Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1846-12-30
THE NsTIrUrIoN-srATr RIGHTS.
a Chaptcr ON Sait.


The Treasury dogms that the duty upon article al
constitutes part Of the pricerom which follows the
corony that II upon the consumer-has been often
concusivcy exploded heretofore by tho uniform decline OF
prices coemporuncousy with and succeeding increase
dues. But reply this fact, which the pces
verified, aud which could therefore be denied the op-
Ionents OF protective tariff have commended that that de-
cline owing other causes and especially the
ducuon Of improved machinery by which the pro
ducuon had been materially diminished. while
always disposed to give this argument the weight TO
whNh It was unqucstonaby onued, nevertheless could
not regard it the exclusive the principal
cause ct the decline referred tO-becausc that |
hat decline not confined articles in the lGbr |
cation OF which labor saving machinery was extensive
~ employed. Glass, for example, in the fabrication
OF which there IS no such machinery, has fallen IN |
price, under the operation OF high duty (Which indeed in
consequence OF that reduction price, had became almost
prohbtory,l to extent fully equal the decline the
pnoe oi the kinds OF cotton CLOTH in which that
scrpon OF machinery used Indeed we do not 20 too
lar when that although other rules proved
by EXCEPTIONS To this there rs exception all. In no
single instance the advocates of the existing tariff pon,
article the price OF which enhanced after time had
been afforded Tor the introduction OF its domestic rival by
the imposition Of high duty And yet the dogma that the
duty constitutes necessarily element OF price, aud
soquoudy that the reduction Of duties is reduction If the
teNcs OF the Peopetaxes paid TO the 60
Votnmcnt but as bounty the manufsCurers-is
ly roiuied IT were as universally sustained by facts!
But We promised give chapter upon Sa-an article
which has furnished theme for the pathetic appeals
10 ho people Sal: being article Of indispensable
cess'ty 1t natural that when Mr. Benton who been
long sborug to reduce the duties upon it, dwcli with
phass and ooquence upon its inequality and especially
when he denounced peculiarly oppressive the poorer
class Of the community, it should produce 4 powerful
effect upon Just aud benevolent community. 1t was IN
vain aat II shown that the price of Salt OF every
other article in the duable list had been reduced instead
Of being increased, by the operation OF duty, which
protecting exhausess salt-works had given to
the consumer only choice of markets in which 10
purchase Their supplies, bul had brought mar
kcts to their door. "Thc duty tax upon the poor
mars porrdge," said Mr. Benton aud nothing would
silence this clamor its reduction Consequently they
abolished the specific duty OF per bushe or abou,
- cents sack imposed by the tariff Of 1872 and levied
m lieu OF tia 90 per ad vaorem duty or about IL
per sack. Ii the free trade theory be at all reliable
what ough to have been the effect Necessarily reduc-
ton Ct 20 cents sack IN the price But has been
We find the following this question in the Sa.
yaunah Republican:
In the months Of June and July last when the British
Tarh was under discussion, salt sold IN the Savan.
nah market at one Goar per sack, aud tho good kind
hearted conhding people, told that under the reign
OF Free Trade they would be enabled buy their fall sup
Pyat eighty cents. The Brush Tamil was enacted and
hnd, late tho Both October salt was sti sold
AT one dollar One OF our Commercial Houses thought
tAA tue IFicc was soon 10 be reduced
Wen save c twenty o'"'s duty and 80 warehouscd cargo
To practical workings 9f the ne tariff The Isl
OF December came, and the British TauH opera
ton, when, according DemJcEauc logic salt was to crop
down 20 eighty cents What the result On the ih
81 December there sae OF eight hundred sacks nj
ON DOLLAR, rHRTy.sEyEN ASp HALF CENTS and on Fr-
day ias hc leih there another OF two thousand
sacks al ONE DOLLAR slXTY-Two A HALF CENTS PER
SACK part OF the cargo shipped Charleston,
very focus OF Free Trade and sold taere 1t TWO DOLLARS
AND Twenty-Five CENTS per sack!!"
