. Again, if his other statement be true,
that The principal part of the revenue is de-
rived rather from the luxures than the i1eceesares
OF life " 1t Is clear the cotton manufacturer needs no
protection, for cotton goods denominated "luxu-
RES" are not manufactured to any extent in this
country And as for the coarse fabrics, the manu-
facturers themselves boast they can beat all the
world IN the production Of them, for cheapness
and goodness SO that they can have nothing to |
fear from reduction Of the tariff. 1t is not sur
prlsng that Mr.. Lawrence, in order to escape the |
force of these direct conclusions, should make
sympathetic appeal to farmers, inquiring whether
they think the manufacturers twill eat more of
their beef and pork in Old England than in New
England" The farmers pretty generally, | be-
lleve, begin to understand that there is compare
lively, such is the perfection to which machinery
IS brought, but small amount Of physical labor
needed in the production Of cotton fabrics, A
pound Of cotton is bought by manufacturer, of the
planter, at eight cents per ID. II is spun on spin
dies drove by machinery, wove by power loom,
printed three or four coors by once passing between
cylinders, and is then returned to the cotton planter
at the rate Of from so to rs cents per pound It is
probable that il the farmers urged to reply to
Mr. Lawrence's interrogatory, they would give Il as
their opinion that the water power Of New England
consumes no more "beef and pork" than the steam /
power Of Old England.
"The South and West" says Mr.. Lawrence,
"have every motive to give efficient protecen to the
labor Of the whole Union; first because those en-
poyed in the mechanical and manufacturing arts are
the best customers for your agricultural products
and secondly, because you desire to engage ia hose
departments Of labor YOURSELF
The best customers Of the farmers are those who
Will give them the highest prices for their products
he prices Of all our staple agricultural PRODUCES