Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1857-03-04


part of wisdom to press this demand nowf is
it not better to test your theory by actual exper-
iment, and then come forward and ask TOR It's
adoption?
submit to every man in this House whether
the demand for free wool is not too radical for
the temper of the times-whether so great
change, if carried out ut once, is not likely to
to have the effect of alarming and shocking the
confidence OF the country? When you take tho
articles of hemp, of wool, of sugar, OF molasses.
of sirup of sugar, andsof lead, and reduce them
at once from thirty to ter per cent, Mt time.
when all these interests are not expecting such
radical change in the policy of the Govern
ment, you cannot reasonably hope that the
measure you may adopt will be satisfactory 10
those important interests. might ask with
propriety why it is that the iron interest OF this
land is to be exempt from the common re-
duction that tails Oh all others2 Do these in
terested in the manufacture of iron demand or
desire To be exempted from their fair share of
the burdens imposed by Government for its sup
port Is there anything in that particular in
terests which throws around it the vail OF sanc-
tity, and preserves it from the effects of q re-
ducton of duties, that falls npon WOOL lead, SUI
gar, and other great interests in our country p
Is there any reason why particular class OF
manufactures located within two or three States
shall have the benefit of Government exernp-
ton, and shall be relieved from burdens which
you remove from their shoulders, and place on
the shoulders OF others, many of whom are per-
haps less able to bear them? And yet yoD are
doing this if you adopt the bill which has been
reported by the majority of the Committee of
Ways and Means. From what know Of tho
men engaged in the iron manufacture. / say,
without hesitation, that they are too just and
patriotic to make such demand.
Is there iron enough produced here for the
various purposes of the railroads in the United
States? This is progressive age, and the rail-
road spirit has taken possession of the land, and
demands for the execution of its plans far more
iron than can be promptly supplied. This de-
mand is increasing annually, and will continue
to increase for years to come. 10 yon produce
iron enough to supply all the purposes for which
the people of this country require itl The table
of the importations of iron to which haze re-
ferred, proves that the quantity produced falls
$22, 100000 short of the demand and now
desire to know from my colleague on the Com
mittee of Ways and Means, why it is that he has
not, in his bill, applied to iron the same scale of
reduction that he has applied to Southern SUI
gar!
Mr.. WASHBURNE, of Illinois. And let him
also explain why, when iron is put down IN the
bill of the majority of the committee ut thirty
per centum, lead is put down at ten per centnm.
Mr. LETCIIER. was just coming to that.
Mr.. CAMPBELL, of Pennsylvania. | will
not answer the gentleman from Virginia at this
time; do not wish to consume his time but
pledge myself to do SO satisfactorily when | OBJ
tain the floor
Mr.. LETCHER. hope the gentleman will.
| had no doubt 'the iron would pierce his soul"
if there was any attempt to remove, or even re-
duce, the duty on that Pennsylvania staple
[Laughter.]
Mr.. CAMPBELL, of Pennsylvania. lam glad
to know the gentleman from Va, though he has
wrapped his head with wool for his argument,
has found that there is even an article at tire
South which requires protection.
Mr.. LETCHER. My bill imposes duty of
eight per cent on wool; his imposes duty Of
ten per cent. Now, ifmy head is wrapped with
wool, there is Just two per cent. difference be-
tween the quantity on mine and on his, and to
that extent lie has the advantage OF me-
Laughter.
If this bill of the majority is intended to COW
er the whole ground, if it is designed as meas
ure for all the great interests OF the nation. If
the object is to do equal and exact justice to all,
no matter where located, no matter what their
pursuits in life may be, why is this blow aimed
at the sugar interest, the lead interest the cop.
per interest, and the hemp interest! Why is
this fierce war waged on these particular branch
es of industry, located in the West, the North
west, and tue Southwest? Why is it that iro II
is alone exempted? Does it not require some
explanation Have not the members of this
House who are interested in the production of
lead, hemp, and sugar, right to know why this
has been done? Has not every interest in this
land the right to know why it is that they are
to be made to bear Government burdens, and
to be deprived of Government benefits, and the
manufacturers of wool and iron and the lovers
of brandy and wine to be favored at their eX-
pense9
Ny friends on the other side, now and then
talk quite handsomely about "home market"
The best answer can make to their arguments
on this point is to give Mr. Giles's idea of
home market, because it presents the subject
much more forcibly and clearly than can pos
sibly do by any language ofmy own: He says:
"The power assumed by the Government. nm
der cover of the term home Market according
to the writer's understanding Of it, consists in
restraining the owner from selling to whom he
DleuSeS, uIu lTOIH vi WllOiu plSilScc,
and thus substitutes governmental for individu-
al discretion in the use of private property; and
thus home MARKET in its governmental sense,
private property to buy of those Only, and to sell
to those only, as well as to buy, or to sell the
things only, the Government shall choose"
And again. he says:
"It is wonderful to contemplate the extent of
Al 90, - - ;nlf
is wonderful to see how great n portion Of
mankind is content, and even delighted, with
nick names, when the things described by them
would he repeled with disgust and Indignation
The nickname home market affords the most
instructive illustration of the correctness of this
observation. Whilst the term 'home market
fascinates the ear of many unthinking American
citizens, the term continental SYSTEM means
precisely the same thing-both are grounded
upon the same despotic principle, and both pro-
duce TIE same practical results. The British
term restrictive SYSTEM although, unfortunate
ly. more familiar to the American ear, and
therefore less alarming, is nevertheless founded
upon the same despotc principles, produces the
same injurious effects, and in substance means
the same thing. In what did the odious French
continental system consist? In precisely the
same thing that the beloced American home
market consists. In refusing to individuals the
right to sell to whom they please, and to buy
from whom they pleaSe-in restraining the
French people from selling to foreigners and
buving from foreigners"
That is the definition of ''home market" as
given by Mr.. Giles; and, in my Judgment, it is
definition which is highly expressive and strict.
ly accurate.
We shall never have "home market" in this
country until things reach that state of perfec-
ton TO which they are said to have attained in
the State of Massachusetts many years ago. An
old woman had two remarkably promising bows
who were very much given to trading. She
said she verify believed they were so sharp and
cute at trade that she could lock them pp in
q room without cent Of canital. and they wonld