The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-12-23
CITY OF WASHINGTON.
SATURDAY MORNING, DEC. 30, Is4s.


New Dodge OF the Proteetioni.ts.
While the New York Tribune is claiming that the
aim" of the protectonists is to "exnguish the mPor
taton of articles rvalling protected branches OF in
dusry" the Boston Atlas thinks fit to argue for proec
upon the very different ground, viz, that will make
the foreigner send his articles into market a, lower
prices, thus supplying our consumers both with the do
nestle article and the foreign article more cedPly Here
is the lang uage of the A;las
We promised to show our " Western Farmer" that the
eet of protection is reduce the prices OF the articles on
which protective duties are laid
Competition alone reduces prices Ifa certain quantity
Of nas wanted. and man, company OF men,
have the making of them all, that man com pany viii be
very likely demand great price Let another mau or
company in competition, and the anxiety TO sell and
profit will Induce each To underselj 50 that al
though no more nails be made than Just what are
wanted neither OF The makers being aware of that iact the
derive benefit from the desire OF each to secure
the sale of his stock This competition Is prodnced
toy protection The foreigner has market, and nm
~ Hing to give it up He reduces his price the lowest
pos sibe point; he invens machinery. curtails ex
peuses looks sharply about for chea materials and
presses home manufacturer hard that he obliged
the same means Again; II the manufacture oil
the projected article becomes profitable domestic compet
up and will embark new capital in
it, the profit capital employed is reduced 10 the
ordinary of profit gained in other pursuits
Now, it is a bal sign for any cause when IFS leading
cdSH 81 ih'iS i-''uS' ''',
do not understand what they advocating, or else they
are meditang deception upon the people But, walv-
ing this point let us examine the argument OF the Boston
Hi gh, ariihe. "The foreigner has our market" but
1.-THE foreigner is not one man working monopoly.
He is surrounded by keen competitors, whose workshops
stand side by side with his and all looking out for
maIkets-for sour market among the rest His prices
are already competition prices Nay, more they by
4. Al. a., ID,
made too lo,o by competition for to compete with hem
until we tax people proteciiveiy TO RAISE them Ii II
be fact that protection will make the foreign fabric
lower in market, then why do our manufacturers
want protective system? Their complaint is, that the
foreign fabric is too iOw and upon this they ask for tax
upon and then their champion the Atlas to tell
us that this will make that price lower still and on
the same day their other champon the Tribune to
tell u.s. that the cain Of protection is to stop the import
OF the foreign fabric altogether In this threefold clash
ing of the theory of the law with the fact OF the
with the design of the law and with the counter theory
of lis other equally Jealous and intelligent advocate,
what are we to believe? What but that the high tariff
men are seeking TO saddle their tariff by false pre-
fences.
But again: if proe elton makes articles cheaper, and
the want of protection makes them dearer, why should
not line of canal railroad from Massachusetts TO
Wisconsin make cotton cloth dearer in Wisconsin than
il would be, if there such facilities of transporta
tom If there were not better overland route from
Lowell 10 Wisconsin than there is from Lowell TO New
Mexico, surely Wisconsin would then want no other
protection, for cotton manufactures against all the
foreigners in the world The cost OF freight would be
in that case protection enough Canals and railroads d.
minish that cost, and make the protection Just much
less But do they, therefore, the Atlas alleges they
must do make cotton cloth deare in Wisconsin than il
would be without them' If they do not this-if, the
contrary, they give to the Wisconsin his
ton cloth at lower price-ihen what becomes OF the
Alas's doctrine that protection makes lower prices
But once more. &c Competition alone" (says the AT.
las,) "reduces prices" Be ii Then why cut of
foreign competition from market in order reduce
prices! Under the pressure of the domestic competition
which protection will generate among us, urges the At
las we shall invent better machinery, and find out
cheaper processes Be it So but will not the foreign
competitions if do not protect away lead to just the
same RESULT But it is idle argue plain matter
We have alluded 10 il at ALL only to show how the pro-
tectonist doctrines destroy and devour each other The
people will Judge of the merits OF theory which thus
cannot a single step without decentralization
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