New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-07-16
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Agriculture and Protection.

No man can mingle, however casually,
with the legislators Of our country without
being struck BY the prevalent narrowness Of
their views and the shallowness Of their
studies with respect to the fundamental
bases of true National Economy or Policy.
| Thus Mr.. FINS +. Mclean of Kentucky
proclaims in the House that, though he has
always been Wing and Jealous uphOlder
of Protection, yet henceforth, because he is
not pleased with the view taken Of the Sla-
very and Territorial questions of the day by
the Northern advocates Of Protection, he will
20 dead against that policy ever more -
Call this a momentary sally Of petulance or
folly if you will, yet it does not the less be-
tray radical blindness, a glaring miscon-
ception, with regard to the nature and In
huences Of Protection. New-Englaud and
the North, having by far the largest invest
ments IN Manufactures, and being most d.
rectly and imminently exposed to Foreign
competition, must keenly, palpably feel the
consequences of our present mistaken policy
in shutting up our own factories and FORCES,
Diminishing their workers to wander in search
of employment and compete with ditch-dig
gers and railway graders at four or five dol
lars per week when they are worth twice as
much at their own proper business; but
New England, that survived Jefferson's EN-
barge and the desolating War of 1912, will
not die of the Tariff of '46. twill stint the
average wages of her labOring class; it will
send many of her carpenters, masons and
macbinists back to the less productive pillow
and sythe; but her preGminent industry, fru-
gality and ingenuity will carry her through
all, and her paralyzed spindles and looms
will be set in motion again-not 50 extern
siyely not so steadily, we presume not so
proftably, as they would move under
wiser policy, but they will go on somehow;
and their products will be sold and con-
sumed, and her children will End bread and
education and comfort. Kentucky, Tennes-
see and Indiana this day need the Protective
policy more than New-England-need it to
develop resources now dormant and useless
need it TO open their vast beds of coal and
iron; need it to rear mills, FORCES and fur
naces on their waterfalls and along their
nayigable watershed it to employ and
recompense whole classes of their pOpula-
ton now indolent and useless-need it to
give them New-York and Manchester prices
for their Agricultural staples at the point Of
production by bringing ample and adequate
markets to the doors of their farmers-need
it to quadruple directly their production of
choice Fruits and Vegetables by creating
lucrative cash market for such products
need it to retain upon and return to their
own soil those vital elements of Production
which arc now floating off with every steam
boat in the shape of cargoes of Wheat, Corn,
Beef &c to be consumed so far away that
these elements can never come back aglin-
need it TO render their forests a source of
profit instead Of an impediment TO cul,iva-
tion-need it to call into play the inventive
to enlarge the domain of useful science and
thus bless mankind. lie who does not know |
better than to imagine Protection the policy |
Of one section only, or to threaten that Sec
ton with henceforth opposing it from re-
sentiment against its course on a subject en-
tirely diverse from this, never was qualified
to be its advocate, nor had any ell-ground-
ed attachment to the principle.
We were conversiDg, but recently with a
Member Of Congress who represents pure
ly Wheat-grewing district, in the heart Of
Ohio and who could not see how he could
possibly be expected to favor Protection
The furthest be could see on the subject was
this-ihat, with a Protective Tariff, his con-
stituents must pay Pittsburgh five dollars
more per tun for Iron, while they would get
10 more for their Wheat. lie did not con-
slider what would be the effect of doubling
our annual Home Product Of Iron land Of
Manufacturer on the average price of Wheat
at the barns Of the farmers. We have not
a doubt that, though the price of Flour
should not advance one shilling barrel in
New York, the value of Wheat where pro-
luced throughout our Country would be in
'reased at least twenty-five per cent. Even /,
Is things are, how small is the proportion
# our Wheatgrowers who cannot do better !
With their Grain than to send it to our ship Y
ing ports for sale 1t is not too much TO ;
ay that the average price of Wheat through e
ut the Union is twenty-five per cent above =
he New York price with transportation add B
d, while lift all had to come to the seabOard 9
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