The Somerset herald and farmers' and mechanics' register. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 183?-1852, 1847-11-02
From the National Intelligencer.
THE INCREASED IMPORTS.

pool Mercury comparative statement OF
The exports from Liverpool 70 the United
States during the five months ending with
August, for 1916 and lS47. II is to be
regretted that you did not accompany the
statement with comments, lest some Of
your Locofoco readers-and hope you
have many-might conclude that YOU
were friends of the existing Tariff, and,
as such, paradeI il before the country to
show what tremendous business we are
driving with John Bull under Democrat
ic Administration. According to nv re-
collection, you resisted the passage OF the
Tariff bill of 1916, and, therefore, you
might have favored your readers with
your views on the increasing imports.
which you must consider alarming; but
as you have not done II. beg leave 10 do
sisfor you, nothing doubling you will en-
idorse my sentineHts-not my ability.
- With the exception OF tin plates i, ap-
pears that the exports of all the articles
named bylthe Liverpool Mercury have
rapidly increased, and some ofthem enor-
mously. Packages of manufactured
goods increased about 1900; packages
sofhardware about l0, 900; other packages
about 1000; tons Of iron about 10000;
tons of salt about 1900; and other arti-
cles, too tedious TO enumerate, have also
increased; and that the leading articles
will continue to increase upon as so long
as The present Tariff exists there can now
be no question. All this may look very
well 10 free-traders. bulI contemplate the
result with dread. Within The next
twelve months the balance Of trade must
be largely against us: andthen, as thing
of fcourse, we shall Iosea large amount Of
our coin. Albeit the late unprecedented
foreign demand for our breatIstufIs, ster-
ling bills have already advanced to about
par, and il is quite probable they will
further advance in a short time; in which
event the coin viii begin To move at once.
l-go Having a costly war on our hands it
was providential for the country and the
Administration that Europe in the past
ycar required about fifty millions of our
food; for, but for this. coin would have
llowe, in large quantities from both ends
of The country; and under such "a state OF
things the consequences would have been
most disastrous. If we. could have for
! cign. demand for our hreadstufls every
year to the extent Of fifty millions of dol
lars, the Tariff Of 1916 could be borne,
bu. this we need not calculate upon a.
gain. The demand was unusual and ex-
iraordinarv. and the sole cause of il was
the unprecedented deficiency Of the crops
Of Europe Ii is true, the free-trade cdi-
tors, and the Democrats generally, ascribed
the immense exports to their tariff bant-
ling, but it was all Jr,tfum (tiimen.-
These exports would have been made G.
ven if they had been so per cent. There
is now an end to them.
Il being perfectly clear that a contiuu-
atom Of low duties must ultimately prove
disastrous TO all the great interests Of the
country, let us inquire il any portion of
the people of the country derive. in the
mean time. any advantage from thcm.-
II the reduction Of duties had cheapened
prices Of goods generally; it must be ad-
mitted that the consumers would be benc-
fited; but is said by the most respect
able merchants that the arerage prices
are not lower. Some articles are higher
and some lower, according 10 the demand
and supply, which, after all, regulate pri-
ces; bu. the value Of goods, both foreign
and domestic, is, upon the whole, about
The same it was previously to the 1st of
December, 1876. rs -
As we have gained nothing by the new
"osdcr in council let us see what we
have lost. Instead OF patronizing our
own labor in preparing for market some
sixty thousand packages Of dry goods,
hardware, &C., and nineteen thousand
tons Of iron, 1--WE are speaking OF the ex-
cess oil imports only we have putin the
pockctof the people Of Great Britain
large sum of money! Would il not have
been better TO have patronized our own
countrymen, and those who seek an as
syluin among us, than contribute to the
wealth Of those who chuckIe a; our ex-
cessive greenness and generosity! John
Bull was delighted when the glorious
news reached him that Brother Jonathan
had, after mature consideration, concluded
to protect his labor III preference 10 our
own, and the old gentleman has been
thankful and happy ever since. Butt
would be a waste OF words to pursue
them. When we shall hare gone through
fiery cortleal like that Of l637--when
all the banks from New York to New
Orleans suspended specie payments-we
may better understand our true policy.
OcroBER, 1917. B O.P. @.
The Washington Union says that "Mr.
Webster has no popularity out Of his own