New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-03-19
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
The WOOL DUTY.

LETTER FIRM THE HON. BEsJ. STANTON
7. tie Ls.f.- u n. n. 7. TvSsa>.
sR: Your paper of the lth iIs. vhsa has J''.
resebed me va Washington mas editorial soiee o.
m, course on the Tarf which passed Congress o. -
ls,e tes,iop, which think dos me injustice.
II 30, am sue i, i. ur intent, ,pL, as your "ssahs
ton coirescnd.bce in this as sell some former oon'
ber, has contained very fs.:ering notices o. "'
corrse on ether subjects.
DO not suppose :hs. my opinions or po1Hon on 'Ae
Tariff or any other suffice. are Of much importance
But ifihey worth publishing a. all, they are "o'A
raiir e correctly
II you have sry desire 10 know Whist my PSF
c&eer and proesseo opinions have been, and s7n are
upon the general question Of protection you Will NM
them by reference 70 The Appendix 20 The Congrs"
stonal GLOBE for the second session of the AAAiia
Congress.
At the late session Of Cor gress did not 90 mo
the general subject Of Protection at all but c'nhneu
nyftH exclusively to the effect OF the pending OIL
upon the interest Of my immediate constituents
Ii j. true that denomnated the original bill oil Tue
Committee Of Ways and Means "a anufacturers
bill" And by this meant no. only that It was o.i
for the exclusive benefit OF manufacturers, but OH ~
ben, fit tie manufacturer az the expense OF the ai'u'
tuntt. ..o
always have, ana tISeys -DAiI. support
of duties upon manufactured goods that msy be pc
sary for the protection OF tne manufacuer Apd W
this not for the sake OF the maDuacturer out oecao
il vi bring with il divlinn OF labor 70 an
OF CO umodes h0n6, Instead OF taxing us Sitn use
less AID expensive transportation TO and IRON ioregn
countries.
But this bill prcpcted no direct protection TO m'nu-
acpres by lnorease Of duties upon imported good'
bpt il proposed to aid the manufacturers by abohns
or recu ifg the duties upyn certain imported sgrcul
tursI produces that the manufsc urer nigh be enabled
TO buy them and tbs farmer be compelled 10 sell them
c. eaLer than they otherwise would do. II Is the sane
Thing in prr cpe if Congress had legislated With
view 10 tie reduction Of the wsges Of lab hat the
MANUFACTURED might obtain II cheaper, and thereby re-
cure the cot Of his fabrics.
Now. while admit the Incidental benefit which the
farmer derives from the establishment of manufactures
by creating an increased demand for agricultural pro-
ducte il not follow that must also consent to
REDUCTION of the price of agricultural products tor the
nke Of sustsnir maDu'sc'ures
l. diversity of pursuits is what il sought for, il Is
surely important to diversity the pursuits OF agrcu-
tuIe "a If DsIuiacturte.
II il as important that we should grow our own
wool as that We should manufacture our own WOODEN
eo d. |, ia 80 important that we should preserve the
fertility Of soil by increasing the animal aud dlinn.
Thing the vegetable pooucts Of our farrs as It s that
should improve our waterpower and work our
MINES
The idea that the products of agriculture are unvor
tby of protection il novelty which Is nov introduced
for TIE first time into the tariff laws OF this country;
and It NUT prove fatal to the Protective policy Tue
ONLY ground upon which Protection can rest lie, that
We ought to produce by the labor of our own people
every commodity Il at Is adapted 10 our soil aud
innate and thai can be produced here with az nttle
labor as anywhere ehe. ,.,
no Protection becsu.e their weight and bulk so CO.
baDce the cost of importation tnst they cannot be
brought here and sold IN competition with our own
products.
But when such articles as Wool Hemp, &c, can be
produced abroad cheaper land, by cheaper labor
than we have 30 that they Can be imported snd sold
her. cheaper tan they can be PRODUCED, tnere pre-
csly The came for protecting them that there
for protecting the manufacturer the importation
of goods msnutsci ured by cheap labor.
know il Is claimed that the increase OF man1'ac-
tures will iIc.ease the demand and keep up the price
OF Wool II the price is not reduced do not see how
the NAL ufec,uIer 10 be benefited. But the demand
now far e1ceeos the suppy.
Nearly oue third OF tie quantity Of Wool manutac-
tured in the Uned States in the last FIVE years has
been imported at q duty Of 80 per cent.
i admit tia If our manufacturers had the entire con-
ol OF the market and could entirely exclude the i'm
Dor alton of wCoen goods II would increase the de-
mand 60 immensely that it would 90 very far 10 o)un
tersct tie feet of the repeal Of the duty.
But there is no hope for the exclusion of fine cloths,
the cost of which consists OF skilled hand abor ~hlch
so much expensive IN this country than IN In
glJd.
All that can be hoped for therefore is that the Tam
passed At the late sesion Of Congress vi. increase tue
nai uscture ofcoarse wooden goods which can be an
ny uocuIieIyi Gnu eA'o AHN''"' 'N'
VI ich msy be impOrted.frcm abroad duty free
The woolgrower, therefore, must suffer depresia'
ton in the price of bis wool unless the influence of the
Tariff IS coune acted by the increase of the price of
wool abroad, which he would otherwise have had the
benefit of, but winch he must n)w lose.
But | have far transcribed tie limits had contem'
plated fcr this letter and must close by saying that
shile recoglize the justice Of the manufacturers
clam TO direct and immediate protection, deny that
be hss sny night to porecs protection by reducing the
price of the agricultural products which he consumes
This is q new end startling claim. Aud the reoogni.
lion OF it has sowed the seeds of Jealousy and dscord
among the various interests claiming Protection, that
Ger lot tail TO prove fatal TO the Protective policy
will stand by the Protective policy 80 long a. 1t 10
equally exteIded to all interests fairly entitled to it, and
no longer. Partially is injustice, and will not submit
10 il. foue, &c, b. SfANIOs.
R.lIlfrn tIfnf Ohio Mach 10. 1851.