The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-08-10


In the Carroll (Ohio) Free Press is contained
an address TO the voters of certain townships
in that county, upon the subject of subscrip-
ton proposed to be made by the townships, in
their corporate capacity, TO the stock OF rail-
road, by committee appointed for that pur
pose The committee, which consists Of nine
teen persons, probably including some of every
political complexion, and of both sides of the
question upon the policy Of protection, say in
their address:
'Were such an improvement made, the products
of the country, such as wheat, flour, pork, wool,
butter, lard, corn, cloversecd, &c, could in less
than three days time from shipment at Carrolton,
be laid down in the New York market We will
not pause here to prove that this fact alone would
materially enhance the marketable value of those
articles of produce and that this increase of value
would enurc entirely to the producer-thcse pro-
positions too plain to require any proof from
Neither would it seem necessary to offer any argu-
ment show that you increased the value Of the
products Of the soil you increase the value of the
soil itself in corresponding ratio. Like the link
in chain these results inevitably follow each
other. For illustration: if wheat at New York is
worth one dollar and thirty five cents per bushe,
it, the producer cannot expect to realize moro than
sixty five cents per bushel; but if you reduce the
cost Of transportation 10 thirty five cents, he can
safely count upon one dollar per bushel-suppy
and demand remaining the same. So, if, when the
farmer obtains but sixty-fiv cents per bushe for
his wheat, his land will command twenty dollars
per acre-were an improvement made which would
increase the value of his wheat ono dollar per
bushel, his land would just readily command
thirty dollars per acre; because that the raie Of
The soil depends upon the prices that lis products tcH
command; and these prices regulated by the
convenience Of access and cost Of transportation
the consuming market-subect only, before
stated, to the relations of supply and demand
These narims in the laws Of trade to which all
intelligent men assent. Experience has demon
strated their truth"
We have from time 10 time quoted the testi
mony Of practical men TO the soundncss Of the
great law Of trade in agricultural products, that
the cost Of transportation TO the consuming mar
kcts is a charge upon the producer, and dimin-
ishes the value of the land by an amount equal
to the sum of which the annual cost of trans
portation is the interest; every six dollars ex-
pended in transportation indicating deprecia-
ton Of one hundred dollars in the value of the
soil. We make no excuse for accommodating
such evidence. The principle which il tends
TO establish is one that lies at the foundation of
the protective policy. It is sufficient Of itself,
in our judgment, to uphold that policy as erni-
nently the great interest Of agriculturists, al
though il were not buttressed as it is, by other
enduring laws Of agricultural production.
the principle is recognised by persons who can
not be suspected of any political bias, and whose
declarations cannot be attributed TO their desire
to promote the particular views we hold in re-
lation to a tariff. We have quoted from those
whom we knew TO be adverse TO our opinions, po-
litcal and economical, and from those Of whose
sentiments or associations we had no knowledge
or intimaton, being only careful TO see that
they were men who had some practical bust
ness in hand. disconnected with manufactures
A few days ago we copied from the New York
EUening Post the expression Of its confidence
that the theories which teach men to send the
products Of their toll in the cultivation of the
earth as far away as possible, and in as crude
and bulky shape as possible, for sale, were in
fair way TO spread and find fresh converts
The Post founded IFS hopes upon the fact that
every year hundreds Of young men are indoctri-
mated in these theories, and 90 forth from our col
eges to disseminate them The writer rcmem-
bers that when he was being thus indoctrinated,
the learned Professor assured his class that the
common notion that a work Of internal inn
provement might be advantageous TO the com
munity, although not remunerating those who
constructed it, was erroneous and mischevous.
According TO his philosophy, If the railroad or
canal was a benefit 30 the community, the fact
would appear in the receipt Of an income from
tolls which would pay fair interest upon the
cost of construction, after providing for repairs
and current expenses. The outside world Of
business mep, it was conceded often acted upon
different principles, and frequently were sue
cessiul in impressing them upon State legisla
lures Here was a conflict OF authorlies--the
gentlemen Of the silk gown on the one side, the
gentlemen Of the plough on the other--which
for many years we were troubled to reconcile
The Professor had plausible theory, the men
Of the world stern facts in opposition TO IT, but
the latter had not generaized from their OBJ