The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-08-21

Were engaged in the consideration of the Civil
and Diplomatic Appropriation bill.
Who pays the Duty-the Producer the
Consumer!
Among the doctrines taught by the Man
chester school of political economists, who
would have the other nations of the world be-
lieve that they were to be enriched by send
ing their cotton and their food thousands of
miles in search of the little and inexpensive
spindle and loom, is the following:
sAll duties should be laid on articles of those de-
scriptions which not produced in the country,
such coffee, tea, spices, &C., while those which
come in competition with native products should
be admitted free. Duties imports raise prices,
and where similar articles are produced at home,
their prices rise the full extent of the duty and
thus the native is enabled to put into
his pocket an amount of taxes equal to the whole
sum that would otherwise have been levied for the
public use, the same quantity of similar COM
modities that would otherwise have been imported
from abroad.'
Directly the reverse of this is the fact. Duties
paid upon commodities thatwe do not produce are
a real tax on the domestic consumer, while those
paid on commodities which enter into compet-
ton with our own are paid by the foreign pro-
Queer.
In our paper of the 18th instant we gave the
prices of the last eleven years for closet locks,
vices, files, hollow ware, and other articles that
we do not manufacture, for the purpose of
showing that, wherever Great Britain has been
enabled to maintain her old monopoly of the
supply of the world, prices have been nearly
stationary Upon those articles the duty is
now paid chiefly, even where not entirely, by
the consumer. Were, however, the manufac-
ture Of vices to be commenced in this country,
not month would elapse before the price of the
foreign ARTICLE would be found to have fallen
ten per cent, the foreign producer thus taking
upon himself the payment of part of the duty.
If this reduction answered the purpose of stop
ping the American enterprise, the price would
at once 60 back 10 the point from whence it start
ed, and the payment Of the duty would be again
thrown on the consumer. IT, on the CON
Tary, the American reduced his prices in a
similar manner, the Englishman would fall ten
per cent. more, and thus take upon himself the
payment Of 4 still larger portion of the duty. If
this answered the purpose, prices would soon
rise again. If it did not, they would fall still
further, until at length the foreigner took upon
himself the whole duty, and the American CON
sumner would then be supplied at the same rate
at which he could have had his articles, duty
free, but little time before. Such has been
the result with, we believe, every article in
the production Of which we have entered into
competition with England, and, as the tendency
Of protection is 10 produce the result Of throw
ing upon the foreign manufacturer the whole
cost Of supporting our Government, it is not
wonderful that the Manchester school should
recommend the substitution Of duties upon tea
and coffee for those on cloth aud iron. They
would prefer that we should ourselves support
our own government, 10 having themselves to
do it for us.
The last western mail brought us, simulta-
neously, an Opposition paper from st. Louis,
and Wing paper from Cincinnati, containing
articles propoundug question, to which we
think the answer may be found in the conside-
ralions we have presented.
The first is from the ST. Louis Union After
copying from a Louisville paper the statement
that two steamers had arrived at that place
bringing from New Orleans one thousand bars Of
railroad iron for the Louisville and Frankfort
railroad, the Union remarks
1--WE are no, Of those who believe that foreign
iron can be introduced, even under the present
tariff at less cost than the native can be manuiac.
turcd. The fault "a ~ he fimdify Of our capitalist,
who stand aloof, and will venture nothing, unless
experience has fully demonstrated that il IL not
only safe, but highly lucrative investment
Were the enterprise Of manufacturing railroad
iron once fairly venturcd on in Missouri, We sin
ceroy believe that at once the foreign rail would
be shut out.
Atprescnt, we arc informed, large quantities Of
pig iron arc wagoned to the Mississippi from the
works at the great Iron Mountain and delivered on
the bank at s25 per ton. This iron Is sent up the
Ohio river for manufacture, and much Of II finds its
way back 70 this market for sale Now, IL adequate
works for hc manufacture Of the orc were estab-
lishcd az the mines, rather mountains IL is plain
that much cost might be saved There is no lack
Of material coal, wood, and water, and yet this
iron is sent abroad for manufacture. What is lack
ing is capital and sS, save at least one-t third of
the value Of the iron wasted in transportation
cit may be safely assumed that this iron, now
delivered on the Mississippi at SOS per ton, could
be manufactured into rails, in the vicinity OF its
native bed and furnished at $50 or $50 per ton
We will assume the highest figure, and compare it
with the lowest price Of the heavy II rail- which is
: so per ton, and we have difference in favor Of
the home manufactured article Of Sls per ton.
"But VIC must have a railroad for i,s trsnsporta-
ton, else we shall do bot small business with our
manufactured rails. True, we should have rail
road, and VIC hope VIC shall, ere long, have one
Bot capitalists must come forward Let them show
disposition TO take bold Of this work and the rail-
road will follow as necessary consequence"
Ii the Union is right in its spcculations, it is
clear that the whole duty on railroad bars. no
matter how large it might be, would be paid by
the foreign producer, if adequate works were
established IN Missouri; and that the domestic
consumer would procure it at even lower
price than at present. A railroad is necessary
to reduce the expense Of transportation, and
mills for the manufacture Of the rail are. as the
Union Judges. the first essential for the road.