Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1849-01-08
NO.. 2.

lis inaust ry is diminished Wagcs in one hr,,ot,
Of Industry cannot be hieb whe, Ihev arc lov, in
all others for wares lie all o1hcr commodities
unfortunately vii soon srd the same level Tia
aggregate Profits Of all Tie Der of The ro,,,trx and
moi Of any particular btanch Of indpsfrv ronst;,r4
the fund ont cl which wages arc paid and If that
general laad is reduced By diminished profits wa.
ges throughout the whole oopntry mi1sf evant.,p,
fall IT. then. the great mass oflabor in this coun
trv and Of caDit5l i invested II, sor;cnIt,,ro o
: merca. navigation, and such branches or ndustrv
as require no protection and these nnrsn;ts arc ~
iured by protective tariff either b, dim1nishino
the nail for the snrl:is raised hv those emn,oT,
ed, reducing the price OF wha' they sell, or com.
peIiing them to pay more fer what tEsy huv hora
must be in time ii general fall OF wages thronohout
the country, even although particular branch Of
industry may have beer rendered more profitable
by protective tariff. This duty, then instead of
prot. ctjoa, is tax upon the whole industry Of the
county invested IL pursuits requiring no tariff -
Nor is it any mitigation, but al! arrrayation of
the evil that some other nations impose high du.
ties on thelr consumers Of foreign products The
foreign duy may or may not rrove ininrious to orr
industry. the a nelican Article Is still in some
cases sold abroa, to their consumers at price en-
HANGED Ly their duty, the injury may fava been 70
SHAT extent TO ihen only and not 10 US, but when
Fly way OF relieving US from this injury, whether
real or imaginary, we impose tax up6n our own
people as Consumers hl eoinpeng Them 10 nav
nigh prices for foreign products by high duties we
only augment the evil. t3cciurocal free trade ia
best for all; and reciprocal high duties worst
When it is said il FOREIGN nations tax orr ,,rodnce
by high duties we mast tax theirs in the ane ran
ner, we forget their duty On foreign imports talla
mainly on their own people WHO purchase ouch i'm,
ports. and SO Likewise OR tax on fore;rn inn0rts
falls chiefly on Our people who purchase them.
Let us buy such Imports as we desire at low, n,cas
and the difference in price that is .hs saved 10 our
people, is SO much gained as an additional canitsf
to encourage our own industry. TO increase ON
ployment and the wages of la6or.
But If the system OF reciprocal taxaton1 IS WRONG.
what Argument can be offered in favor Of h,rt dr.
ties upon fabrics of FOREIGN natjons ,yha, Nv "a.
celve our exports at a nominal dutv in EXCHANGE
Formerly our proteetionists admitted that if Great
Britain would freely receive cur broadsfu6s. We
should take their fabrics al low duties, or free Of
duty, in exchange Then the corn laws wars in
full force in Great Britain, and if was suunosed
would SO forever remain But the system vas re-
peaed. and our chief agricultural Drod3cts arc now
invited, free ofduty, at nominal duty on the LIST
OF February next, into all their ports Our p1otec-
tioaists now abandon their former Dosit;on and
maintain tn i it iniires Cur farmers 10 nnrcbase
British fabrics at low prices even tlouqh ENGLAND
will lake our breadstafs at a nominal duty In ex-
change.
Wages can only be Increased in any nation. in
the aggregate, by augmenting capital tie fund ont
Of which wages are paid and the canitai Gained hv
saving in the diminished cost OF proal1cron ana
prices to the consumers, will invest itself IN new
pursuits, necessarily augmentins The demand for
labor and as a consennenee tie se,-ran,t ~ - ~,
profits and wages On the other hand tbe des.ruc''
ton diininuton Of capital by aestroyina or 70
docing The fund from which labor is paid n,llst re-
duce wages. 1t is not however, by the transfer M
the same amount OF capital by law, from enc mr.
suit 10 another that the aggregate capiaI and brof
its Of national industry can be increased but nv tho
actual augmentation of capital whether by sayino
or otherwise and the radical defect of the restrr.
tive system Is, that the tariff never auglneuts cant
tal' but simply changes the pursuits in which it is
invested, ana therefore can never augment wages.
On the contrary it must In the aonreeate danress
wages, by preventing a saving OF capital for tha
employment OF labor ard the increase Of its wages
Oar Arguments Ter low duties, as has heretofore
been conceded BY our most distinguished protec.
tonlsts, insured the repeal Of the British corn laws
Arguments here IN favor of protection present to
all nations the supposed benefits of restriction. and
would hereore persuade them all to enact hiob ia
riffs. Our argument in favor of free trade appeals
to all nations to reduce their duties on orr nrnducts
whereas our arguments for protection are raasons
offered to all nations 10 raise the duties ON orr
ports. Our arguments would persuade them an of
the mutual benefits Ct reciprocal free trada ana
teach the doctrine Of International univ Of INTEREST,"
whereas the other, attempts to prove that their in
terests are antaaoniscaI and will he bast conslt
ed by each inilicng the greatest inv mon tho
Others by high tariffs The mo tvc,,l3 No aa 'as
broad in heir legislative and e|acntyo con,o;,s a.;
favor oil reduction Of duties on on, prndufts ha
other would be quoted in favor Of ipcreas;na such
duties. -N'f
High tariffs should be most usef,l whom tho, oro
the most effective ct ma tsle ba itariu a. NJ
York, remote not only from the ocean bat from
l railroads and canals Now if the dutv vere 90 ner
cent the import arriving at the city of N. lork
4 or its vlcnage that city and IFS neioiborhooa hr
the protective theory, should he more injured Nv
the importation than the interior oe the State the
freight TO which on MANY FOREIGN articee MIGHT ada
20 per cent. to the cost, making tl,.. Whole en-
hanccment of plice 40 per cent End nrs onarst;na
/ 4 81,