The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-02-11

sion OF each kind Of manufactures
IRON, steel, wool, cotton, &C., and upon mo-
/ or'puons OF such goods 1t lays q twofold an
40 Wy threefold duty woollen cloths 4
neq" sre 70 pay so much ad valorem. 80 muc
.., ward, and so much per pound; the oh
~. ss s,,s" IN, ,iation Of duties being to conces
the ssst this, IL eaggress1e tax levied will prov
absolutely proh,. tory. Fancy the labor which
will cost to ascerta, u the duties per square var,
on woollen goods Il ree-quarters or fve-eighth
wide; the disp.tes wh,c will arise as to the exac
class TO which each cess OF goods belongs; The
difficult problems which III. collectors will have
to solve in distributing |, ron manufactures
for instance, under the Gfsy uiuerent heads
recognized in tho bill. II, uhder our
present tariff, which imposes a unifof n duty Of "a
per cent on all wooen goods, carpets ana IRON,
we are compelled to keep an army Of pc. lucians
in the custom houses, how viii it be when tn col
lection OF the revenue involves thrice rs mich
labor II will be said perhaps that this inconve
nience will be obviated by the Wholesale dcstruc-
ton OF our import trade which the bill will
involve. There is something in this. II il
impossible to study the bill without coming
to the conclusion that it is the deliberate purpose
ofts trainers to destroy our foreign importing trade
II is the opinion Of our leading merchants that the
new duties which it proposed to levy on carpets,
cassimeres broadcloths and many descriptions
Of cotton goods, will prove absolutely prohibitory
Many descriptions of foreign iron and steel manu-
features win in like manner be utterly excluded
from our markets. In order to enrich the Amer-
can Screw Company, Of Providence, R. T., the
Morrill, bill (Which was reported in the Senate by
afnrS pf nJa lola la
duty Of six cents per h., equal to an ad ualoren
duty Of fifty per cent, on foreign wood screws
and thus effectually shuts them out of the market
and creates monopoly for the above company
whose shares are already at an enormous premium
In order to exclude foreign Steel the duty on table
blade steel is increased l36 per cent on common hoe
and fork steel l67 per cent, on round machinery
steel i54 per cent, on best German steel ZIG per
cent, on second quality do. 24l per cent, on blister
steel 2ll per cent. Other examples might be
cited to prove that the design Of the bill is really
to exclude the bulk Of the foreign manufactures
now consumed in this country, aud to create
manufacturing monopolies in Pennsylvania and
New England. 1t needs no argument to show
that measure of this kind cannot prove a re-
venue tariff When duties become prohibitory
they cease to yield revenue. Members of Con-
gress from Pennsy lyania and New England who
solicit votes from New York and the Western
States for the Morrill, tariff on the ground that the
government needs more revenue, are either cheat
ing themselves or trying to cheat their colleagues.
That tariff would yield infinitely less revenue than
the present one lfrevenue had been the object
sought, Morrill, and his friends would have fos
tered, not excluded, foreign importations. Their
real object was the protection Of domestic manufac
lures by the destruction of our foreign commerce
for of course a country which does not import
cannot export and by the financial ruin of the
government. If they should succeed in enactng
their bill, they viii achieve one end which they
scarcely contemplate. From the hour the Morrill,
tariff goes into effect foreign will cease
TO be profitable, and manufacturing industry will
promise large gains. Capital will desert the one to
follow the other Iron, woollen and cotton fac
tories will spring up by magic all over the coun-
try Merchants will become manufacturers, and
the grasping manufacturing corporations of Penn
sylvania and New England, which now seek legis
lative interference to protect them from foreign
competition, will find competitors enough at home.
In the course OF year or two, when the North
is studded with new factories, the common sense
Of the country will be Disguised with the
exploded system Of protection. The shipping ii !.
terest Of The coast and the great producing
interest Of the interior will rebel against
the destruction of our foreign commerce. A party
will be organized the basis OF free trade, and it
will sooner or later, sweep the country. When
that time comes, manufacturing property will be
destroyed at 4 blow, the millions invested in facto-
ries will be wiped out, and the very men and the
very corporations now seeking more protection
fom government will be hopelessly ruined If the
MDrriA bill passes our advice 10 owners of man
uthcturing stock is to sell out, without
moments delay. A prohihtory tariff viii
prove more fatal to them than absolute free
trade. There are manufacturers still living
who can testify &c the truth Of this: the
worst blow ever indicted upon manufacturing
industry in this country was the highly protective
tariff of 1928, which led to nulliHcaton in South
Carolina. There IL one more point which should
be borne in mind by the dominan. party in Con-
sress. We are in tie midst of great national
revolution of which no man can foresee the end.
Whatever shape events may assume, 1t Is clear that
the side which wins the support aud sympathy 81
the maritime Powers Of Europe will enjoy
q marked advantage over its antagonist.
II we of the North ALLEVIATE the sood will of
Great Britain and France, while she
southern StAter CDIClilatt tnOsc HdtouS, VIC may
find ourselves, sooner or later, involved in a con,
test under great Disadvantages. 1t IL the part Of
prudence and sta.esmanship TO consider these
things. Now, the Southern States, as = well
known. contemplate absolute free trade. They
intend TO say to Europe, 1--WE have cotton and
food nothing else. You nave ships and manufac-
lures; send Us your ships laden with your manu-
features and take away our cotton ia exchange
This il proposal which viii sorely tsy the anti
slavery sentiment Of suropc. II the English ard
French can discover chance of repudisting their
hostility to slavery aud embrsciug tbs offer they
will certainly do and il, while the South h oaer
ing this excellent lasgain to Europe, the people
Of the North simultaneously passing a tariff
prohibiting the imp ortation of European goods,
taxing British steel 30 per cent, British brcadcloh
so per cent, and French wines and brasuies loo
per cent TO which sidc.would European y Is ct ~