Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1859-03-23
Ihe# Sta4oato.
THE TARIFF.

=, THE TARIFF.
SPEECH OF HON. ALFRED j.. scALEs,
or AROllxA, y,
ln.tAs House Of Representatives Eel. 10. 1853.
The House being in the Committee Of the Whole
On the state of the Union
Mr. SCALES said:
Mr.. CHAxnAN: The recent revulsion in the COM
mercial world attended as it has been with dlmmn,
ton Of our trade, the depression OF business. ana
the falling off in the revenues added to the ncreas
ed expenditures of great and rapidly-cxPand'ns
country, have become SO many Pretexts lot .sa's
raising the old clamor tor high protective tariffs ana
specific duties The friends Of thissystem have de-
picted in tho most gloomy and dismal colors the
present condition of the country. They point Us TO
the exhsused 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
the sad and destitute condition OF
of operatives without means, without
work, and without bread in fine, to the deathlike
torpor which has settled upon every class of busi
ness; and with an air of triumph proclaim-thesc
are the fruits of adj cGl0rem duties and tariff tor
revenue.
Nor do they stop here; but, hurried on by blind
zeal in behalf of the manufacturer they boldly avow
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
hefallen us Forgetful of the great objects of the
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 tho high duty of Con-
gress to build up and sustain the manufacturers and
to this end to impose burdens grevous to be borne
IL othop md I VviI
now, sir, undertake an investigation of the variety
Of causes, which combined have given rise to the
recent revulson and all its attendant consequences
Others better qualified for the task have preceded
me in this work. The President in his annual
message, and the Secretary of the Treasury, in his
annual reports, both for 1857 and 1853, have ably
reviewed this whole subject, from which it will bc
seen that whatever other causes may be assigned it
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 for my
purpose to show that there is connection between
the present tariff and the revulsion, will content
myself by giving few extracts from the report on
this particular head, which demonstrate beyond
controversy the truth Of my position. quote from
his last report on page6:
1.-THE rcvulsiOn was not confined to the United
States even to this continent 1t swept over the
world and was felt with equal perhaps greater,
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 Imports
tons" 1.-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 come
upon the producers and manufacturers of similar
articles in our own country.
The importations for the fiscal year ending June
80 1858, the first and only year of the present tar
if amount to $282, G13 15O being SIS, 274 991 less
than the mpo.tatons of the last year of the tariff
of 1886"
But again, sir, he shows the operations of the
iron interest during the period; and by refer
cnce to his table, it will be seen that the importa-
tons of iron and steel of all kinds for the year
ending 3Oth june, 1857. amounted to $25, 954 IL.
In the year ending 30th June, 1858, it amounted to
ga, 1928 $685. being reduction Of 81 626 O72. This
reduction is accounted for in part by the reduced
price of the last year. But then there is shown by
the same table large reduction in the amount Of
imported iron and all manufactures of iron
Again. Sir after appendins list of leading arti-
cles in which there had been decline of price, the
Secretary says:
ut occurred indifferently in articles imported in
the most trivial quantities and in the most largely
imported; in articles, the duty on which was un
changed and in those on which it was diminished
Now, sir, the friends Of protection allcge that thu
low duties of the tariff Of 1887 increase impor
tations bring the foreign in competition with tn,
domestic article, diminish its value and thus mill
tate against the interest Of our home manufacturers
This is their augment IT, then, IS shown conclu
sveiy from these facts and figures it be true tina
our importations have greatly fallen off; If this
50, even in the importation Of iron; if there ha
been decline in price of articles, intlifferently
whether imported in large or small quantities; an,
lastly, If this financial distress has swept over al
nations surely all will admit that the tariff is il
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 vai
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 antagonism with all res
soning on the subject, as well as with the truth
history. 1t conflicts with the plain principles {
political economy, as well as the practice of nations
Let US refer to this history. It is no small or ir
significant part Of the history Of the country B,
ing within itself a question of the highest moment
it has given rise to high debate, to fierce and bite
political contest; and We shall, no doubt, lear
some useful lessons to the operation of the dife
ent schemes which, from time to time, have bee
adopted for raising revenue, their effects upon trad
and business, and the manner Of their approval {
reputation by the amt rcan people.
The first tariff bill VAS passed in 1885, 1t wi
be remembered that We had just passed through IL
glorious yet long and bloody war of our indepe,
dence; that heavy debt had accumulated upon OF
hands that our resources had been crippled; OF
credit exhausted; and our manufacturers Just
their fancy. Here, then were circumstances, if ev
they can occur, which called loudly for protectic
Is the boosted panacea Of all financial ills and Il
only hope Of the manufacturers. Yet Sit, BY tn
act the wise men Of that day, animated by an equ
and sincere regard for every portion of the countr
refused to build up one interest at the expense
another; and hence, laid tariff solely for the pu
pose Of raising revenue. They saw that the pro
perity Of the country depended upon increasing o.
trade and building up our commerce. and to this e,
they endeasored so far IS was practicable, to cut
AL restraints and checks upon it. and well did t
result prove the wisdom of their policy. The hig
est a.s ate, 81 49, Cd saloren duty imposed BY this tai
ticle. With this exception, the average rste adj ,