Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-04-08


the South upon the prices o! wheat And, in
making this enquiry, beg leave 10 assure the
Convention that shall not engage in the con-
troyerSy between Free Trade and Protection,
but rest my argument upon grounds conceded
by the friends Of both systerEs.
The revenue system! Of toe United States has
been charged six times since the war Of 1912.
The tar.If Of 1916 was continuation Of gsr
duties. That of 1924 was the first tariff oro-
fessedly and effectually protective. and in which
the principle of minimum valuations was in.
troduced. That Of 1928 was still more pro.
teclire. That Of 1899 abolished minirnums and
specific duties, imposed al vaorcm duties cX.
clusivcly, reduced the rate ofduty, and returned
to the revenue standard That Of 1912 restored
of duty and was highly protective That OF
1916 abolished minmums and specific duties,
restored ad valorem duties, reduced the rate Of
duty and again approached the revenue stan
dard, and that Of 1857 still further reduced
the tariff of 1916 Thus the tariff cf 1928
and 1912, embracing period Of nine years
constituted IL protective era; those Of 1882 and
1916, embracing 4 period of nineteen years,
gave us m era OF comparative free trade. The
table of prices in the American Almanac, cx-
tending bnck to 1921, give US the prices du-
ring eight years Of comparatively moderate
protection under the tariffs of 1916 aud S2+
and under the tariff of 1857 the prices du-
ring three years Of near approach to a
revenue tariff. The result is that during the
period of moderate protection, the average
price Of supertine -four in New York was
$6.l9t per bbl., during the period Of excessive
protection it was S5.SSI per bbl.; during the
nineteen years Of comparative free trade it vas
S9934 per bbl., and during three years
under the tariff Of 1867 it was s. OS per bbl.
The period Of the last tariff seems to constitute
an exception to the general law established by
results under the other tariffs; but it must
be remembered that throughout tho entire
period Of its operation We have had severe
commercial distress, and therefore the excep-
ton is apparent onlY and not real.
In view OF these facts it is astonishing that
gentlemen on this floor, in maintaining that
our material interests were connected with the
North and had no connection with the South,
have selected wheat az illustrating and proving
their proposition. If We went further into this
matter We should find that very considerable
portion Of our crop is exported in the shape Of
flour to foreign ports directly that most Of the
remaining export goes through New York
either abroad or to the Southern States that,
avery small portion Of it is consumed at the
North, and that even such portion, by releasing
All equal amount Of Northern flour for expor-
tation does, in effect find its ultimate conSump-
ton abroad or at the South. For, Mr. Chair
man, no one will dispute the proposition that
should New York be unable to export her own
crop she would not take any portion CT ours,
and therefore it must be admitted that if size,
with the proceeds Of what she exports, purcha.
scs Il part Of our crop, orr real customers are
abroad and not in New York.
shall now pass to our next agricultural
staple, requesting the Convention to bear in
mind what has been said about tue changes Of
our revenue system.
| ToBAcco.-The table shows that about seven
tenths OF the entire crop Of lS+9 was exported
and that the prices Of leaf tobacco have respon-
dcd so accurately to the changes Of tho tariif,
as to render it possible to compare the prices
under each tariff. The strikiag facts appear,
that under the tariff Of 1916 leaf tobacco aver
aged s7l 81 per hogshead; under the higher
tariff Of 1924 it fell IS cents per hogshcud; and
averaged S7l %; under the still higher tariff OF
1928 it fell 1852. and averaged only SG2 ST |;
under the lower tariff Of 1892 it rose $lg.4d.
and averaged $50 03; under the higher tariff
Of 1912 it fell $30.0y, md averaged $5l.
and under the lower tariff Of 1916 il rose SiT.4G
per hog>head, and averaged S69.4O Ii these
changes Of tariff and pricp stand not to each
other in the relation Of cause and effect, they
present an accidental coincidence perfectly
| marvellous.
If asked where the competition wns should
say that it was at the North, and that
the homo market was at the South. ln
lst9 the North produced in ronad NUM-
bers rbout seven millions OF pounds,
and the Cotton States about half million Of
pounds Of tobacco. At pres ut, as am in
formed by gentlemen in the tobacco trade, and
it has probably always been so, the 1nahufac-
tured tobacco consumed at the North grows
in the valley Of the Connecticut, in the south
crn portions Of the Northwest, and in Missouri.
| That consumed Mt the South is manu-
facturcd in the border slave States. The
qualities Of the two articles are entirely differ
ent, each being adapted 10 the taste Of its own
section, and finding little or no demand in the
other section. The fine tobacco manufactured
south Of james River mn told, is exclusively
consumed at the South, being merely shipped
10 New York; if shipped 81 all, es point Of
distribution. The foreign demand for manu-
lactured tobacco is BY no means sinconsderable,
and the best qualities of i. sci! for 4 guinea .
pound in London, for smoking tobacco. 1t is
estimated by gentlemen conversant with the
trade, that Virginia exports ninc millions Of
dollars worth OF manufactured tobacco per ar.
NUN, Of which the Southern States consume
about six millions and the remainder is eX-
ported TO Europe. Richmond, alone, exported in
1858, manufactured tobacco worth SIS, 22S, ,+05
1t is the leading export Of tho State, and
any injury to this branch Of our trade would
be felt by the entire Commonwealth.
| fear much that separation from the
South and union with the North, will put the
axe to the roots ofthis great interest, not only
hy bringing US under q revenues system which
will cut us OFF from our customers, but by
building up destructive competition in quar-
ter where we little expect i. The proposed
tariff Of the Confederate Stat- admits leaf TO-
bacco free, and imposes duty If ten per cent
on the manufactured article. Already agents
from those States have been purchasing leaf
tobacco in this city and senl :; it South to be
manufactured, in order to escape the duty. II
this state Of things continue it vii! transfer TO
the South the manufacture Of all the tobacco
consumed in the Southern market and strip
us of our leading industrial interest
LIVE S7ocK. The third anllast agricultural
staple is live stock, !as product chief.
ly o! Western Virginia. Unfortunately
have been unable to procure statis.
tics of this branch Of industry. But |
believe that the competitions is at the North,
and the market at the South in this. as in all
! the other productions Of the State. | find from
the last finance report Of the Secretary Of the
Treasury, that there was an export Of live
stock from tic lake ports during the past
years and comparatively none from the
: South. Thus, out of $500 hogs export
cd o., ,434 were sent from Detroit aionc,
and out Of 32,5l3 horned cattle export
ed 20,495 were shipped from the same port.
is have never heard that hogs or horned
cattle were driven from the South to the North
, in any considerable nu;nber, certainly not in
numbers sufficient to constitute considerable
portion Of Northern consumption, l conclude
that the North not only supulies its own