Weekly Clarksville chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 185?-1857, 1857-02-06

pub,hed else where We also give the Tobacco
Sales immo diaeiy after they take place-which is
matter Of no little interest TO this and the sur
unding counties. If the citizens will give us a
liberal patronage we will moro than repay them by
attention to their interests.
o. A bill is now before Congress so
modifying the tariff as to reduce the revenue
$4,000 600 This question of political econ.
ony, which has so long divided partiesn this
country, seems to be as little understood as it
was fifty years ago. True. it is a somewhat
intricate question but, nevertheless, it would
have been better understood by the mass OF
the people, had it not been made a political
hobby, and mystifed by sophistry and twaddle.
The continual cry of the democratic party has
been--lower the tariff and reduce the revenue
to the wants Of an economical administration
of the government Well, this reduction his
been tried more than once, and what has been
the uniform result An increased revenue
And for this resu'--so opposite to the inien
tion-there is but one rational solution Every
reduction of the tariff, by operating as pro-
lection TO the foreign, and against the home
manufacturer, lessons the home product with
out decreasing the consumption and the result
is an increased importation, and an increase of
revenue instead of a dminution. Were the
price of labor, here and in Europe. the same,
the reverse of this would be the result of a
reduction Of the tariff, because, having more
of the raw material that enters into articles of
prime necessity, than any other country, they
could be worked up cheaper than elsewhere,
and importation would be diminished, if it did
not cease altogether, except such articles as
cannot be produced in this country. Under
such 4 state Of case, the revenue would reduce
itself without the aid of Congress but the
difference in the price of labor, here and in
Europe, will ever lead TO an increased imporia.
tion, as the tariff is reduced; and continued
repetition of this reduction would necessarily
be followed by the destruction of home manu-
features, and the bankruptcy of the country.
The opposite theory, a tariff which yields
adequate protection 10 home industry-looks
to the failure and permanent prosperity of the
country. without pausing TO consider whether
or not manufactured articles may be Temperate
ly enhanced in value. And this prospective
prosperity rests upon the well known fact,
that the greater the number of consumers, the
more prosperous the producers; and no coun-
try can enjoy higher state of independe nee
than when its manufactures afford a ready
market for its breadstufs-when its division of
labor is so admirably adjusted that supply and
demand equal each ether.
From "32" to 49," there was an annual
deduction of ten per cent on the tariff This,
it was contended,. would lessen the revenue,
and relieve the SDuth of heavy burden /;
but what was the result ! Home manufactures
declined rapidly, under an unequal competi
ton with foreign labor importation in-
rcssed; so did the revenue, until near the
expiration of the tariff compromise, when the
country became so heavily in debt that bank
ruprcy stared Il in the face. The tariff of A2"
relieved US by diminishing the imports, and
increasing the home production.
But suppose the tariff compromise of 80"
had run the other wsy-how would it have
worked Manufactures, at home, would have
sprulg into existence with surprising rapidity
Importation would have fallen off in ths same
ratio, and so would the revenue; the producers
of breads,uiEs would have been lessened by
,he number employed in manufacturing, and
thus every interest of the country would have
hourlshed.
Bot lie; us illusTustrale the connection be-
tween high and low tariffs and the reve ne, by
srpp'sng extreme cases. Suppose the tariff
were absolutely prohibitory-would there be
any revenue from III OF course not; and be-
came we wOaId manuScture enough for our
own consumption, under law which prohibit
ted importation. Suppose we had no tariff
what thcnl Why there could be 40 revenue,
at conrsc; aud us the cheap labor Of Europe
would soon crush oil our manufactures, and
make US purely agricultural people, brea d.
siuls would be worth little or nothing, aud
these we would have 10 barrier for msnufsctu
red articles, 90 any terms the foreign manufac-
tuIcrs chose to tmprse AID to this, the bur-
don OF direct laXatlon 10 support the govern.
ment. and you hsve faithful picture o. the
coud ion In which democracy would reduce
Run'ry Aud thea the next aud last sep