The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-06-28

This is specimen of the whole argument of
the Tribune, if argument it can be called. To
us it seems nothing more than tissue of as
SYMPTOMS, nearly all of them utterly ground.
less, as we shall now attempt to show.
What farmers, what producers, of any class
need, is an ample uniform market, at remu
nerative, not high and Auctuating prices What
are called high prices, have twofold effect
they reduce consumption and stimulate produc-
ton, so that the producer, even during their
continuance, may not be so great gamer, as
might at first be supposed; while, in the long
run, he will be loser; for, production being
lmmoderately stimulated, the next year will
probably witness glut in the market. and a
distressing fall of prices. Now we submit, that
these fluctuations must prove injurious. and
ought to be guarded against as far as possible
The thing needed, we repeat, is, a steady mar
ket, at'remuneratice prices. This is better
both for producer and consumer-for the farm
er, tradesman, and manufacturer.
The object of England in repeating the Corn
Laws, was to remedy the ruinous fluctuations
IN the Corn Market, and reduce the price of
grain to a moderate and reasonable rate-a
policy precisely in accordance with the interests
OF the farmers not only in this country, but in
all countries. 1t did not deprive them of a
market of which before they had had posses.
'ion," but it did give them "a market which
they before had not enjoyed" On this point.
we are directly at issue with the Tribune. and
as mere assertion proves nothing, let us appeal
to facts
The market which the Tribune saws our
farmers had had possession of" before the
repeal OF the Corn Laws, was the English mar
ket, under the sliding scale of duties This sys-
tenn was adopted in 1904, and in 1928 under.
went certain notifications, of little Importance.
however, to foreign wheat growers.
Ih,lsOl, the amount of grain of all kinds
imported from the United States into England
was 372,l5l Winchester quarters. From the
year 1904 to the year ls25-and we cannot
Iust now lay our hands upon table of a later
date-the importation generally decreased.
One year it was $4,000 quarters; another,
100000; another, l72,OOO another, 1877 900 !;
but, for the remainder of the period, it never
reached 100000, in any year, while it averaged
only SO, 600 year, The notifications of 1928
lid not essentially change this state of things.
Our exports of all sorts of grain and provisions,
from that time to lS42, when the British tariff
began to be reduced, were either stationary or
declining. Thus England was not only com.
paratlvely unimportant market, but a most ir.
regular one-our exports of grain ranging
| from two quarters to one hundred thousand
Bad as the market was, our farmers had not
| possession" of it, as the Tribune assumes
and for the obvious reason, that the grapares
OF the Baltic nearly always had sufficient sun.
plies on hand; word could be sent to them i'm.
mediately; and their nearness enabled sbippers
to throw their grain into the English market
| on the first intimation of fall of the sliding
| scale. Hence, the market was controlled bv
the farmers of Russia, Sweden, Denmark, Prus.
STA, Germany, the Observation-Disclosures by those
of the United States. In 1881, year signal.
lied in England by the vast Importation of
foreign grain, and year in which we exported
more breadstuffs than we did at any time from
the year 1921 to ls45, the whole amount i'm
| ported into England was 3,54l, 1909 quarters, Of