Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1849-11-17
fFrom the New York 1'ribune.l
ruE TARIFF QUESTION IN 1sl9.

'IT
dear is its first commandment--buy for the
lowest cent, no matter though the seller IS
starved who thinks himself any BODY wants
to live out Of the profits Of others labor BY
contriving, directing and bargaining-ho body
cbones d0wn'' 10 hard work who can manage
10 live any other way. II is a matter of so.
eial respec,abiiity Ia mark Of caste-a,o be
able to consume much and produce nothing
and the noisiesi brawler for political equality
At the yolIs on fl the bar-room lodges into a
custom. m.house, or some other well paid,
lazy berth, the first chance Ne. can get, and
leaves productive industry TO those who can't
avoid il. Whoever thinks al all can hardly
fail perceive how this general tendency
'conduces 10 and ensures an eytravagant,
bhated, ri6nstrous stimulation and expansion
ofitrade. Every body is keen for speculation
very few have any confidence In patient
Plodding industry as means of acquiring
wealth. From baby.jumbers TO graveyard
accommodations, every thing that man can
use, sbiIe air and less water excepted, is the
fobt.ball Of traffic and speculation. And,
while nine tenths of the more especially tra-
ding Class die bankrupt, or in penury, trade,
still, stsottint riSost of The inancieripg talent
Of the civilized world, conirives 10 absorb
most of the realized fruits OF toll. Successful
commerce POUNDS the colleges, and they
teach the doctrines it loves 10 hear5 1t pa
tronizes authors, and the books Of political
economy are mainly written to prove that
rswhatever is is right in the mercantile sense
of the axiom. The gospel OF supply and de-
mand-the law Of "Buy where you can chea-
spest, sell as dear as possible" is fundamental
TO the recognized commercial ethics, and
cvafy body being in fact or aspiration Ira
der, is the law of modern society. Yet the
very men who adhere to it, preach it, live il,
revolt at once at any novel yet perfectly legi-
tima,e application of it, which bears severe
'ly On themselves or others, and does no con-
duce TO filing their own pockets. Let doc
'tbr gay "a. morrow to- 4 rich man who has just
had his leg cot of' nSir, II the cffusion of
blood is not stopped in five minutes yon are
dead man; yet there is no other person who
can stop it within half mile, and I must
have ten thousand dollars or won't &c it',-
and iinety-nine ont of every hundred would
kick the law of supply and demand TO king
Iom-come, and execra'e the doctor for acting
OH their own cherished principles. The @crH
is Just as reasonable as this.
We have now nearly closed the third year
Of an avowedly revenue, anii-protec,ive tariff.
In fact, 4. is 'on some points protective, on
Others its hostility to protection is carried TO
an extreme snicidal TO revenue. 1t is the
child OF various party necessities, and their
contradictory traits are stamped on its un-
calmly features. 1t tiles to be sweet on su.
gar and strong with hemp, because its authors
feared the producers of these articles; bnt it
- full Of deceit, and the poison of asps is un-
Ter its lips. The hemp which it ptetends to
ubject to thirty per cent. duty, ii let's in as
ables, cordage, ga, nttwcnty y.iive the wool
which it also proesses 10 impose thirty
per cent, it let's in as flannels, baizes &c,
at twenty-five, and as blankets n. twenty.
The farmer thus duped by pretence of fa-
vor is driven from his own markets by South
American wool made into British Blankets
and thus admitted at arateene-half less than
is charged to The american impor,er of just
such wool, whe mtrst pay higher 'fortis la
Dor, and contena Against ripper experience and
lager aggresations ofcapital. Yet the far
mer is told he has twenty per cent. on his
wool anE that ought TO content, him, when
in faea The foreign wool is extensively admit
ted at twenty per cent. in shch shape as TO
deprive the Americahifarmer Of a Market not
only for wool, but the hIei med,s, vegetables,
&c, which would be consumed by the cloth
makers if the fabric were made in this couri-
try, evon out of foreign materials. The act
i. full Of such jugges.
This tariff is consistent in single feature
its adherence throughout 10 al valorem du-
ties. Every article charged at all pays so
much per cent.-nothing is specific One
effect OF this is to create and preserve a gla.
ring and indefensble inequality Of exaclions
at differen, ports Of the Union. Attwo ports
only twelve miles apart, the 'salhe article has
been entered this summer, at one valued
$3.50, and paying 45c. duty--at the other
valued at soc, and paying alc duiy--a differ
ence of s7h per cent. Railroad iron Of like
quality has been entered the same week a,
f5 sterling at oneport. and at Go i5s. al ano-
iher, paying 81 % more duty in the one case
than in the oiher. OF course, on fancy goods
and articles Of less definite value, the dspa-
fity must be still greater. And such inequal-
'ity, as any practical man may see, is insepa-
rable from the existence and operation of ad
valofem duties. Every man engaged in i'm.
PORTING goods naturally wishes to get them
inas cheaply as possible, for ten per cent. in
the valuation may make the difference be-
tween profitable and losing adventure. If
siernly upright importers win not undervaue
they will be hndersold and driven out of the
market by meh who win. And custom house
valuations 'always'do and must depend, in
great degree, upon the invoicej for who can
III N,,1 he,