Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1846-06-18
SPEECH OF
NIX STEWART, OFPENNSTLv ANLA,
LIS DLrEScE or ruE Protective PoLIcY.
Delivered IN the House Of Representatives. of
the L. s., May 9th, 1916.
SPEECH OF
(ConcIrnrn


few OF the future legislators OF our county.
tie rejoiccl that they had learned better les .
son than TO prefer the pros perity of foreigners
10 that OF their own parents, brothers, and
countrynien. II the gentleman would step
10 the window behind him, he could behold
these beautiful children on their march TO the
Capitol. Was this American sight offensive
TO the gentleman! Would he destroy these
American products also, and import them
from abroadl Great merriment) lie hop
ell not But he had done with the fair. aud
he now turned To consider some OF the argu.
nents which had been addnccd by the gen
Nueman from Alabama, for whom lac cherish
al high personal respect. who was doubt
less actlated by patriotic feelings, and whom
he should be happy TO hear in reply TO what
he was now about 10 say.
HE first argument of the gentleman had
been the position, that the effect of a protec.
i've tanii was oppressive, especially on the
poor, and on the interests of agriculture and
labor. How was II oppressive upon these?
NO other interest Ill the country vas halt as
much benefited by the tariff as the farmers
aud mechanics. aud Norkingmen The GEN
tleman SAID that II injured them by increasing
the price of manufactured commodities; for
the genllemans assertion was, that protec.
ton did invariably increase the price OF the
articles protected. Now, ia reply, Mr.. s.
which he challenged contradiction. viz: that
there never was "a protective duty levied in
this country, on any article which we could
aud did manufacture extensively, which had
not resulted IN bringing down the price of that
article, aud ne challenged gentlemen 10 point
him single instance in reference TO which
this was not true. The prices ofcommodi-
ties. instead OF being raised by protection, had
been reduced to third, one-fourth, and E.
ven to one-tenth and one -twelnh part of what
had been paid for them when imported from
abroad. The gentleman, IL he had walked up
TO the Fair, might there have seen American
coiton, such as had cost, when the enormous
mlnnums were first imposed for it's protec-
tion by MIR. Lowndes aud Mr. Calhoun. eiph
ty-fiye cents yard, now ready TO b. delivered
IN any quantity, and of better quality. al sew
en- cents; aud WOODEN jeans, sold in 1910 al
siXty-ive cents, now selling, of much better
quality, Tor thirty five; and these articles were
subject 10 the very highest duties in the whole !
Cstalogue-proving, beyond all condensation,
the truth OF the proposition denounced rs an |
adsurdity by the gentleman, that the highest
duties often produce the lowest prices, when |
levied on articles which we can supply TO the |
eNtentot our own wants Here was the re- !
suit Oi American industry, skill. and improve
nent, when left free to act out their own en-
ergles, and occupy fully aud freely, theirown
appropriate markets, without the disturbing
and destructive competition of the manner ls
Dor of Europe. Mr.. s. had mentioned the
article OF cotton, because il afforded a strik !
ing Illustration Of the general doctrine. show !
ing that the mlnlmums, The highest protec. /
i've duties, had produced the greatest reduc. v
ton OF prices. But the same Thing was true =
10 d greater or less extent, with respect IN ev d
cry protected article in the entire list Mr. a
,. stated incontrovertble matters Of fact /
lie challenged Contradctiou-he courted in. n
NesuSAilon-he dehed gentlemen TO disprove y
al Atom OF what he had asserted. Aud, TO O
put tins truth the strongest light. he repeat {
ed that the highest and most obnoxious duties |
those a0hoted minilnums, against which gen.
ueInen had wasted such furious denunciationS
presented precisely the very cases here The
reduction OF price had been the greatest =
Those duties, il is said, now amounted 10 two
add three hundred per cent nd ualorem. And
whyt Because they were fixed speciRc du
ties. They remained stationary, however
prices might change, and OF course, as the
Price went down, the duty bore larger and
still larger proportion to it, At first. the du.
~ was, say, half the price OF the article; as
The price decline, the duty became equal to
Tue pnce, then IT became greater than the |
price, iben double the price; and, at length,
utcltj snd men gentlemen exclaimed I'm nor.
TOT, What an abominable duty! Ii is three
hundred per cent. on the total value of the ar
ucle' What horrible profits! How the duty
must raise the price," when, all the while.
the duty remained the same and It's effect had
been, not TO increase, but TO bring down the
price Just three hundred per cent from tbir.
~ cents down TO seven and half cents per
yeIa, aud this was robbery and plundcri And
stlli the gentleman said IL was an ab,urditv
which no man could swallow 10 say that the
higher the protective duty the lower the price
Now, Mr.. 5. would venture to saw. that if,bc
duty on IRON aud It's manufactures were in
creased 70 morrow five hundred per cent The
rapid rush OF capital into that business and
the vast increase OF supply wonld be such,
aud the consequent reduction of price 90 oroat
that the United States would soon SUNNY the
world win iron, It's capacity for its produc-
ZION being unlimited. lie had stated facts
showing mat high duties had produced low
prices, IAN tlle gentleman deny them?-
There they stand on inpTegnable foundations
htp as tle hills. Let the gentleman AMI his
friends dbproye them as they can. That such
- the Pracical operation OF the system is full
ly established by the fact, that whilst manu-
lectures OF various kinds had declined IN one
fourth OF theiriormer price, agricultural. pro-
duce aud the cages OF labor had Underwent
little or no reduction, owing to the constant.
~ increasing home demand Tor both. resulting
IRON tlIe protective policy.
But he wished to be understood correctly
Mr. >. dad not say that the effect Of all duties
was 70 diminish prices; on the CONTRARY. he
did Sot deny that il was the effect of some
duties to increase prices. But what he said
was thus; that duties leyied on articles we
could make, TO tbs extent5of our owh wants.
End with view TO protect our own manufac
lures, did ~ all cases operate. ian the end. To
lower pnces, by Increasing capital, COMPEL
ton: and supply Duties imposed ON foreign
orticlcs which we could not make for orr
selves, Wenid generally increase the prices
heoagse 'hey SID not increase the supply by ian
ofeasins home 9pmpeution. Ills posit;o,
was this: duiies lsUiedf for rsrsaue on orii5Ls
re cannot prodncc !acrcosd prices. ,rbH,t
Proitctio, duties. Lsritd or arfiolss ,rf Can md
40 produce dimtHished price The trntb or