The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1852-04-17
For The Cecil Whis
ToT Inc CeCtt bFHts
The Tariff Of'46,
find its Effect upon Horticultural Interests


The following excellent article, from our
friend and correspondent, Maj. John Jones, is
in reply to one which appeared in the Boston
Cuhirotor some time since, over the signature
of Underwood Glenn. We commend it to the
careful attention of our readers generally, es-
pecially the farmers.
Mr.. EDlToR.-An ancient writer, who held
the opinion of Farmers, in matters Of state, in
about the same degree of estimation, that your
correspondent Underwood Glenn does; remark
ed about thus: :!How can he get wisdom who
holdeth the plough, aud that glorleth in the
goadi that driveth the oxen, and is orcuped in
their labors, and whose talk is Of bullocks!
He giveth his time TO make burrows; and is
diligent 10 feed the kline"
am free to admit, that my opportunity Of
leisure is but limited; but think ! can satisfy
your correspondent, that the tariff Of 1916 has
failed to answer the expectations and promises
OF its founders; that II would furnish good and
profitable foreign market for all our surplus
brcodstmfs, and fill our Golfers with gold and
silver coin.
still adhere to the opinion, that Free Trade
has never increased the foreign demand for GU
wheat, corn, tobacco, cotton or WOOL or the price
OF Farming or Mineral Lands or the importation
OF the precious metal. Nor has it cheapened the
iron shoe for the horse, or his trace chains, or
the leather shoe for man, or the alum, salt, which
was considered SO necessary 10 cure his bacon
and his fish. Nor do | think it has exalted the
reputation Of American Statesmen, particularly
those who advocated free trade. The exports
Of wheat in lS47 were 26,3l2,349 bushels; in
1850 only l2,S0l 1857 bushels, or, 13,5l0,192
bushels less than in 1847. The exports of In
dian corn in 1917 were 20, 800 bushels; the
amount SHIPPED in 1850 was 1917 1915, or, D.
20O,9l5 less than in lSl7.
The price of wheat rose in 1Sl7-in conse-
quence Of the shipment Of 1850, 1872 bushels
extra, to feed the millions who were like to
starve from potato rot-trom less than one dollar
to two dollsrs and quarter per bushel. The
same cause gave us market for 200, 9l5 BUSH
els Of corn more than was exported in 1850; and
that small extra raised the price, from less than
so cents to Sl.25 per bushel.
1t is estimated that 1000, 900 persons are sus-
tanned by the cotton trade of england in all its
manipulations, including carrying the ra,r mate
rial from the plantation 10 the factory and then
TO the consumer in its most skilfuIly wrought
state. Now as we are the principal growers Of
cotton, and the greatest consumers also would
| il not be we'll if we should manufacture it, and
trasnpsse those 100000 Of consumers to our
| shores?
Assuming the population of Boston to be 200,-
! 600, this 100000 of consumers would give a
population equal to 30 such cities as Boston; or
say IL such cities as New York, surprising that
city to contain 100000 people. The population
OF the United States being about "a 100000, it
is seen, that 6,000,000 would add one fourth TO
our population, and, as consequence, would
consume one fourth OF our bread stutfs. Say
100000 900 bushels Of corn, out Of the crop of
60O,OO0,OOO bushels; and 4O,OOO,OOO bushels of
wheat, out Of the unprecedentedc crop f160, 000,-
900 bushels, the growth OF 1851. Now if an
extra foreign demand for 5,2OO,9I5 bushels OF
corn or about 10th part of our crop-increased
the price from so cents to $1.25 per bu,hel,
would not a permanent Home demand of l42,-
! 799, 1876 bushes-made by this increase of ope-
rators-have a beneficial effect on our market,
for all our breadstuffs, wheat, corn, and indeed
every other product of the earth in like proper
tonl
Under the impetus, given to the trade by the
protective tariff Of 1912, puddlers, got three dol
lars per day. But owing to the destruction Of
the iron interests by the tariff OF 1876, these
men were thrown out of that employment, and
compelled to 60 10 raising wheat, for less than
10 cents per bushel; by which they do not now
realize 10 cents per day,-partcularly the ten
antry who pay one half for rent against their
former good wages. The value ofland is affect
ed in like manner. Gassawa Watkins, free
trade man, with many others of my neighbors,
raised 40 bushels of wheat to the acre in 1850
At the price of $2.25-brohght about by the
extra shipment of l3,5l0,792 bushels or about
18th of the crop of the country-the product
would have amounted to 500 per acre. But If
he sold at IS cents per bushel-the current price
of the season-he realized but $50 per acre.
This shows an annual falling off of $50 per acre,
on the product.
1t is shown, by the census report, that we
have 112 ,o42 900 acres Of improved land in the
Union. Much OF which--not like the, but re.
Gently, poor, worn out lands of Deaware-but
the real virgin soil of the West If the value
of the products Of all this improved land has
fallen of in the same ratio, as this wheat-land,
for which free trade was TO have done SO much,