Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-10-02
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
TO GEORGE NJ. DALLAS,
VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
UsroSTowS, SEprKaBER 90, ls4

UsIoSTowN, SEPTEMBER 20, ls47
SIR: On the OF an important election you
have travelled TO Pittsburg, and there addressed the
neonIe At large on political topics generally, and
especiay in yindcatlon OF the tariff OF lS46-the
ofspring of your casting vote.
Being public man, and having made public
appeal 10 influence popular opinion, take il to be
the right of any citizen, however humble, to exam
inc the opinions you have thus publicly expressed.
II is my purpose, therefore, to make few brief
and hasty comments on the main topic only OF your
address, to w.t. the vindcation of the tariff of 1886
which you say has fulfilled the highest hopes of its
friends by having produced vast increase OF To-
reign imports and revenue.
Now, sir, Mr.. WALKER informs us that the du-
ties by the late tariff were reduced about onehrd,
viz from an average Of about thirty per cent. under
the tariff of 1912 to about twenty per cent. under
the tariff of 1896 Therefore, to increase the re-
venue, must you not increase the imports at least
one-third! Instead of one hundred millions, 1.-THE
usual amount,) must not your imports be increased
TO one hundred and fifty millions TO get the same
amount of revenue! And if the tariff of 1912 was
now in operation, would not the revenue be one
third more than is viz. fortyive millions instead
of thirty millions And do we not therefore, lose
this year fifteen millions of by your boast
ed tariff of 1916 But you may say that under the
tariff of 1912 we should not have had this increase
of imports, which would have remained usual
tabout one hundred millions instead of one hun
dred and fifty millions. My answer Is, that other
causes have produced this increase. But suppose
You are right still would we not have had just as
much revenue on one hundred millions of imports
under the tariff of 1912 we now receive on one
hundred and fifty millions under the tariff OF 1916
and would we not have thus saved by the tariff of
1912 fifty millions of dollars TO sustain American
industry, instead ofsending il abroad to reward and
enrich the labor of foreign countries
The idea, however, OF reducing duties to increase
revenue is an absurdiy Ii is contrary TO the prac-
tice and experience Of this and every other coun-
try-a sophism which carries its refutation upon
lis own face. Sill, to increase revenue by reduc-
inc duties was the osensible object of the Secre-
tary of the Treasury whilst his great and real OBJ
iect was to break down American manufacturers
and build up their rivals in Great Britain, so that
England thus rendered wealthy and prosperous
would, he supposes, be induced to pay Us higher
prices for our cotton" In other words, the free
labor Of the North is, by your favorite tariff to be
ground down and sacrificed in the vain hope of
increasing the profits Of the slave labor of the South
and this anti-American purpose is not only clearly
disclosed, but distinctly avowed by Mr.. WALKER
in his report ofthe Sd Of December, 1915, in which
more than once he declares that il is his purpose
TO prevent " the progressive substitution of our RI
, and g. and at pages l3 and IA he further says
that must take from England her manufactures
and not specie for our breadsufs otherwise, I" not
having specie to spare, she will bring down even
to greater extent the price Of our cotton" In
other words the farmers and mechanics Of the
Northern and Middle States must send their last
dollar to Great Britain 10 purchase what they can
and ought TO make at home, so that England hav-
ing plenty OF money, may give Mr. WALKER a
higher price for his cotton, and money being scarce
and prices low here, he will be enabled TO purchase
his supplies OF food and clothing for his cotton
growing slaves for little or nothing.
Such are the arguments offered by Mr.. WALKER
in support of the tariff of 1916, and | should like
to know whether you, in your speech at Pittsburg
eulogstic of this measure, intended TO endorse and
approve Of Mr.. WALKERS report, which, in conse-
quence of lis antl-American and British tendencies
was published in England by order Of the British
Parliament!
TO show the ruinous operation Of this measure
some Of the principal branches Of American
labor, submit the following table: