Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-01-12

material for the use ofagriculturists also copper
ore, ielt adhesive, junk old oakum plaster Of
Pails unground, platina unmanufaciured sheath
ing copper and sheathing metal, and in the return
duty allowed on the expectation of refine sugars
winch gives the raw material used by sugar
rehners free of duty, TO the extent the manufac-
tured article is exported. The principle is re-
cognised that taxes should only be levied for the
purpose ofrevenue, and | think it clear inasmuch
as the duty is not needed that the principle would
no, be violated by authorizing the admission of
the raw material used in our manufactures as
proposed, free OF duty 1t is suggested, in con-
iravention OF the Legislation of other manufacture
ing countries, and as an indirect reduction of taxes
on The consumer of the home manufactured
article, and may well be considered n step in ad-
vance towards free trade.
The tables extracted from the census OF 1910,
and that OF 1850, exhibiting the amount of our
manufactures Tor those years, and the table of the
import OF foreign manufactured goods for the
same years, and the table of the export of the
anufactures of The United States offer ample
evidence mat We are already great manGiactur-
ing as Well as commercial and agricultural people,
enjoying profitable home marker for many of our
productions, and a fair competition in foreign
markets for some of them.
The census of 1910 was taken soon after the
commercial revulson Of 1897 which involved
the fortunes of our merchants, our manufacturers
and agrculturists and indeed all classes TO such
an extent, that the tables, combined with the re.
turns Oh ourlmports, do not give either the agr-
cultural manufacturing, commercial business
OF .nat year the favorable aspect they justly
ehiiieo 10 put the census returns Of 1850, taken
during period of increasing prosperity for all
branches OF our industry exhibit fairly our pro-
gress ana the condition Of all pursuits at that
ume, ana prove our continued increase in popula-
uon, IN agricultural, manufacturing, and CONNER
ciai expansion.
An examination of The agricultural and manu-
iaclured articles taken and returned under the
census OF Io4o and 1900 will satisfy any one that
there are many articles of domestic production
and manufacture not taken and returned, and
winch greatly increased the capacity of the pro
ducers TO consume, and enlarge their fund of ex-
manageable articles. II will be seen that there is
no account of the labor employed in improving
ana clearing lands, in building canals and rail-
roads, houses, manufactures, steamships, and
other vessels nor OF The labor in transportation,
on the ocean, the rivers, lakes canals railroads,
&C.; nor OF the labor employed in our coal mines
all OF which may be estimated at half the xaIue OF
that engaged IN our agricultural and manufactnr-
ing productions
In examining our tables of exports and imports,
we md that IN most years of our imports exceed
our exports; and that fact affords TO some the
argument that our foreign trade is ruinous to the
country The commerce of nations is based on
the exchange OF the commodities of one for those
OF another, whether the exchange is made by
barter or upon sales for moneys and purchases
Tor money The exchange may not be between
tue same TWO nations, but the general result of
/
ports exchanged for the imports, and the differ
ence the fair profit anG loss on the whole. Ii may
be, and often Is, That in time of war, or years of
short crops, one nation will import more than she
exports-that is purchases more than she SELLS
Tor one or more years. and that the profits of one
year so TO pay the losses of previous or previous
years but no country can afford TO pursue an i'm
poverlshlng trade for long series OF years That
the United States have not, is manifest, because,
Notwithstanding this excess of our imports over
hu,,.
population, IN productions of agriculture, manu-
lactures, and III all other pursuits; and added
largely year after year. TO the fixed capital of the
country. II We consider our imports as taken in
exchange Tor our exports, The State producing the
export is entitled 10 credit for the import
the export may have been made by citizens of.
other States, or by foreigners, who paid money
Tor the article exported. Neither the census OF
1910, nor that of 1850 nor any other data known
10 the department. furnish evidence OF The ex-
change OF the productions of each State with the
other States, nor of the amount of foreign goods
consumed by the people of each State II will be
seen that The agricultural and manufacturing pro-
auctions OF all the States and Territories accord
Ing 10 the census of 1870 amounted 10 81 COG 133,
Jss, aud that the importation of foreign goods did
not exceed onetwentieth OF the amount whilst
the agricultural and manufacturing productions,
according TO the census of 1850 amounted 10 So
olEo2o,o59, and the imporiations of goods not
exported TO only Sl4S05l ,575; and if we estimate
1
10 have added fifty per cent. to our agricultural
ana manufacturing productions, we have S3,0lS.-
TSOSOo OF such productions. 81 $50, 393, SOS being
hrucies OF manufacture, whilst our importation OF
foreign goods. after deducting the expectations
for the fiscal year ending 30th June, 1855 only
amounted 10 1898 020 227. This large amount OF
our agricultural and manufactured productions Is
consumed IN the several States and Territories,
except what we export, and for which take IN
exchange an equivalent of foreign productions
ana manufactures. also consumed In country
These are all considered annual productions
annually consumed, but are not all strictly So
there remaining always stock on hand for the
consumption OF the coming year, which is more
or less, according 10 the home and foreign de-
mand; also, some machinery and other articles
that last more than year.
II the free list shall be adopted, establishing
Tree trade IN the raw material, manufacturers
using TINS raw material, and thus placed in equal
comptiiion with The manufacturers of other coun-
tres, viii gradually and more and more possess
themselves OF the home market exclude the
foreign article, and reduce the revenue. Let il
De CONSIDERED that we manufacture all furni-
ture, all our carriages wagons, m-engincs,
machinery TOR our factories and machne-shops.
most OF our leather and shoes, boots hats, door
butts, and bolts of all descriptions, bells. balances,
buckles, brads, woodsaws, horse cards, casters,
curiain.pins, curtain bands metal cocks Jack
screws, curry combs coahods candesticks gas
| hlungs, end burners coffee mills cauldrons, heavy
edgeioois bay and manure forks, gmets. hat and
coat wardrobe-hooks, harrows of all kinds hoes,
hoilow,ware planes, ploughs, sad.irons, taors
irons, door.knobs, furniture knobs, brass kettles
locks OF all kinds iron lsches lines lanterns lamps.
leveis. lead, cut nails clout nails, pins, pumps.
punches, pokers, sand-paper, rulers iron and
copper rlvets, ropes, rakes, oil-stones wrought
| IRON spikes, woodsaws, door-springs window.
springs, sieeyards scales of all descriptions steel
and brass scales, trowes of all descriptions,
spoons OF all descriptions, thermometers, tacks,
wees OF all descriptions, axes, wrenches of all
descriptions iron, brass, and copper wire, with
long list OF other articles, 10 the exclusion Of the
IKE articles from other countries and then take
the SIX articles proposed 10 be embraced in the
new or additional schedule with a duty OF IS or
80 per cent. and observe the amount Of revenue
heretofore derived from these articles. and that
expected under the proposed revision of duties,
and examine The American manufacture and pro-
duclon OF these articles, according 10 the census
OF 1910 and that Of 1850, compared with the inn
ports OF those years but more particularly take
The first article Of iron named in the list, and see
that the American production and manufacture
for that year was sG0,dS5 655 and the foseign inn
port OF iron and manufactures of iron for the
same year was SIC 333 las, and consider this fact