New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-09-13
60. Trade - Protection.

Tse .ouments on an article OF one OF
10 !'"' donts entitled Who pays the duty -
y0a t.c,,be to the doctrine that all duties are
yosfaE aa,eign pfoducers. How do you re-
ys1 p ~. ~ with the well acknowledged TACT
ooHcS = are solely governed by supply and de,
thsi p'' ~, TO which you allude' and the ruin OF
nsoe" .ourself admit in your observations On
xhsA Wv osec,s Of the diminished supply OF ron
fhe foOsoJ o,s we're our IRON masters iofceo l"
u 81 ,Se induction OF American non Iion he, tho
abaaon We Pc never sold al loss except "neh tle
hstuc's arc ,he demand II an oyer-stock exists
,r,,oy eIceco connetItiOn between the OlHefeht
Of sly proooo de.ring 10 effect sales, soon causes
Ndeis u -, m value until the los DeCVilies ~
80 cecued ceases and me noioefs "i1iuia"
at INC from the market Ia'e. 'o y, he inc
pr her decline suppose ,ss holders of an article are
cesiesi soss " :, ,,,her than 10 defer IT'S SAFE An
cling 70 s''D az Der cent duty, costing 20 Woud
SSe,e P, g1utted market al i-Ou' II II nau pau
20. " -3uld have cost only sI' anu a. tne ioss
pch the holders submit y tne Ell Q. soc
psblcn not of the duty, they "ouid sen d. ooC''
M ggi anu 10 ~ duty. rather than nave the SAFE de-
hao Rai, nsrmer pays back the duty TO Inc I'M
freo' :. a. yell when goods are sOiu AT loss DIS
Yona are sold al profit, ana consequently an
WEI w. ~, cannot be Produced without loss uhoei
sffsr W. ,s nroduced under PfOtecnOn al pre-
49, can
tssy ". can effect by tariffs IS IN diu'de the toss
ssd ,rIol, community INSTEAD of atormg II 10
eneAs h, "a, cQr1tal and tGbT employer IN me pro-
PITT n, protected commodities Pf0tecuOh can
ey as., spy OF the individual members OF the com
poen 1 S,npOrtlng directly the loss occaSl0ned
ml,a aversion Of capital and labor IRON greatly
o. Ie .,s occupations 10 less productive oaes, Dut
pV.'ossoes moi the less exist because II mas Deen
nc va eopg the community AZ large Private an
..'ns. md pGyate enterprise, when renewed RON
sa.sSrmept interference, Will always employ capi-
t.J Isbor in those branches OF Industry "hlch
,ho greatest return. II an article cannon De
Wscet here as cheaply as 1t can be- obtained from
f..ne,S il is because "A certain amount OF the pre-
~. es,oiucts OF our capital and labor VIII procure
$3.50 hy exchange, greater amount OF the arturo
:, ues,lon than can be produced Al hoihc WIN tio
- amount OF labor and capital Protectlonsls
~ As will lead us to import everything nom
Sod and leave our capital and labor without EN-
rruent The falacy of thls argument Is 50
ssv9ifn, that 1t hardly requires an answer II We
,,nes nothing, what can We give 10 iOfeiSlefS III
ff,ehuge for the products we receive rom them As
ali esSmerce is but an exchange OF commodities
,m,ons annot exist without exports, nor exports
,hoa mports PIOtectOnlSts assert We shall
nsTbrsigners for our imports with specie but a.
eg weseni stock Of the precious metals wouid iiot
~ ang were we to purchase WIN tn6Iil an 'ie
srsodities we require and as We should nave no
RS OF replenlshlng our present supply were our
ga and labor IDLE, this could not long defer the
} ami when imports would cease entirely, unless
N spposc foreigners would generously supply us
"A Their products without requiring anything IN
.ufn In PLAIN words, imports without exports OF
,umodities Is an absurdltv IN which no man oil
yse can believe for one momen, aiter the ieds'
action on the subject, Therefore
hotectionists must be wrong when they assert
.sby Tariffs imposing heavy duties on foreign com
nsliieS or by prohibiting entirely thelrimporIaton
~ aggregate prohts of the capital and labor oil a
oaNtry can be increased.
