Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1852-10-27
The Tariff.


Esaly advocated the policy of protection, withou
Eany very material discrepancy in their views, and
the Democrats as party have generally opposed
Fit There are some exceptions tits true in the rank;
Eof the latter. Mr.. JAMES, the Democratic Senator
& from Rhode Island even introduced bill into the
Senate, during the late session of Congress, to in
Ecrease the duties on imports from IS to so PEI
Ecent, with view to protection and Senator
SrocKToN,o of New jersey, another Democrat, is
Ezealous advocate of the cause. There has alsc
been some inconsistency between the practice ant
the professions Of the party in regard to the ques
tion as for instance in the action the last Dem
ocratc Congress in reference to the Collins line
of steamers, by which the principle was distinctly
Recognised. But these are only exceptions and in
Inconsistencies, and the friends protection can hope
for nothing from "the Democracy"
81 The standing argument with the opponents Of
Kprotecton is, that it proposes to tax the many
for the benefit of the few-that farmers and Others
B are to be oppressed that manufacturers may grow
Frich. Nothing can be more incorrect-The inev-
itable result of the system is to benefit all classes
ultimately, and farmers especially are interested
in having it firmly established. Every farmer
knows that it is to his interest to have the place
where he sells his produce, as near to him as pos
Esble, for thus he saves large amount which ht
4 must pay for transportation. Free trade, however
operates so as to deprive the farmer of the home OF
8 near market and compel him to carry his produce
to distant one. The direct effect of tariff prop
Eerly arranged for protection, moreover is to draw
loft from agriculture part Of the persons engaged
e in that pursuit, (now many more than there ought
Etc be- and give them employment in manufacture
fling and mining. These persons then become con-
Ssumers-instead of producing for themselves, they
& must buy from the neighboring farmers, And what
if the farmer has to pay to such persons engaged
8 in manufacturing iron, few cents more in the
£ for the article than he now pays for English
iron?-he will be getting better price for wha
he raises, and can abundantly afford to do it.
But although free trade promises distant mar
Hket, it does not furnish one. 1t breaks down thu
&home market without providing any other. I'm
oder our present tariff, the people of the United
Estates obtain large amount of the manufactures
Athey use, from England; while not more than one
per cent. of our agricultural produce finds mar
ket in that country. The balance against us mus
&be paid off in gold and silver, and thus it is tina
8for the last year or two there has been constan
rEdrain of the precious metals from this country
It is this drain of specie which causes the necessi
Nty for small note currency, the effects of which
EEour people are beginning to feel.
n Our foreign debt at this time is set down
$26l 200 900, and the excess of imports over ex
ports for the year 1852 is estimated at $l2 900
(which of course must GO to swell the foregoing
mount How long this course of things can con
Xtinue without involving our people in bankruptcy
Eve cannot tell Every one knows, however, tina
Tany individual who perseveres year after year IL
kbuying more than he sells, or earns by his labor
Unjust in the end come to poverty and ruin. JUS
so it i. in the affairs of combined numbers of indi
kyiduals constituting communities or nations A
protective tariff has always enabled to sell more
Ethan we buy, as in 1880 and 1876, while 'tre'
%trade," the cherished scheme of English polltl
cians, operates invariably the other way. "The
whole tendency of the policyof England is toward
the subugation of the farmers and planters OF the
,B world She desires to buy cotton cheap and sci
&cloth dear-to buy food cheap and sell iron dear
and she accomplishes her object wherever she has
~ power, as is seen in the utter ruin of Ireland, In
da, Turkey, the West Indies, and Portugal-tht
III favored lands of Manchester free trade"
~ Another objection sometimes urged to protec
Elective tariff is, that if it relieves the people from
the necessity of going to Old England for a mar
ket, it compels them to go to New England. 1hl'
#obiecton is answered in recent letter OF Henry
He. CAREY, of New Jersey, to farmer OF Ohio
from which we have quoted above. MIR. u says
real and efficient protection tends to enable one
convert his food into iron made in his own neigh
borhood. sit tends to enable people to raise flaa
and hemp, who now raise food; and everywhere
to make local market for food, and thus to re-
lieve the farmer from the necessity of going to e.
#ther Lowell or Manchester. The present state o.
Hthinps tends to destroy all the small manufacturers
Hthroughout the Union, and to render you more DE
3 pendent on New England and other Of the Allan
tic States. The system tends to make the rlci
richer and the poor poorer. The rich man meets
l the storm, but the poor one is crushed, and theI
the rich man makes his profit" So well Is THU
matter understood by large manufacturers, ina
some of them, through mistaken notion OF policy
arc actually opposed to any change of the presen
system.
And now the people of the United States have
to choose between the two systems. FRANRLf
HP,ERcE stands as the advocate and exponent
the one. and WINFIELD SCOTT as the advocate
and exponent of the other Every vote cast VIII
either be for the protection of American industry
for the protection of English capitalists. Inc tw'
ipterests are hostile and irreconcilable. The sys
tenn that will benefit us will injure England, ant
the svsem that will benefit England will injur'
2us. No wonder then that British politicians Zee
H. deem interest in the result of the Presidential
contest. The press throughout the kingdom, II
ont warmly for PIERCE and Free trade. awe
prefer PIERCE" says the liverpool Times, mo
&because he is the better man-far otherwise, blu
because he is the nominee Of the partyin the U''o'
,cho desire to push the principle Of Free Trade
its utmost limits"
The Canvass i'm Pennsylvania.
q To show in what way the canvass is conducte'
lin PENNSYLVANIA by the Democrats, the Rtchmon'