The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-08-22
who pays the duty--ths Producer OF the
Consumer

the payment OF the duty mas Ihlieh upon uie
foreign producer. Why it is, and must be so,
we propose now TO show, for our purpose would
not be answered We're we to omit to place our
readers in position to understand not only the
facts, but the lao Of the facts.
On late occasion we called their attention
to the following passage from Mr.. Carey's Har-
mony of Interests, published in Mr.. Sknner's
excellent journal, The Plough the Loom, and
the .Anril, and we now again reprint it, because
the law then laid down applies with equal force
in the present case.
"THE FIRST THING TO DE PAID BY LAND is TRANS
PoRTATIoN. When that is great as to eat up the
whole proceeds, the land will remain uncultivated.
Diminish the cost of transportation to leave
sufficient to pay the wages of labor, and it will be
cultivated, but it will pay no rent. Diminish it
still further, as to leave surplus over and above
the reward Of the laborer, and the land itself will
acquire value. Diminish it still further, by remov
ing altogether the necessity for transpor tation,
making market on the land for all the products of
the land, enabling the farmer readily to return to
it all the refuse of its products, and it will acquire
the highest value of which land is capable
The truth of this is understood by every far
mer, as we have had occasion to show. Every
planter who contributes towards making rail-
road knows that what is taken off the cost of
transportation is added to the value of his land.
Every farmer who sees mill rising in his
neighborhood knows that it will diminish his
| transportation and give value to his land Every
| landowner knows that distance from market is
| the obstacle to be overcome, and that with
every diminution of that obstacle his land must
| rise in value. Every farmer knows that the
moment that a market is made on the land for
all the products of the land, he will cease to be
compelled to seek distant markets, and pay
transportation, and that his land will then ac-
qure its highest value. Should any failure OF
crops then occur, rendering 1t necessary for
people to come TO him for supplies, the burden
of transportation must fall on them, and not up
on him. He then gains by the po,rer to supply
the distant market, whereas before he lost by
reason of the necessity for going to it,
The object of Great Britain in prohibiting
the export of artisans, and of machinery, which
latter prohibition is still in force except when
the commissioners of the treasury grant exemp-
tons from its operation, was that Of limiting
the supply of cotton and iwoolen cloths, iron
and all manufactures Of iron, In the general
market of the world, by aid Of which she could
fix prices for herself which the nations of the
world must pay So long as that monopoly
was maintained, she did fix prices, and those
prices were paid in her markets, after which
the purchasers paid The cost of transportation
and the duties upon importation, whatever they
might be- 1t was their business to remove the
obstacles that intsrposed themselves between
the Manchester loom and the place at which
its products were to be consumed, not hers.
With great difficulty, at much cost, and al
no small risk, cotton and woolen machinery,
and occasionally an operative; were Struggled
across the Atlantic, and we became cotton man
ufacturers on small scale; but by degrees man
ufactures increased to such an extent as mate
rally to diminish the necessity for going to hel
to seek for goods, and to produce necessity fol
her going abroad to seek for markets.; and with
each step in this progress she became more anc
more in the position Of the farmer who is dis
tant from market The obstacles increased
We made the tariff of 1924, followed by tina
OF 1928. These obstacles were to be removed
by diminution Of prices equal to the increase
Of duty. They icere so remOred, for she sen
US more cotton goods at the high duty than sh'
had done at the low one. Germany established
the Customs II Mon. Here was a new obstacle
in her road to market, and it was TO be removed
IL lcas remored by a further reduction Of price
10 meet the duty.
Germany made cottons so cheaply as to in
terfere with Britain in various markets; ye
Britain 50 far reduced the charge for spinning
yarn as to enable her to secure the German
market. We established the tariff Of 1912
Here was a new obstacle TO overcome. Sh,
was becoming daily more and more distan
from market IL tcdS overcome by reduction
of price 10 meet the duty. Cottons and wool
lens were far cheaper in lS45 and 1916 thar
they had been seven years before, and yet sh,
sent us far larger quantities under the high du
ties than she had done under the low ones
Who paid the duty? Not the consumer bu
the producer, for the market was daily coming
nearer TO the former, and daily becoming more
distant from the latlcr. we Quilt FURNACES ca
pable Of making 100000 tons of iron, and thus
drove her out Of her best markets for the pro
ducts of her mines, to seek other and more dis
tsnt markets The obstacle was to be remove,
by reduction Of price. II is being remoped b.
The destruction Of o,u furnaces, and tchen thu
object shall, at the close Of another year or t,co
haze been fully accomplished, she will again fl
her prices, and we shall then again pay tn,
duty.
Were the tariff Of lS42 this day restored
there would be no material rise Of prices in an
case, and in most cases there would be none
while IN ALL there would be a reduction befor
three years should pass over our heads. If GU
readers desire evidence Of this. let them lUol
to the working Of that tariff during the brie
period Of its existence. The obstacles that in
tcrvened between the producer Of cloth and tn
consumer Of cloth were in daily course o
dminution. with vast advantage to both
Were il re-enacted, Britain would still sem
large quantities Of cloth and iron, upon which sl