Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-03-23
The Standard.
HE L A r | F F.
SPEECH OF HON. ALFRED NJ. SCALES,
OF NORTH-CAROLINA,


In the House Of Representatives., Feb. 10, 1859.
The House being in the Committee of the Whole
on the state of the Union
Mr.. SCALES said:
Mr.. CHAIRMAN: The recent revulson in the COM
mercial world, attended as it has been with dimnu-
ton of our trade, the depression of business, and
the falling off in the revenues, added to the lncreas
ed expenditures Of great and rapidy-expanding
country have become so many preteXts lot again
raising the old clamor for high protective tariffs and
specific duties The friends of this system have de-
picted in the most gloomy and dismal colors the
present condition of the country. They point us to
the exhaused state of the Treasury; the insufficient
CIV of the revenues to meet the demands of the gov
eminent; the increase Of the public debt; the
bankruptcy of merchants; the suspension OF the
manufacturers; the sad and destitute condition OF
thousands of operatives, without means, without
work, and without bread; in fine, to the death-like
torpor which has settled upon every class OF bust
ness; and with an air of triumph procaim-these
are the fruits of ad ralorem duties and tariff for
revenue.
Nor do they stop here; but, hurried on by blind
zeal in behalf of the manufacturer they boldly avow
that the protection of this interest is and should be
the paramount object with the government, and that
in this protection, afforded by high duties will also
be found remedy for all the other evils which have
government the powers delegated to it under the
constitution, and its duty alike to all the different
and diversified interests of the country, they scru-
pie not to declare that it is the high duty OF Con-
gress to build up and sustain the manufacturers, and
to this end to impose burdens grevous to be borne
upon all other occupations and pursuits. will not
now, sir, undertake an investigation Of the variety
of causes which combined have given rise to the
recent revulsion and all its attendant consequences.
bofto fad far tho taSE have Drpcpdpd
me in this work The President III his annual
message and the Secretary of the Treasury, in his
annual reports, both for 1857 and 1858, have ably
reviewed this whole subject from which it will be
seen that whatever other causes may be assigned, 1t
certainly cannot be found either in the tariff OF 1916
or that Of 1857 The secretary has gone more into
detail in this matter, and it is sufficient tor my
purpose to show that there is no connection between
the present tariff and the revulson, will content
myself by giving a few extracts from the report on
this particular head which demonstrate beyond
controversy the truth of my position. Iquote from
his last report, on page 6:
1.-THE revulsion was not confined to the United
States, even to this continent 1t swept over the
world and felt with equal perhaps greater, Sc
verify in other countries than our own. These re-
suits have been too universal to have been brought
about by reduction of about twenty per cent upon
the rates of duty IN the United States being re-
duction of about five per cent. upon our importa-
TONS" = The foreign pro-
Queer and manufacturer have not been benefited by
the reduction. At all events they have not been
preserved from the general calamity which has
upon the producers and manufacturers of similar
articles in our own country.
The importatons for the fiscal year ending June
80, 1853, the first and only year of the present
iff amount to 1922 613 $50 being s7S ga 99l less
than the imporatons of the last year of the tariff
of 1886"
But again, sir, he shows the operations Of the
iron interest during the same period and by refer
ence to his table, it will be that the importa
tions of iron and STEEL of all kinds for the year
ending 30th June, 1851 amounted to S25, 954, Ill.
In the year ending goth June, 1853 it amounted to
$14, 32S, O39 being reduction of s., 626072 This
reduction is accounted for in part by the reduced
price of the last year. But then there is shown by
the same table a large reduction in the amount of
imported iron and all manufactures of iron.
Again. sir, after appending list of leading arti-
cles in which there had been decline of price, the
Secretary says:
1T occurred indiferently in articles imported in
the most trivial quantities and in the most largely
imported in articles the duty on which was I'M
changed and in those on which it was diminished"
Now, sir the friends of protection allege that the
low duties of the tariff of 1887 increase our impor-
tations bring the foreign in competition with the
domestic article diminish its value, and thus mill
tate against the interest of our home manufacturers
This is their argument. If, then as shown conclu-
svey from these facts and figures it be true that
our importatons have greatly fallen off, if this is
80, even in the importation of iron; if there has
been decline in price of articles, indiferently,
whether imported in large or small quantities; and
lastly, if this financial distress has swept over all
nations; surely all will admit that the tariff is in
no way responsible and that the cause of the revul
sion must be sought somewhere else.
But, Sir, it has been asserted here, and the gen.
tleman from Pennsylvania the other day. made vain
attempt to prove it that the high protective system
has gone hand in hand with the increase expansion
and general wealth of the country and that its his
tory is the history of her highest prosperity Vain
indeed, must the attempt prove to make this asser
ton good. 1t is in direct antagonsm with all rea
soning on the subject, as well as with the truth Of
history. 1t conflicts with the plain principles Of
political economy, as well the practice of nations
Let us refer to this history. 1t is no small or in
significant part of the history of the country Be
ing within itself question of the highest moment
1t has given rise to high debate to fierce and bitter
political contest; and we shall, no doubt learr
some useful lessons to the operation of the differ
ent schemes which, from time to time, have beer
adopted for raising revenue, their effects upon trade
and business, and the manner of their approval o.
reputation by the American people
Inc hrst tariff bill was passed in 1885, It vii
be remembered that we had just passed through tn
glorious yet long and bloody war of our indepen
dence; that heavy debt had accumulated upon ou
hands that our resources had been crippled ou
credit exhausted; and our manufacturers Just il
their fancy. Here then, were circumstances. if eve
they can occur, which called loudly for protection
as the boosted panacea Of all financial ills, and tn
only hope OF the manufacturers. Yet sir, by tina
act the wise men of that day, animated by an eoua
and sincere regard for every portion of the country
refused to build up one interest at the expense 6
another; and hence, laid tariff solely for the pu,
pose OF raising revenue They saw that the pros
Perity OIL the country depended upon increasing GU
trade and building up our commerce and to this en-
they endeavored so far as was practicable, to cut
all restraints and checks upon it. and well did tn
result prove the wisdom of their policy The higl
ess ra1e OF ao eat0rem duty imposed by this tart
was only fifteen per cent, and that only on one al
icie. With this exception, the average rate ad %
ierem did not exceed ten per centum.
ny areference to the debates on this tariff act,