The Yazoo Democrat. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1851-01-22
TARIFF AND rRpYTRAnFr

Ofthe high tariff men, to offer to the public
seine shadow Of excuse for wishing TO dis.
Iuro thepresenl tariff, and impose upon the
country the Odious aud discarded doctrine Of
specific duties. Il will boa long while be.
fore they can satisfy the plain yeOmaury Of
the country, Of the propriely Of afixinp q
false valuation upon "a article and taxing il
accordingly instead Of taxing it according
to its real value. BY such a course. il i,
impossible ever to ascertain the real amount
OF lmPortations; for articles arenot valu.
ed according to their real market value, but
Oy fictitious, or assumed one. In this
way we fear Corwin, and thoGe who advo,
cate his "balance Oftrade," will catch lhsil
death; and as this fictitious valuation will
swell the nominal amount of our imports.
(ProVlded the tariff is not laid so high as t,
exclude all the coarser iabries) and thu,
leave annually large excess of imports over
our exports.
The Louisville Courier of the 9Th instant
makes the most pitilul effort at an argument
upon this subject which it has been our mis-
fortune to encounter for a long while. Il
says:
"Ihe startling fact the enormous excess
OF our imports over our exports, under the
tariff act OF 1916, is making such an impress
thn TIabl il Il G.. l..
act, that the Free Tradeites, fearing revis.
ion Of the tariff less in accordance with
their views. are striving by every means to
counteract this impression
We had occasion to shew in our last num-
ber' that this startling fact" was one of the
'urest evidences of the prosperity Of the
country. Instead ofstriving by every means
to counterfeit this IMPRESSION" the Free
Iradeites" adduce it as a certain proof of
the healthy state Of our commerce. To
make this thing so plain that che that runs
may read," let US take the case of cargo
Of ice. II is not estimated as of any re ii
value, it is the property OF those who will
brave the severity Of the climate to gather
it. but when taken to China or some othe,
warm region, it has a real value. By
means OF this trade thousands in this coun-
try grow rich; they have nominally export
ed nothing, and the Who'll amount thew
bring back is that much, against them &C.
cording to the Courier's "balance of trade. 81
but according to truth and plain common
sense it is all in their favor.
But The Courier has met with this idea
before. The New York Journal of Com
nercs contains the following paragraph:
The truth is, that the balance of trade the.
Dry should be taken in an inverse manner.
and the National profit of foreign commerce
be calculated by the excess of imports over
exports. This excess, after reduction Of
expenses, forms the real profit. But this
heOry, which is the true and correct one,
eads directly TO free trade. This theory
We hand over to the protectionist. Let
hem exaggerate it as much as they please,
has nothing to fear from such a trial.
Let them even suppose, if it amuses them,
hat foreigners should inundate us with oil
inds of useful articles, without asking any
hing in return; that our imports be Infinite,
nd our exports nothing; | defy to prove
hat we shall be any poorer thereby.
TO which the Courier replies thus:
1--WE will not degrade reason by offering
argue against such an absurdity."
Very considerable Of the Courier. We
,ust as he is unwilling to degrade reason
trying TO reply to "fxed fact,'' that he
nil shew himself equally wise and candid,
abandoning the odiOus theory, Matched up
high tariffites, to aid them in hood-win
'g the people, and fixing upon the country
policy, so manilestly hostile to the best in
rests of the country.