Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-12-29

tive tariff in truth is not TO enhance wages out u
depress Them. and render capital hves ed III manu-
features more profitable BY enhanced prices y, tue
nrotected fabrics. Wages throughout the wnoie
country become lower Than they we're before De-
cause The aggregate profits OF the capital oil inc
nation engaged in all its industry is dImin'sneu
Wages in one branch OF industry cannot be nlsh
when they are low in all others; Tor wages, ike
ali other commodities, unfortunately will soon
find The same level. The aggregate proh's OF all
the abor OF The country, and not OF any pa,ticuiai
branch OF industry, constitute the iuuu W, "
which wages are paid, and il that senefai iuna Is
reduced by diminished profits, wages Throughout
The whole country must eventually ia'L IL lnen
the great mass OF labor in This country am OF ca
pital is invested in agriculture, commerce, navl-
oa,ion and such branches OF industry as require
mo proteciion, and these pursuits are injured by
protective tariff either by diminishing the mar
ket for thr surplus "a sed by those thus employed,
reducing the price Of what they sell, or compcl'-
ing them 10 pay more for what they buy there
must be in lime general TALL OF wages through
OUT the county, even although particular
branch OF Industry may have been rendered more
profitable by protective Tariff This duly, then,
instead Of protection, is a lax upon The whole IN
dustry of he country invested in pursuits requr-
ing no tariff
Nor is il any mitigation. but an aggravation
oi The evil, that some other nations impose high
duties on their own consumers OF foreign pro-
ducts.
The foreign duty may or may not prove lnlu-
rious 10 our industry II The American article
is sill in some cases sold abroad 10 their consul
mers al price enhanced byihcir duty, The injury
NAV have been 10 that extent to Them only, anu
not 10 u.s. but when, by way of relieving US from
this injury, whether real or imaginary we I'm
nose a tax upon our own people as consumers,
by compelling them TO pay high prices 'of 10
reign products by high duties, we only augment
Ibe evil. Reclprocal free trade is best Tor all,
and reciprocal high duties worst. Wnen u j
said il foreign nations lax our produce by nigh
duties, we must tax theirs in The same manner,
we forget ha, their duly on foreign imports iails
mainly on their own people who purchase such
imports, and 81 likewise our lax on ioIeIgn IN
ports tails chiefly on our own people who pur-
chase Them Lei US buy such imports as we
desire al lev prices, and the difference Of price
that is thus saved 10 our people is SO mncn
gained as an additional capital 10 encourage our
own industry, to increase employment and Inc
wages OF labor.
But if The system OF reciprocal taxation IS
wrong, what argument can be offered IN favor oil
high duties npon fabrics OF foreign nalions when
they receive our exports al nominal duty 10 e1-
rhanee2 Formerly our proIeciionisis aomite-
that il Great Britain would freely receive our
hreadsruff,, we should take their fabrics al low
duties, or Tree of duly in exchange. Then the
corn laws were in full force in Great Britain,
and il was supposed would so forever remain;
bu The system was repealed, and our CHIEF asf'-
cultural products are now iuvued Tree OF duy,
or at nominal duty, on the first OF february
next, into all their ports. Our pfoleclioniss
now abandon their former position, and main.
Iain lha, il iujures our farmers 10 purchase Bril-
fish fabrics Al low prices, even though fnslc nd
will lake our breadluffs al a nominal duly in
exchange.
Wages can only be increased in any nation,
in the aggregate, by augmenIing capital. the lund
out of which lbe wages are paid anc Inc capital
gained by saving in the diminished COST oil pro-
duclion and prices 10 the consumers VIII invest
ilselt in new pursuits, necessarily augmentins
the demand for labor, and az consequence, lis
aggregate products, profits, and wages On me
other hand, the destruction or d,muniion OF capi.
ia by DESTROYING or reducing he fund from
which labor is paid, mus, reduce wages, IL IS
moi, however, by The transfer Of The same amount
of capital by law from one pursuit 10 another,
that the aggregate capital and prohis OF national
industry can be increased, bnl by The ausm~n-
taion OF capital. whether by saving or Otherwise,
and The radical defect OF the restrictive system Is.
that the tariff never augments capital. hut SIM
ply changes the pursuits in which II IS invested.
and therefore can never augment wages. On the
contrary. il must in the aggregate depress wages,
by preventing saving Of capilal tor The emp oy-
ment of labor and The increase OF rs wages.
