Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1857-05-20
THE EFFECT OF Tile TARIFF UPON GOODS And
PRODUCTS,

The advocates of the Tariff contend that the
duty is not paid by the consumer, and some of
them even 90 so far as to say that high duties
make low prices.
We have only to say to this, that the manufac-
turers of the North who have fully tested this
thing, now and always have been very anxious to
have every raw material that they use admitted
free of duty. They give as reason for it, that
the duty so increases the price that they cannot
sell their goods at as low prices as those who pay
no duty upon them.
Do YOU want to know the effect it produces on
your Cotton? Suppose an English manufacturer
was to come to this country with a thousand dol.
lars in gold to purchase your cotton, and the gov.
ernment should make him pay 80 per cent. duty
uptp it. You perceive, he would pay the gov
ernment $500, and would have only $500 left;
now, he would have to get just as much Of your
cotton for the 500 as he would have taken for
the $1,000. But gold and silver pay no duty, for
two reasons; in the first place, it would make
the unjust and iniquitious operation of the tariff
too palpable and clear to the people, and they
would not stand it day. In the second place,
the government is sure to get the 30 per cent.
The gold and silver may come i'll free to pay for
your cotton, but your rulers know very we'll
that they arc Of no use to you but to buy some.
thing with, and by putting the duty on every
thing that comes in, they are sure to get 1t tor
the government or for the Northern manutactu.
rer.
There is another thing that may be learned
from this. Gold and silver pay no duty-cotton
goods and silks pay 25 per cent? woolen goods,
manufactures Of iron and steel, sugar and me-
lasas, pay 30 por oent.; wines pay TO and brandy
100 percent These things are all brought hess
tu pay for your cutton. do you suppose il those
who manufactured them paid the duty, that they
would bring them here? The merchant from
the United States pays in England precisely the
same price for his goods that the Frenchmall,
Russian, or any body else no deduction is made
TO the merchant Of the United States on account
of the tariff. Suppose the % per cent. duty came
out of the manufacturer, does any body think he
would bring them here? Let lis see how it will
work out:
The manufacturer wants cotton-he starts OF
with hundred thousand dollars worth OF cotton
goods to the United Sates-he sells them in
New York for money, and pays $4,000 i'll duties
to the government, leaving him only $73,OOO 10
pay for cotton. Mark you, now, he could have
sold those same goods at home to the French
man, Or to one of our own merchants for Sl0O,.
900 in gold, and with the gold lie could have
come here and bought cotton, saving SZo,ouo
the operation. Don't you see he would have
done better evc. if he had sold his goods ut ID
per cent less for even then he would have
eighty.five thousand dollars to buy cotton with,
making saving Of ten thousand dollars. How
comes it then, that he sends the goods instead
of the money? This is the reason: If he were
to send the gold he would loose the freight and
insurance upon it, and would get for it only what
it is worth ut home. Sending the goods, he gets
Us much as he would have got at home, and gets
freight and insurance besides. The consumers
here pay the dutics.-ColumJ"s Corner Stone.