The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-10-25
THE UNION.

demand raises the price TO that point. 1t follows.
therefore, as necessary consequence. that while
foreign manufactures continue to be imported. the
price which the consumer has to pay for them must be
high enough to pay the expenses Of delivering them in
the markets OF the United States and while protective
duties constitute portion Of those expenses. they
fall upon the American labor. II is plain therefore,
that we have fallen into Inconsistency. In order
to make il appear that we had erred, the Atlas
descends TO miserable sophisiry, and sustans it
BY an unwarantabe perverson Of the facts 1t asserts
that "dny system hieh tends 10 increase production de-
eredes prices and then, by asserting that the protect
i've system increases production. II draws the conclusion
that high duties make low prices II the supply in
creases more rapidly than the demand, no one will
eny that prices must fall but il is utterly and notorious
untrue that protective duties do increase the supply Ii
may increase production the United States under
tain circumstances, but it cuts off, to great measure the
supply furnished by foreign production. The verbal
trick of the Atlas in substituting the word "production
for supply is shallow article and its efforts to
con6ne the attention of its readers entirely to the
productions Of the United States, to the exclusion OF
those OF foreign countries all OF which contribute in sup
plying our markets and the markets OF the world must
have been dictated by reckless nsncerty. for can
scarcely be attributed to ignorance The competition
among foreign capitalists and manufacturers has reduced
the price OF their manufactured articles and when they
excluded from markets by prohibtory duties,
American labor is deprived of the benefit Of that COMPETE
ton, and is forced TO pay higher prices to those who
furnish the domestic supply which is made necessary by
the exclusion of the foreign supply All protective duties
not prohbitoy but all protective duties partially
cude the competition Of foreign manufacturers and ope
rate tax upon consumption to the amount OF the pro-
lection they really afford
The Atlas cites 'iron coal, wood, cloth, sugar. hemp
and various other things of which annual consump
lion altogether exceeds ooo." and says: at is
weknown fact that most OF these articles can now be
purchased here and under the duties established by the
tariff of 1872 for lower prices than they could have been
had, thirty years ago, duty Free" This result the Atlas
attributes to the operation of protective duties increasing
production" And in order not to expose the faacy
which it knew it was attempting to palm off upon its
readers, the tariff of 1912 sYmentioned and the revenue
bill of ls4e is not alluded TO- The Atlas knows that the
many improvements in machinery Of the last thirty years
and the various abor-savng machines which have been
invented within that me have far reduced the cost of
production. that the articles which he enumerates can be
furnished with less outlay Of labor and capital than
cost of production has been much diminished within
that me hathe foreign manufacturer can afford to pay the
duties houses and still sell cheaper than he
did "hry years ago. Yet in order to prop up the theory
Of protection and to make appear that protection pro-
iuces this result the Atlas refers to the duties levied in
1912. and remembers to forget to inform its readers OF
what the Atlas knows to be true. to wit that under
the reduced duties Of 1916, if no duties were levied
"a l.. -
they could have been furnished "thirty years ago"
Other causes, and not protection have produced that
suit; and the Atlas was cautious in not suggesting
hose causes, by directing the attention OF its read
srs to the condition Of things which would exist un
der the tariff Of 1912 II the manufacturers believed
for one moment that protective duties increased the
supply and decreased prices they would not ask for
protective duties. They complaining now that low
duties have far increased the supply, that they cannot
realize fair profits and they call for higher duties than
they now enjoy They say that they cannot compete with
foreign labor which underses them notwithstanding
the duties which are levied. And yet we hear tariff
paper endeavorng 10 dupe the consumers into the belief
that protective duties increase the supply and decrease the
price The idea is in the language Of John Quincy Adams
inefably stupid" Labor and capital will be induced
by protective duties to desert agriculture in order 10 in
crease the production Of domestic manufactures, only be-
cause those duties make that business more profitable The
assertion therefore, that protective duties increase pro-
juction, necessarily and unavodaby carries with il an
admission that the profits Of The manufacturer are in
creased by protection, and that the price Of manufactured
articles is increased That increase could not happen but
by diminishing the supply We have therefore, correctly
represented protection tax upon one portion OF Amer.
lean labor for the benefit OF another portion k tar
upon agricultural labor for The benefit Of the lords of he
loom; aud the injustice cuts vih double edge Pro.
lection not only requires the 10 pay higher
for the manufactures which he consumes but il prevents
him from selling his agricultural productions in the bes
markets Foreign nations cannot deal with US unless we
deal with them Protection drives the foreigner from our
markets, TO the injury Of the agicutust Agricultural
labor is thus made TO suffer and every other species OF
labor must sympaihize in its distress This enables the
manufacturer 10 employ his operatives better terms
and TO appropriate to himself larger share Of the gross
profits, as The holder Of capital The struggle for high
duties is struggle between money capital and labor capt.
tai and while that struggle lasts labor capital shall have
the benefit Of our feeble exeons yes and to the bitter
end.
PtEPAR IRONS ron CoNaREssThe Secretary is said IN
be preparing quite sboous volume upon the tariff In
favor Of speeinc duties in which he will be aided by Mr.