Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1847-10-14
MIR. DALLAS ON THE TARIFF.

I
MIR. DALLAS on THE TARIFF.
I We alluded the other day 10 the fact that
Mr.. Dallas had denied that the present Tariff
was Free Trade measure, and to the aston
I ishment with which such a declaration was
likely TO be received in this quarter Of the world
I bv the devoted friends of the Administration.
We did not, however. touch upon the very
peculiar circumstances under which the den-
al was made, and we hasten 10 supply the de-
+ ficiency.
| No state is SO deeply interested in the pro-
elective policy as Pennsylvania, and none 9TH
/ er is believed TO be more thoroughly CONVEX
SAINT with the benefits Of that system. The
people of Piilsburg especially are known 10
look with peculiar affection upon that system
which has made theircity what ilis--whIch has
created wealth where there was none before
and which has made them large city out of
little town. The whole State, and pittsburg
particularly, were understood to have been We
/ hemen,ly excited by the abandonment Of the
/ Protective System and the substitution of Free
! Trade
| On the eve. then, of most important cleo
/ ton, the Vice President oil the United States,
| forgetiul of the dignity of his office, appears
among the citizens OF Piusburg, al whose in
terests he had aimed a deadly blow, in the
humble capacity OF dinner orator. and not
only attempts TO justify his course, but as
pres even to convince his. auditors that they
have been mistaken all along--tha he is not
so great an enemy TO their interests as they bad
supposed--hat he has done for them, in fact,
the best thing that could have been done
that he is no Free Trade man, and that the
Tariff OF '46 is no Free Trade measure
The paltry nature of such an ovation is too
palpable TO deceive even the least reflectlng.-
The Tariff of 1876 was brought forward as
Free Trade measure---it was recommended by
a Free Trade Secretary OF the Treasury sup
ported by Free Trade men--carried BY Free
Trade votes-and signed by Free trade Pres.
ident. LIS main oblect--as we are expressly
told by the Secretary himself--was to increase
the Revenue, which could only be done by
increasing the importation. 1t is true that ev-
cry duty must be, in some degree, protective;
but Mr. Dallas tells US that, under the Tariff
OF lS46, rated by the Secretary at % per cent.
$4,000, 900 of Revenue will be collected.
making no allowance for fraud under the ad
ualorem system. In order to produce this $780,
000,QO0, ii will be necessary 10 import $780,
600, 900 at least, whereas, under the Tariff of
AZ, the same amount would have been raised
on an importation Of $3.50, 100000. Sixty
millions are thus introduced into the country
which might have been manufactured here,
the manufacturing of which would have CIV
en- employment to thousands of artisans and
and millions of capital This is not exactly
Free Trade TO be sure but il approaches suf-
ficlently near it 10 answer the purpose of shak-
ing American interests TO the centre, and Civ
ing to foreign labor and capital an advantage,
which, under any system, we will find il ex-
ceedngly difficult to recover. &.
We do not think MIR. Dallas will succeed in
binding the good people Of Pittsburg to the
very obvious nature Of the Tariff of 1916
They know that in Congress, and out Of it
on the musings, and in the public prints
those who supported the Tariff fac by their
tongues and their pens--those who proposed
il, and those who signed it-all concurred in
denouncing the principle ofprotecton. They
went SO far even, as 10 pronounce 1t altogether
unconstitutional, and every man of them, as
far as we have seen or heard, with tue single
exception of Mr.. ID. himself, still stoutly main
tains that doctrine When Mr. Dallas, there
fore, argues away in favor Of protection, the
people of Pittsburg cannot but know that
he is trifling with their understandngS-lha
the protection which he recommends, DIFF
fers very greatly from the protection which
they favor-that has protection is what they
mean by Free Trade. They are believed 10
understand the provisions of the Tariff OF
1916, as well as that oilS42 and they must
of course know, that from the former all The
protecting provisions of the latter were care
fully excluded-that minimums, the great and
only safeguard against frauds OF the most open
description, were abolished-that specific du-
ties, in which there can be no cheating. We're
substituted by the ad-valorem system, that pa
rent of deception, fraud, perjury, and every
other species ofoffence partaklng Of the nature
of the cfin,en fllSi-that duties were required
IN cash. thereby making distinction in favor
of the great European capitalist, whose inter
est it is TO destroy the manufacturing industry
of this country, and who can afford TO pay
them, with an object in view, against the A
merican merchant, of good credit, but small
capital, who cannot lie out of his money so
long-and that the Warehousing System, so
far from being convenience 10 the American
dealer, has in effect operated only for the ben
eft of his European competitor. We say the
people Of Piusburg see all these things, and
they know, that if Free Trade is not actually
existence, it has been sufficiently approximate
ed TO derange and destroy their interests.
There is another point OF view, III which
they will be apt to view The present tariff. in
spite o! all that Mr.. Dallas may say about its
protective qualities. They know that by al.
lowing an introduction goods to the amount
of sixty millions Of dollars over the importation
of last year, we are assisting 10 build up the
English capitalist, and that such is the avow
ed design OF Mr.. Walker. The increased
wealth Of the British manufacturer from this
source, while it operates TO the entire destruc-
ton of our manufacturing industry, creates
an additional demand on the other side of the
water for our cotton and it is this interest
which Mr. Walker, the Secretary of the Trea-
sury of the whoie United States. and not of
Mississippi, Louisiana, or any other cotton
growing State, feels himself authorized to adj
vance at the expense of every other. With
these lights before them, we do not feel the
least apprehension that they will be seized
with any sudden or violent passion for the
kind OF protection afforded by the tariff of 1916,
and descanted upon with so much JUNCTION by
Mr. Dallas. They cannot fail to see, that if it
be persevered in, it must end in their ruin
Rich. Wing.
OUR ARMIES IN MI xrCo.
The New Orleans Picayune make the fol-
U