Our arguments for low duties as has hereto
fore been conceded by our most distinguished
proectionisls, ensured the repeal OF the British
Lor4 G1rF0 Mt
lion present 10 all nations The supposed benehis
OF restriction, and would therefore persuade them
all 10 enact high tariffs. Our argument 10 favor
OF free trade appeals to all nations 10 reduce
their duties on orr products, whereas our argu.
meuts for protection are reasons offered 10 all
nations To raise The duties on our exports our
arguments would persuade them a u OF The mutual
be nefts ut reciprocal tree trade and teach The
doctrine OF International unity Of interest," where
as The other attempts prove that their interes's
are antagons,ic, and will be best consulted by
each ,r1cting The greatest inlnrY upon he o'hr,s
by high TAR fs The one would be read abroad,
n heir legislative and executive councils, IN Ia
yor Of a reduction OF duties on our produces; 'he
other would be quoted in favor OF Increasing such
duties.
High tariffs should be most useful where they
are the most effective Lei US take the interior
n,
bot from railroads and canals. Now, II the duly
we're twenty per cent, on the import arriving al
The city OF New York or lis vicinage, that Guy
and LIS neighborhood, by the protective lheo y,
should be more injured by the Importation Than
the interior OF The State, The freight 10 wnich, on
many foreign articles might add twenty per Ct
to The cost making The whole enhancement ol
price or,y per cent. and thus operating as dou-
BILE protection in the interior, compared with me
seaboard. Now, il the restrictive theory be true,
he resident Of The interior, being beIIer protected,
The larff and freight on the foreign article opera
ling as double dnly, should be more prosper
GUS than he residen OF The seaooaid.
Bu the farmers products are hishssl upon re
seabo.d and lower al every point as We TeliTs
from it; lower al Albany and Bufilo; sill lower
al Erie, Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago La Sale
whilst the price oil all The farmer buys IS propoi-
,ionalIv enhanced, and nothing bnl the iacl thai
his lands are cheaper IN proportion as they are
remote from The foreign market, enables him 10
sustain The competition.
The protective system is agrarian and war
upon properly |, attempts To organic. labor and
capita. by Law, adding to the profits 81 one put
SUR by reducing those Of another. IL Is ncom-
patible with the security Of capital or labor; ioI
capital is but The accumulation Of the gains o.
labor, and, therefore, whatever destroys The secu'
rily or profits OF capital results in an 'qual in,
jury 10 labor Besides its injurious effects up'r
industry, it is an arbitrary and desPoic power
and, il the people should become accustomed Il
it's exercise, looking Tor legislative supper; an
protection, il would terminate in struggle io
the division and distribution by Congress, every
year, OF properly, profits, and capital among lh'
favored classes No legislation OF man CAT
change The law Of capital and wages; namely
thai as capital ausmcnis, being the source iron
which wages are paid, there will BE- an increased
demand ior labor, ard a consequent addition Z
IL reward Capital and wages are The weight
in the opposite sides Of The scale, vibrating unde
Exchanging laws; wages ascending as capital j
augmented, and descending as The capital is re
ducej. H., then, We would augment wages, a
every lover OF mankind must desire, we nns' IN
crease capital which no Tariff or organization o
labor can effect, although it may transfer capiIa
from one pursuit 10 another, always Diminishing
the aggregate profits when The transfer IS iofce'
| by law.
The belief is erroneous hat as manufacturer
increase In number, skill, capital, and pfoduc's
! theu ptll perne,naia hioh tariffs. When they al