This rapid advance in the price Of article Of prime
necessity, which according the logic Oi Secretary
Walker aud his disciples, ought at once to have fallen
seems TO us 10 be singular method of RELIEVING IHE
PEOPLE PROM TAxArS! 1t strikes that they had better
consent to pay bounty the manufacturer even IN Mr.
Walkers estimated ratio OF dollars for every ono paid
TO the Government IT, by doing, they at the same time
put money into their purses rather than relieved
from oppressive and unequal taxation by process which
empies their pockets!
How does It happen Of the dupcs OF the free trade
theory may a'k, that reduction Of duty is thu. succeed
ed by increased prices instead Of the lower prices which we
had been taught anticipate This question j. answered
by the following communication, which VIC lind i'm lhe n
Notk Inbuno-aud from which learn that the prices o.,
other articles as well as Salt, and scarcely necessary
are likely to be affected in the same way:
5i1s Editor i tss Nss T,i5gas
The Free Trade advocates have ever br-5 ned m ,i,
their song about the oppression Of the duy 1a I'm Sail
This article paid specific duty OF 8. busuc. Of So
pounds under the Tam Of I5i2. At Turks Island the
under The Isr Of 1912 has ranged from 10 and cent,
per busho.
Mr.. Walker tells in his Treasury Report that TN. :
cents duty under the Tariff 1912 tax upon the CON
sumer. Taxation" 'ayaton" taxation has been rnng
through all the changes to the end Of the chapter in his
Treasury report Of lelj and 1916. Now rs let u zee
how the Free Trade O Mr.. Walker works u. Ter the Tar
I'll oflsiG:
As the specific duty Of cents pound wa, IN
Ken Oh from Salt imported the United States hy the
Tamil o 1896 the Turks Island manufacturer raised tho
Pse OF me article from and cents to 10 cents per bush.
e and THE Is the price he asks and receives at the
Snl pits where th5 Salt 10 rlks out and ready to be u,
dod on b ard tho American vessels.
NJ Woker has lost the cents per bushel duty which
De much wants csrry his Mexican War and the
Turks Island manufacturer slips Mr. WaIk.rs dptv
OF GEMS bushel, which ho might have received into tho
manufacturer pocket!
market since Mr. Walker has killed of tho SPEC c duty Of
~ cents per pound under bic Free Tado Tnun Of 1910
bn, aust 80 much deare at the plantations Cuba So
with Mo.nsscs, which paid about onoha cent per pound
SPECIFIC duty under the law OF lS42.
What pafot-sagc' these Free Traders are Everything
for their own
Tnus Business aud Capital are taken away from our own
p'n1on manufactures, africans nnl lJJfors nd gwen
10 foreign countries and people
What cay you, slIrB,i.sr. Of ooonI1ga. Kanawh1.
oaio Missouri add FrburRh DO you ttnk 10 helps Won
90 roe the foreign manufacturer make one hundred nor
cent on his salt under The TlrG Of 1876 over nud above
whithe mudo under the Tamil Of 1922 OH sllr.
We a'k, with tie Tribune who does not SEQ that the
foregoing facts completely subycr hc main pillars of Nj,
Wa,sefs theory OF duties Increasing prices by their foil
amount and thereby costing the people thrice tho amount
thcy pay into The Treasury Must not these facts he aya
hda'ed-as The Tribune well asksor Mr. Walkers tl ory
abandoned
~ We DID not to say. and We do not ,hins we
DID say, friend Of the Southern Standard ruppo,s
that President Pok had Ioned hands" with us in de,
mourning the provisions Tor The pe.cryaon of low end
order established by Commodore sloa' Kcarpov and
Stockton" We stated, however, and this We think Oh,
STANDARD cannot question, that the President dircams the
responsibility Tor 'ome'i"s which those officers did-snd
that tomsilng pfsc.ly that whIch l.e donnnnccd m