The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-08-21


correspondents argument the point is compact and
well worth reading Al his special request we have pub
lshed his whole article at once instead OF dividing it,
il would be better to have done, and should GER
tanly have done but for his particular request Cores
pondents, however able and wel-nformed cannot other
things being the same Judge Of these matters of editorial
detail well editors, whose very profession or ade
It's to Judge of them Alright We hope TO hear again
0m the talented author of this communication and we
trust that be- and other friends who may favor us du
ring the with their correspondence will think 1t
best not to limit us in the exercise Of judgment
~ to the shape and form in which what they write shall
appear
EFFECT OF THE TARIFF ON PRICES.
The President in his annual message, after strongly
condemning high tariff neither permanent nor salts
factory dexterously Congress, under the
auspices OF this opinion the prostraton of of
most important manufactures, under the present ta1,
If failures from other cause. and recon-
mends material notifications, in the substitution OF home
for foreign Valuations and specific for ad vaorem duties
Arguing against high rate OF duties: he nevertheless
recommends measures which inevitably establish what
he seems to condemn. Invoking pernanency and uni
fomiy of protection, he proposes radical changes IN inc
most uniform rate OF protection ever established Ac
knowledgng agriculture to be the most important branch
of our national industry he urges increased protection TO
manufactures increasing the burdens OF agriculture ana
suggess, equivalent agricultural bureau in the
corner Of q department Specific duties arbitrary and,
Aseparaby connected with the minimum principle amount
to prohibition in great majority OF cases The President
recommends them inducing the importer to bring the
best article be pays duty on that than upon
of inferior quality" So that in practice specific dn
ties, according to his own acknowledgment would give
the home manufacturer monopoly OF all me INFERIOR
fabrics most IN demand He looks one way and rows
another His recommendations the report OF the Secre
tary of the Treasury advocating increased duties to limit
our impor,ations and increase the consumption nome
products the effort TO elnqush the public lands to the
States largely reducing The OF the government
and the extravagant appropriations urged IN Congress-
and calculated to perpeluate large pubic deol-a con
tn hat Zpd
will be made in the next Congress to oveIurn the pres
ent tariff The perpe,uaon OF the public debt and The
exhaustng operation upon the treasury OF heavy appro
priaons, viii furnish constant apology for exravagan
duties. Under such circumstances let us examine the
operation OF protective duties prices, and see whether
increased prices should be borne an overlooking reve-
nue. and the exiting ushment of the national debt, sacri
feed to increased protection TO manufactures.
Protective duties imported merchandise can afford
no protection 10 similar articles manufactured in this
country. unless they either exclude such merchandise
from markets. increasing It's COST compel the I'M
porter to increase bis prices When such duties are so
high to exclude foreign merchandise altogether they
annihiate foreign competition, secure monopoly OF the
home market 10 the home manufacture, and leave the
country at the mercy OF exorbitant prices when ihey
do exclude foreign manufactures altogether but lei
them into our markets and only augment their prices as
they always do by increasing their to IN oar porfs they
enable the home manufacturer to sell his iaorles al me
increased prices OF the foreign manufacture Protection
to our manufactures is therefore, the consequence OF
either the entire exclusion Of foreign competition or an
% o. bey fail on
the consumer, in the shape OF accumulated or increased
prices and that foreign prices exclusive OF Duty are ihe
standard of the loss the enhancement OF Inc
price usually corresponding with the amount OF the duty
The manufacturer abroad contemplating an lmporta
ton of his tabrss into this country, regulates his prices
by estimate OF the cost OF the material the inter
the capital invested the cost OF annual repairs to
his manufacturing establishment, the price OF PROVISIONS
tho OF manufacturing labor and the cost OF nsurng
his fabrcs and transporting them to market Ordinarily
under these accumulated circumstances, with import du
ties regulated by the revenue wants OF The government
the foreign manufacturer sell the cotton fabrics most
used BY at five cents per yard broadcloh
at ftco dollars per yard and all other manufactured a
cles in the same proportion But reaching our ports
ingredient OF prices makes its appearance, and he
encounters additional cost OF different character,
wholly unconnected with the costs already enumerated
The house officer meets him, tariff in hand in the
name and by the authority OF the government while the
home manufacturer lies concealed in the Trojan horse OF
the tariff. and exacts OF him payment OF an import duty
amounting TO five cents per yard on his cotton abrcs and
,e0 dollar: per yard on his 9oaaeo'ns Is me Pre- h.iS
able sell his cotton fabrics at five cents yard their
original price, hes is compelled TO add 10 this sum
the 1--WE cents per yard which it cost him TO enter
pts and from memorable necessity he requires ten
cents per yard from the purchaser. His expenditures
have been increased five cents per yard by the import tax
duty, and his price must be augmented IN The same
proportion, he must abandon the market, So with the
broadcloih The consumer instead OF purchasing
broadcloths at two dollars, is compelled TO purchase
them ri four dollars per yard half OF which only
the foreign manufacturer charges and receives,
Enumeration for his labor, skill, and investment, and the
remainder constitutes the TAX on The consumers indus
try levied by an unwise and partial government 10
courage and project the home manufacturer. Although
levied in an indirect way. and meiamorphosed into the
price. niermixed with H. the increased price never
iheless embraces the import tax OF two dollars on the
purchaser Tor his own coasoQniIon The consequences
OF levying such import the same, whether
tcles OF consumption purchased OF the foreign or
home manufacturer. Their prices are The same. What
ever increases the of the manufacture its freight
entrance into market necessarily increases its price in
the hands OF purchaser Tor bis consumption.
An illustration. at striking and appropriate OF the
PRACTICAL operation oil protective duties on our agreu
tura interest by increasing prices, may be drawn from
the familiar circumstances OF life more apt a. The
instance supposed 10 often OF real occurrence in prac
tico.
Let NJ suppose the existence of moderate rate of du
tjea levied principally foreign manufactures 10 meet
the pecunisy wants of the government and that this
state OF circumstance of farmers brings his to-
bacco crop to msrket sells il nj ten cents pound and
receives sro thousand dollars IN the aggregate tor his
crop Let US suppose, also, that alter abundanty sup
PLYING his whole family with Dscessares and convent
eneee ri every description such as cottons, salt, wool
lens ron cacoes shoes, &c he has surplus left OF
one thousand dollar. be DEPOSITED IN the strong box for
future investment Under hue and cry the following
year. agaInst the competition OF foreign labor and capital.
and under the colorado petex OF protecting our domes
tic industry against them, the duties on foreign manuac
lures bed in order 10 double the cost of their ad
nia0n fn6ou ports At the end OF the year under The
new protective system the farmer again enters the
market again receives ten cents pound for bis tobacco
aGain receives the aggregate Of two thousand dollars
for his crop, and again purchases the
and conveniences for his family in the same quantity
Bot necromanuc and almost incomprehensble change
has taken place m the market. The prices of
ufactured articles, which he purchased the year be-
FORE have doubled by legislative interference in private