The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-11-29
THE UNION: WASHINGTON SATURDAY MORNING. NOV 90 1851

Assuming that the memorials and petitions to Congress-
oil the favored classes, assert the truth In maintaining
that the present rates OF protection are necessarv 10
enable them 10 escape bankruptcy, the loss Of s nation
upon sueA production" uosid ts equivalent the tariff duties
This will be obvious upon reflection IL a simple
transfer OF the money OF the consumer 10 Tho nro.
Queer was produced by the tariff. and if the producer
made mol only the usual profits OF labor but also the
tariff Duties then there would be no loss 10 the nation
because both the producer and consumer are Americans
In all such cases The effect OF the tariff is simple rob
berry OF one citizen for another, involving no loss TO
the naon, except that such Legislation strikes al the
very foundations OF society, by destroying the secu
rily and invoabhy OF property, and if continued
would inevitably rum the nation by the destruction of
all motive for profitable production But if il be true
that the protection afforded by the tariff by the freight
across the Atlantic. and by the profits of the importer
upon that portion OF capital required by custom house
duties be merely sufficient save such protected classes
from ruin BY yielding only the usual profits, then in ali
such cases the effect OF such tariff is not only rob-
berry OF one citizen for another, but involves loss TO the
nation OF profits OF their labor in other pursuits exactly
equivalent TO the tariff daties II their assertions be
false, and they and do by industry and skill under
such system, make or 10 per cent more than the
usual profits OF American labor then the robbery is none
the less, but the loss Of the nation is less than the tariff
duties BY the or 10 per cent. as the may be-
Let us restrain the indignation which burns in every
vein in the contemplation OF such injustice, crime and
folly, and continue our investigation.
The United States contain 23267,aos men, women
and children. We estimate one-hird of these Cor say
eight mons) to be under IS years Of age and six
eenth Tor say two millons be So years OF age
leaving 4ss male and female laborers between The
ages Of is and S. We estimate that the males produce
annually $3.50. and the females $40, the of ,lo5
millions Of dolarsequivalent average OF $s5 for
those between the ages OF IS and S. or general
average OF nearly $4s per head upon the whole popul
ton This estimate of the annual production OF the
nation il believed TO he too small, unless You would
add 10 il the interest (say per cent? upon the real and
personal property Of the several States But so far as il
s essential to the present argument il demonstrates that
the citizens Of this republic have the capacity TO purchase
and consume thousand millions OF the necessares
and Injuries of life.
We will now take view OF the real and personal prop.
ery OF the nation before approach the more interest
ing and important statistics Of the consumption of the
country, which will unfold in its dimensions the
ruinous effects of the system OF protection. | WISH
however to every doubt Of pecunary capaci
" to consume the amounts assumed in our minimum es-
Inmates OF the necessaries Of life, hereinafter given
We have again to regret that the returns OF the late
census not before We have however, before us
Official statements OF the taxable property real and per-
sonaD of Kentucky, Ohio and New York and upon
these we will frame our calculations