The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-09-22
CITY OF WASHINGTON.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT, SEPT. ea, Is47.



A Foreign Market for Agricultural Products
The New York Tribune labors through two columns
to refue the sound and statesmanlke views forth
convincngly the address of the amentcd Wright lately
read at the agricultural fair, and published in col
umns day before yesterday Seeing the vast field open 10
our agriculture, the propensity of population to that
employment ana the tendency of our institutions to
strengthen such propensty-seeng, too, the effect OF
more scientific modes of culture now last gaming ground
among to increase already teemlng harvess, and
the utter mpossbiliy of finding home-market In any
degree adequate for their and constantly augmenng
supluswarned, too, by all experience, both past
and recent that the prices OF great staples must de-
pend directly upon the foreign demand for them-Nr
Wright his address brought home most electualy to the
minds of the farmers who listened TO IT the convection
that as a law OF Political Economy in our country, our
great farming neresthe basis interest OF our nation
must always be exporting interest," and that therefore
it must ever be most vitality interested in that liberal
commercial policy which has for its object to facilitate
national nterchanges and make both our exports and
imports large.
Against this maniestly sound conclusion the Tribune
Objects in substance, that tariff high enough to go lar
towards shutting ports against great bulk oil Tor
eign importatons will ere long compel some hundred
thousand of population to engage in manuiac-
ues and thus make them purchasers OF food from our
farmers the extent of their consumption What then
Our surplus products ample for the supply of more
millions of mouths than there hundreds of thousands
among us whom any tariff. however iniquitous, can
drive from the farm into the factory. vast bulk of
our wheat and must still remain unpurchased or
find maket over sea, in denser population. But the
Trbunes reply, inadequate it thus is numerically to
meet Mr. Wnghts position, yet more false in prnci
pie high tariff, the Tribune's own showing cramps
and diminshes foreign commerce quite as much as 1t
pampers and augments home manufactures. Now man.
features employ machines to do the great part OF their
work Commerce, on the other hand, employs men. The
great branches of industry directly connected with the
navigating and shipping interests employ at this moment
among us population greater than that which we
have ever employed in factories. This population
every increase of our imports and exports augments
still more In this population, swarming in all
our commercial centres, is the best hope of home
market And just in proportion liberal COM
mercal policy augments this home market among us,
just in the proportion, in still greater proper
ton it opens to foreign market also. The navi-
eating interest which carries surplus food foreign
anls and brings back their fabrics is of itself i'm
mense consumer, and, under liberal commercial SYSTEM
must very soon become most important and principal
portion Of the home market OF our farmers.
The Tribune quotes late statistical work to show
that for three four years prior to 1885, the prices of
grain had been much lower in the than on the At
antc seaboard. Certainly this the fact under the
high tariff Of 1912 1t must always be the fact under
system which cripples our foreign commerce. 1t is
fact, too which shows concusvey what four years
attempt manufacturers home market has been worth
10 Michigan and to Illinois But it reserved for the
Tribune's ingenuity to cite it fact making in favor
of tariff intended to diminish both Importation and
portaon and break up all hope of foreign market
for our breadsufs.
In fact the recent movements in English and European
legislation looking the opening of the ports OF the old
world to the free introduction of great agricultural
staples, have gone very far towards demolshing the
whole sophisy of the protective theory it has been
SO long and loudly advocated by the wings Some of the
wing journals, like the Louisville Journal (supposed,
by the way, speak for Mr. Clay, ready acknow
edge that high tariff is issue good for nothing
but be dodgedat least until the restriction party shall
have got into power upon other and available pre-
fences But the " Tribune" chooses as yet it seems,
not to see any such new lights"
Gaping the Climax.