St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1857-10-22
Patent Office Report.

fdttnt UuCc NcpVIl.
We have received from Senator
Jones the agricultural portion Of the
U. S. Patent Office Report for 1856.
Great improvement has been made in
the printing Of these reports, but the
binding is still most scandalously exc
cuted The volume before us contains
much valuable information, and some
which is not so valuable. In his in
PRODUCTION, Mr.. Commissioner Mason
improves the opportunity to lecture
the Americans a little upon political
economy. In speaking Of the consti-
tutional authority for encouraging
agriculture, the ghost Of protection
appears to him and is disposed Of as
follows:
"When has one Ga tariff of duties)
ever been adopted which did not in
tentionally cause the people to pay
their money for the very purpose OF
promoting the interest of the manu-
facturer? If the Constitution furnish
no warrant for effecting this object
directly, every law of this kind is a
fraud upon that instrument. As well
may it be violated openly as Indirect
ly."
Ever since South Carolina abandon
ed her protection pet and cast it upon
the cold charities Of the North, South
ern statesmen and politicians have
been greatly exercised in regard to it.
The strict constructionists of the South
have a most solemn regard for the con
stitution when any measure is to be
taken by the Government which will
benefit the North. Hence, in arrang-
ing a tariff for revenue they have no
complaint to make if the discrimina-
ton is against the products of this
country, but should the tariff be so
adjusted as to incidentally, (or acct
dentally, as Mr.. Polk would have it,
favor the industry of our own artisans
while at the same time it furnishes the
necessary revenue, terrible hugh
and-cry is at once raised by our South
ern lovers of free trade.
Ithas ever been found that with these
strict constructionists the constitution
is of no account unless it favors their
purpose. Numerous instances may
be cited to prove this fact, but our
Patent Office commissioner furnishes
us one ready at hand, and we need
therefore look no further. He says:
1t was thought just and expedi-
cnt to afford to the planters of Louisia-
ma, and those of some of the adjoining
States, the means of replenishing the
stock of cane from which sugar had
heretofore been solely obtained. Tht
crop in those States has, for some
years past, been found to be constant
ly and rapidly dwindling away. Thi
has been supposed to be ATTRIBUTABLE
to the fact that the cane, having bee
carried further north than its nativ'
and congenial climate, had in process
of time become in consequence affee
ted and deteriorated. The most OF
vious remedy appeared to be the il
PRODUCTION of some of the harder v:
rieties of cane from more souther
climate. Accordingly, the bark RI
lease, with sufficient crew, havin
been placed at the disposal Of the o
fee for this purpose, the amount Q
$4,000 was set apart for the objeC
above named, and competent agen
was dispatched to South America witt
suitable instructions on the subject.
We should like to have pointed ou
the clause in the constitution which
authorizes the Government to 60 out
buying sugar cane for Louisiana
planters.
We had supposed that Mr.. Charles
Mason, Commissioner of Patents, was
appointed as a servant of the people,
and not as their teacher and dictator.
But he seems to have mistaken his
calling; and instead Of doing the bid
ding of Congress, he sets himself up
as tutor over them. Is this spirit
of southern dictation to be forever
tolerated?