New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-04-16
SHORT ANSWER TO FREE TRADERS
AND FOREIGN PACTOBS.

AND FOREIGN RACTOBS.
The duty rates of the tariff of 1876 were
never supposed nor held to be eIorbitant. Its
schedules Disseminated largely, but did so with
q view to the required productiveness of the Gus
toms. The national debt one year and nine
months after it went into operation (3Oth Sep
TENDER, lsis), stood at sixty-fve and three
quarter millions. On the first Of July, 1857,
when it expired the public debt was twenty
nine millions, with a balance in the Treasury Of
seventeen and three-quarter millions. 1t was
Revenue tariff, contracted with reference to the
national expenditure, and trial proved itself 10
DO fairly adequate TO the current expenses OF the
Government and the gradual extinguishment OF
the national debt PrOtectionifts always called
il a free.trade measure. Mr. Walker, the author
and exposi.or of the tariff of 1Si6, in his report
Of Dec. H., 1913, says: "Tho argument that
ave must encourage our infant manufactures
:" was always iallacious, for they would encour-
I" nge Themselves as soon as the country was
Z" adapted 10 them" Again, ho Gays; 1.-The
protective system is agrarian and war upon
property" and yet again, rising quite into the
regions Of poetry, he tells US that % the doctrine
" Of free trade is the petition Of labor to employ
itself everywhere, in those pursuits beet adapted
"by nature 10 every country. and yielding there.
" for in each the largest products and highest
wages" and concludes with this clinching
celestial analogy: " Let all international ex-
=" changes Of products move as freely in their
"orbits Al the heavenly bodies in their spheres,
" and thei. order and harmony will be as per-
L" feet, ant their results as beneficial"
The fre-traders of the South, who never
cared for tie interests Of the laborer, and the free
traders of the North. who had an abstraction in
political economy to support, and the foreign
traders wac designed our industrial subjusation,
all with Ce accord accepted the Walker tariff
as mere fscal measure of the Government,
relieved Of all tendency TO protection. Now let
US see hoy its rates Of duty compare with those
Of the new tariff which is driving the foreign
factors in this city to desperation, BY its alleged
enormous rates Of protective duties. We submit
figures VIII their authority and calculations
capable q easy verifcatIon. Mr.. Secretary
Cobbs 6IlncIal report for the fiscal year 1s59-G0
shows:
vsus Of e1prts entered for consumption teIcu.
sve Of sp-h for the year 1886 S29S $50 9B
othe.e then duty e.cu.ive pecie) s74O7,
Duty p.yty sac sO2 g64
The Cusen.of 1885,. s64023S63
BY whicht appears that under the tariff of 1916
the dutylying imports averaged in the year
1856, 26 10 per cent.
Now W. have before US an estimate furnished
by the Trasury department, which, taking the
imports o 1859 for the basis of kinds and guam
titles, reliers the Presumptive revenue under the
new tariflaw ut $69l72 42l. The duty.paying
imports 0 1852 were $3.50 ,O47, Ola, which gives
us On arrage under the tariff Of 1861, accord
ing to tb official estimate, of 26.7-l0 per cent
upon the luty-paying merchandise Of q like i'm.
portation-a difference of two-ffths Of one per cent
only agaist the new law.
The estimate which wo here use was made by
the Chic Clerk Of the Commerce and Naviga-
ton Department, employed to furnish it on &c.
count of bis superior capability, for the use of
the Dep@ment. II is doubtless more trustworthy |
than all. other that could be produced, for it |
was made by thoroughly competent and entirely |
unbiased hand. We are free to say, however,
that we u no. depend upon any such calcula- |
tioDs for absolute exactness. We offer them |
only to meet the absurd clamor of high, and |
even prohbitory, rates raised against the Morrill, |
law. Thi Official estimate is surely the nearest |
approach that can now DO made to the pro-
bsble working Of the act, both as regards the |
weight ofthe imIOsts upon the purchaser aud
the resultpromstd to tho revenue. We will |
now trouble our opponents with statement |
and comparative calculation Of the two tariffs
Of 1886 nd 1861 upon the Iron duties, for which
Pennsylvania is made especially responsible. Our
data are erived from the official reports of the
Treasury and are accessible to any one who mny
choose 10 Examine hem. The imports Of Railroad
Iron for the five .ears embracing 1a54-5-6-7-s.
amounted to S20}29 tuns; the Custom. House
valuation to $50, IS, 65l-average, $4l per tun,
which, at 30 per ont, the duty under the tariff
of lsa6, would be ga 80 per tun. The tariff
Of 1881 charges So only. Tho imported Bari