The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1846-05-05
REMARKS OF
MR.. A. STEWART,
OF Pennsylvania,
ON THE TARIFF.

Delivered IN the House Of Representatives Of
The u. States. March Ii, 1876.
had not intended. said Mr. S., TO say one
word about the Tariff; but am strongly
tempted to state fact or two in reply to the
gentleman from Virginia. That gentleman
dwelt entirely on The benefits of foreign trade.
He went altogether in favor of importing
foreign goods, aud creating Il market for the
benefit OF foreigners Would our own agri-
culture be benefited by process like this :
Nothins could more eilectually divert the
benefit from our own people and pour it in a
constant stream upon foreign labor. No A
merican interest was so much benefited by a
protective system as that Of agriculture.
The foreign market was nothing, the home
market was everything, 10 them; it was as
one hundred TO one. The Tariff gave Us the
great home market, while the gentleman's
scheme was 10 secure aud invaluable market
al home. The gentleman says he is very
anxious to compete with the pauper labor OF
Europe. | will tell him one fact: With all
the protection we now enjoy, Great Britain
sends into this country eight dollars worth
OF her agricultural productions two one dOlla: s.
worth Of all our agricultural productions (save
cotton and tobacco) that he takes from US.
Mr.. BAYLY. Does the gentleman assert
that?
Mr.. STEWART. do and will prove it.
Mr.. BAYLr. Then you will prove the re-
turns false which are made oy our own Gov
eminent.
No sir: [ will prove it by the returns fur
nished by Mr.. Walker himself in support of
the bill which he has laid before The Commit
tee of Ways and Means. Now, assert, and
can prove. that more than half the value Of
all the British goods imported into this coun-
try consist of agricultural products, changed
in form, converted and manufactured into
goods. And invite thorough analysis Of
the facts. ] challenge the gentleman to the
scrutiny. Take dow all the articles in store,
one after another estimate the value Of the
raw material, the bread and meat, and other
agricultural products which have entered into
their fabrication, and il will be found that
one-half and more of their value consists Of
the productions of the soil agricultural pro-
duce in lis strctest sense.
Now, by reference TO Mr. Walkers report,
il will be seen that. for twelve years back, we
have imported from Great Britain aud her
dependencies annually 52l-4 millions Of dol
lars worth Of goods, but call il 80 millions,
while she took ofall our agricultural, products,
save cotton and tobacco less than two and
half millions Of dollars worth. Thus, then,
assuming one-half the value of her goods to
be agricultural, it gives us D millions OF her
agricultural produce to 2l-2 millions Of ou-s
taken by her, which isjust ten to one; to
avoid cavi. put it at eight to one. To test
the truth OF his posirioo. he was prepared, it
time permitted, to refer to numerous facts.
But for the information the gentleman from
Virginia, v no is so great friend 10 the poor
and oppres ed farmers, will tell him that we
have imported yearly, for twenty-six years.
$50 says Mr.. Walkers report more than ten
millions of dollars worth of tcooLLen goods.
Last year we imported Sl0,666 176 worth.
Now, one-haIf and more of the value of this
cloth was made up ofwool, The subsistence OF
labor &other agricultural productions. The
general estimate is, that the wool alone is ha
The universal customs among farmers, when
they had their wool manufactured on the
shares, was to give the manufacturer half the
cloth. Thus we import and our farmers h I'VE
to pay, for fire millions of dollars worth Of