IId Free Traders must be night when they assert
,believe that under no possible syiem but that OF
e1n commercial freedom can capital anu fdooi
we'd the greatest possible return
You and all PTo,ecnOnlSi> constantly assert thal
Ssgpn nations inundatc MS with their commodities
slnnousl, low prices solely with vlewto rum our
uaie producers of similar commodities SO a. u
os,aln subsequently, the monopoly OF our markets -
There might be some probability an tins, were snip
msp,s o, commodities made by Government win the
national innds but as long as all mercantile opera
fonsae he result of Individual enterprise, seeking 10
lfaenl Individual wealth and not To diminish IL, no
perVn Will be found willing io enter lhlo operations
ce,n To leave ruinous loss tn himself, merely tha'
eAemcmbeis ofhis community, andthose ot ms pres
sneompctltOrs al home IN the same branch of lnduS
rnlgh hereafter reap the benefit OF ms present >d
nleeS such acts OF dlSluteroStcdnesS areh no more
bDd under mOnarchleS than IN ouf own kepuphc'
Does any one here believe that the large shipments OF
Eeacsufis made nom here To England during the last
sImoths and which have been sold there at heavy
los were made solely to rum the EngilSh agtlcui
tarss SO that we might subsequently MAKE thd'
country dependent over us for us food vi course
ID and ct this Is the precise reasoning OF the RIO
iet1oRsls IN regard To our imports OF manufactured
goods nom Europe.
hc,ec,onisls constantly urge their demand for
hoeVhon on the plea that capital and labor cost
mcie here than ia Europe. Hut why are cdpual
and AAcr paid higher III The United states than IN
kuOlel Clearly because they yield more mere al
~ -. he
do capita and labor IN Europe at the occupations IN
Which they are employed there. Dad they weld no
eiealef return here than IN Europe, we could not
ray more for them than do the Europeans ana TINS
greater yield enables us To sustain on equal terms,
Ne competlton OF European capital and la0er not
outstanding the lower cost OF the Latter NO lcglS-
awe interference can regulate the remuneration Oi
tpial and labor This Will always depend soleiy
eon the amount they produce. IN any locality, or
any occupation. Do you bcheNe that the law oi
ieahsyiVanls and Ncw-Jcr>eS, declaring dN :
sHk TO be ten hours can cause the laborne-cla>Ses
ate 10 receive the same remuneration for ten hours
hM which they would obtain for twelve hours Ia
w The thing Is impossible because, III ten hours
~ sane amount OF commodities cannot De produced
snt~else hours, and labor can only be rem1nera-
IN proportion TO It's prOductlNeneSS
rtoechonlsS assert that the nation that purchases
To'e ihan l, sells, impoVcrlSheS itself while Free
Atis assert, and believe. that the only nation that
,sswe'eAeS Itself, Is that which consumes more
nom not discriminating between purchase
assumption that PT0tecuonstS draw 50 many
s,,.eaee& conclusions. man who exchanges
T'''VNw the precious metals for The same vaiue
s' sx'u eommodlucS, Is no poorer than when he
~ me AMOUNT Ia gold and silver Nor is man
sSo purchases 100000 worth ct useful commodities
" etcR sny poorer than before the purchase. IL
spnr2>ely the same with nations. \ nation that
ySt'eS from foreigners on credit OF IN exchange
~uepreclOuS metals, the commodities she needs,
-@way impovcriSheS itself Gold and silver are
SNpstiul 10 man as means of procuring those pro-
Seewhich are ncod!ui To his comfort or welfare !,
I4 precious metals themselves canno, become
A@sRC OTink 10 us. nor Will they cover cur naked
IN shelter us against the lnclemenCy ~ the
.<aef. As long aS we hold gold and SILVER IN cur
stse>seSSlOn. they produce nothing, and are there
~ NNriectly useless 10 us. He who eOldS mllnonS
~Se pseclouS metals Will Starve, unless ne paris
- PORTION OF his dearly przed wealth while
- sao eStS IN other products. or IN evidence OF
al The god and silver he receives adds daily
s ~ Wealth and means Of procuring the comm0d-
zach he may desire. nation that should ex-
10y al he commodities possessed by lt> lnhabl-
rsw gold anu SILVER, would be IN greater wan
- - Se poorest nation OF the Globe tor ltS lnhabi
-, Would be without other food than such aS IL
ssseScc spontaneously hV Mature, without clothing
~ s9oout shelter. IL Is as means OF facilitating
-. 1Saange OF commodities that The precious
,ss VefNe their value 10 man, ana Yet II Is these
~ ShsngeS of commodities, 80 beneficial 10 all
rtvtecucnISlS interfere Win daily, and desire
" Stsssl, eutIeh
o. aS>tu that Free Trade looks 20 the deSiruc-