The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-11-04
Hard Times-Tne Tariff Discus
SiOH,

The Washington Union has recently been
publishing series Of articles on the tariff.
In one of which it says that it is little re-.
markable that certain class OF public Jour.
mails confne their complaints about "hard
times and the depression which prevails in
the general industry of the country exclu.
slVely to certain great branches of m snufac.
lures. A very large majority Of the Ameri-
can people are employee. in agricultural pur.
suits. This class constitute the chief con.
sumers, and, of coarse, pay large propor-
tion OF all the revenues collected by the fed
eral treasury. We have habit in this dem.
ocratIc country of awarding special interest
and sympathy to prominent business men,
particularly those who invest their capital in
lazge corporations, of whatever kind. The
principle which controls US in this respect is
correctly stated by saying that money is
more commanding and powerful than men.
Ithas been prominent feature of American
politics, originating with Mr.. Alexander
Hamilton, that money should he recoc nized
not only as entitled to special protection.
bHt also as positive element in the govern.
ment. He advocated the establishment of
the Bsrk of the United States, and called it
in his first great report on finances and rev.
enue "political machine" intended 10 win
over to the new republic the allegiance of
the money classes, and, through them, the
great merchautile interests which it was
thought was to be dependent upon them
Mr. Hamilton n OF only ovowed these doc
trines, but recommended the enactment of
protective laws with the express intention
fading, by such legislation, the monufac-
turing industry of the country. He was
candid enough to say that protection to one
class was tex upon another; that while
manufactures were receiving benefits in that
way, the great primary labor of agriculture
would have to foot the bills. Mr.. Hamilton
was told that it was a dangerous principle
to introduce into the government-that ofE
charging indirectly ono set of men to put
money into the hands Of another. He an
swered that the agriculturists-the farmers
constituted, and would always constitute,
large majority of the American people,
and that they would have it in their power,
at any time, to repeal such laws, and there.
by produce equality Of burdens under the
government. He acknowledged that direct
bounties 10 manufacturers, would, on manv
accounts, oe preferable to protective laws
because they would be more economical and
less onerous upon the producing and con.
suming classes.
We bring these historical incidents before
the country not for the purpose of discuss.
ing the question of protection, but to show
that the great agricultural interests-the
great producing and consuming population
OF the United States-are never mentioned
or thought OF in periods of depression like
the present. Cities are far more talked
about and consulted in reference to political
affairs than the people of the country, who
are i've to one in point of numbers. We
hear much of Paris, and but little of France,
London and Vienna constitute, in the minds
of the world, the great governments of Eng
land and Austria. Our business reports are
all from Manchester, Leeds, and Liverpool
from Lyons, Marseilles and Bordeaux; from
Lowell, Lynn, Providence and Pittsburgh
from New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Bal.
timoFe, Charleston. Mobile, and New Or
leans. If these great centres of manufac.
lures and commerce flourish, all is we'll. If
hey meet disasters through the vicissitudes
nf trade ; if their shipping is unemployed,
md their capital brings them meagre divi- {
lends, Congress is besieged for special leg. {
Islation in their behalf. We do not discuss I
he main question, whether the present sys. t
em of ravenue is adequate to the wants of O
he treasury; we intend only TO point out o
he remarkable fact that those who demand Z
pecial aid wholly ignore the very existence r
4 the agricultural classes.
Granting that present laws on the subject b
are defective, and that additional |,
'xes should be imposed, ,4Ne submit in all II
andor 70 the American people whether it is /,
rise or just that subsequent legisstion there. Il
a should be directed SO as to secure special Il
Dne6ts TO the minority at the cost OF the &