Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1847-05-27

| DOeS " OOdCCO L lanteF' utuy VIC ii''
proposition, ssthat the culture Of tobacco and
the commerce arising from it, is among the
most important interests of the country {"
The commercial statistics prove that propo-
s,ion true. 1t is unnecessary to restate
them here. Does he deny that our tobacco
is subjected to inordnate and excessive du-
ties, such as are not levied upon any other
article of commerce? The records of the
Treasury Department also prove the truth
of this assertion, and the tables of foreign
duties, which accompany the Speech, were
furnished by the Secretary Of the Treasury,
or are compiled from documents which have
been transmitted from that department to
Congress.
After stating those two propositions,
which are, in the language of ''Tobacco
Planter" '',he purpose of the Speech, re-
viewed the restrictions imposed upon the
tobacco trade by most Of the governments of
Europe. and "Tobacco Planter' miscon-
ceives the argument and the reasoning when
he declares that my remedy is, Gin the aug
menta,ion Of duties upon certain classes OF
our imports.o had no such purpose, and
if "Tobacco PlanteI' had read the amend
ments offered, he would have seen that the
remedy is not to consist in the augmenta-
ton of duties by our Government, upon
'scertain classes of our imports" but upon
the repeal of duties by foreign governments
upon our tobacco That is the remedy !;
and suspect that '.Tobacco Planters is no
tobacco planter, or he would not be oppos-
ed to the proposition, or "the purpose of
the Speech" | commended that this article
of commerce should be subject to the same
duties and regulations Of trade, as are i'm
posed upon and govern other productions ;
and admitting that to be true, the inquiry is,
How is it to be effected?
mpositions upon the tobacco trade COM
planned of, have been operating ''through the
whole series of years comprehended in the
tables" that is, from 1925 to the present
time and he denies that this is sslhe cause
of the existing depression Of this branch of
commerce." 1t has never been contended
that this is the sole cause of the present
great depression, but that it is an adjunct.
and that we should get better prices for our
tobacco, if the trade was untrammeled and
unrestricted by other duties than such as are
imposed upon other productions. What is
Tobacco Planters" object? Does he real
| ly believe that duties upon tobacco, which
make it costly luxury, only, within the
reach of the wealthy, do not lessen the a
mount consumed, and consequently the de-
mand for it? If such is his opinion, give
him up as hopeless Case, and beyond being
convinced.
He asks, "Why have certain consecutive
years yielded returns SO much more favor
able to the planter, than another consecutive
series of equal duration?' "Why do the nine
years from 1924 to 1882 yield an aggregate
of only $51, 700,412, whilst the nine years
from 1884 to 1912, both inclusive, yield an
aggregate of SS3,3O5,842?" SC. To what
cause does ''Tobacco Planter' attribute this
difference in the value of exports of tobacco
in the two series of years selected by him
Does he attribute it TO higher tariff of du-
ties, levied by this Government, in the one
period than in the other? That would be
as absurd as the opinion which he would
make me entertain, viz: that high duties by
our Government would make tobacco sell
for higher prices abroad. The duties levied
by our Government on foreign productions
can in no way affect the prices of our pro-
auctions abroad, apart from other causes
1t is true that the tobacco exported from
1894 to 1912, inclusive, exceeded in value
that exported from 1924 to 1882, abou,
thirty-one millions of dollars. But the diff
ference in the value of the expectation in
the two series, is to be traced to@other and
different causes than that supposed by ''To-
bacco Planter" In the first place, we ex-
ported in the latter series of nine years, from
1884 to 1912, 229,S13 hhds. of tobacco
more than we exported in the first series
from 1924 to 1882. This, itself, would have
been sufficient to make up the difference
But there were other causes operating with
more power and unerring certainty. Dur
ing the last series of years, from 1884 to
1S42, was period of uncommon prosperi-
ty in Europe, and of corresponding depres-
sion in this country. 1t will be recollected
by the country and by tobacco Planter
that in that period the charter of the Bank