The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-07-23

ihe same manner, exhibits total OF tl5.2l6,6l7
The liable Of manufactures Of cotton, marked No,
3, ls compiled by taking the amount returned Off
Iciay in each the States Of Massachusetts, New
York, and Connecticut ia l645, and allowing pro.
poronate increase in the remaining States since the
census OF 1910; the total is s55, l37 O4s.
The table for woollens, marked No. 4, is com
piled on the same data as No. 3, and exhibits total
of ,s3s, ,7O2 49,.
81, 5s6 ,542 scompiIed from the returns for
1910, with an actual return for the State of New
York for 1874, and assuming a similar rate Of in
crease for the rest Of the Union.
Table No. q, for sugar and molasses, exh biting
total for sugar ofsll ll9, S92, and Of molasses g.
6l3,249, il compiled from actual returns for the
crop OF Louisiana for lS45 and assuming increase
In the rest Of the Union not In the ratio Of Louis-
ana, but only correspondent TO population upon
the census of 1910 Cotton bagging Is founded up.
on tho required for ths crop Of l845 deduct
ing foreign importations. All the other amounts
namely glass and glass ware, paper, eordsge, hats
and caps, straw hats, bonnets and braid earthen-
ware, boots and shoes, and other manufactures Of
leather and manufactures Of tobacco are all obtain
ed IN the following mAnner-namely; by taking the
actual returns above stated for 1910, and allow
ing correspondent Increase according TO the census
Of 1870 The duty onn these articles Is taken from
the tariff Of 1912, the equivalent nd yalorem from
the actual payments ofdutles to the collectors pub
shed in the treasury report The imports and
gross revenue obtained in the same manner; and
SO, also, the table Of the enhancement Of prices,
measured by the rate Of duty, founded precisely
upon the same data, proportion OF the actual
per centage Of the Imports. The actual addition
to the price Is based upon prices current and sales
and upon the actual difference In price Of the foreign
and domestic article in our own market arising from
| the tariff. This Is founded upon actual sales, at
home and abroad, comparison Of the foreign and
domestic prices current, including the charges and
transportation Of articles, together with numerous
invoices based upon actual importations and sales,
and furnished heretofore, by merchants ofthe high
| est character. Wherever any difference pre-
scented in comparing these data, the lowest sum has
Invariably been taken, TO leave, in the opinion
Of the department, the at least stated OF $751;
1874 4O5, as the amount upon the sixteen enumerat-
ed articles in the table actually paid in enhanced
prices to the protected classes. These are the re-
suits, based not upon theory, but upon tho fact Of
the actual difference in price, Of our own and Of
similar foreign articles, taking the actual difference
price, and Of sales adding TO the price OF the for
egn article all charges, including freight, &C.,
to exhibit the sales here Of such foreign articles as
# there were no duty. Such are the facts; but the
theory is advanced, that, by the domestic COMPETE
ton created by high dutes the prices OF our
| tices are ultimately brought down to that Of the
foreign. Now, no article can be permanently
produced, Is to be sold in any country for any
length Of time, below the actual of the produc-
ton OF such article IN that country. Thus, IL we
take the Of sugar produced from the cane,
which is tropical plant, the cost Of producing it in
| climate where there is at least some winter and
FROST situate nearly degrees north Of the trop-
&c, the season and the laws Of nature forbid that
any duty, however high, or any composition, how
ever great bring down the cost Of production to
the cost of producing the same article in tropical
climate. Thus, ever since the acquisition of Louis
lana, sugar has been subjected to duty nearly al
ways equal and for many years higher, than the
nFa Mt fha hstNU
the price Of the foreign and domestic article and of
the cost OF production, Is nearly great ii was
when the high duty commenced half a century
since.
The citizen Of Key West now purchases our
own foreign sugar there at price Of nearly 5
cents pound. In six hours he reaches Havana,
and there purchases a similar article at nearly one
half the price; and nothing but the duty can occa-
sion the difference Of price.
An American citizen crosses the river from De-
troit to Canada and purchases there separated only
by distance Of half mile from the American
shore, similar articles at onequarer less than the
price at Detroit. Nothing but the duties occa
sion this difference otherwise the price would be the
same at both places . 49,. .rEse
We have had protective and quasi protective tariff
froml7s9 to the present period, with short interval
Of few years. and yet this alleged domestic compe-
ition occasioned by protective duties, is nearly
far removed from reducing the price Of the great
of the protected articles to the foreign price, as
it was when the system commenced. The truth is
that from great variety of causes natural and art-
fetal, the cost production varies from one to many
thousand per cent. in different countries, and no
legislative enactments change the soil, climate,
or seasons, reverse all existing circumstances, so
as 10 equaze the cost of producing all articles in all
countries. Competition, therefore, cannot produce
this result and if it ultimately could, the sys
ten of taxation is going on, and one generation is
being subjected to heavy burdens, in the hope that
another, still more remote generation, at some
distant period OF years or centuries, may be enabled
10 get the domestic article at the same price if
there were duties But this theory seems to over
look the fact that competition, and struggle for the
trade of the world are going on in all other countries
and that this very competition, striving TO overcome
protective duties, is producing, perhaps nearly the
same rate Of reduction abroad as the domestic COM
petition at home, leaving the difference just great
as when the process commenced. But IN the mean
time the system of duties has been going on-taxing
one class for the benefit of another and greatly re-
ducing the entire MACS of the national wealth. by
having driven so large an amount of capital from
its natural channels into artificial pursuits, for
which the country either not prepared, or its soil
and climate unsuted. The true measure of the
progress of nations wealth ia the progressive
profit ofal its industry; and the aggregate Of this
profit must be reduced by restricting its commerce,
reducing its exports, forcing its capital by legisa-
ton into otherwise unproduct;ve pursuits, thus tax
ing one portion of the people for the benefit of an
her, being mere legislative transfer OF money from
one class to another, and not creation OF wealth or
addition to it.
As illustrative of the difference between free trade
and high duties, it is proved that in the absence Of
any tariff, agricultural products are dearer in Oregon
Il an with US, whilst vast number of articles that
have performed the circuit Of the globe around the
Cape of Good Hope or Cape Horn, notwithstanding
the heavy freight much lower there than with ms
Thus, in very late history of Oregon, by George
Wilkes, 1t is stated that "woollen goods and ready
made clothing, being introduced here without duty,
las it is considered an English por) are greatly
cheaper than with u.s." CA very good strong quail |
ity Of blue broadcloth, six-quarters wide, can be
had for 81 25 per yard" "Alf articles Of cutlery
are also cheap for the same reason as the aboye.s
|" Chains, tools, and farming implements are very
reasonable" Such is the present condition Of
things in Oregon; and 1t would be a fact, worthy of
consideration to note the difference of price and its
extent, in regard to protected articles, if the tariff of
ls42 shall be extended to that interesting portion of
our common country. 1t is easy, however, to FORE
tell, that on nearly all protected articles, there
would be rise liz the price nearly equal to the du-