, 1863-03-16

TARIFF LEGISLATION.
In anticipation Of a Democratic majority
in the next Congress, the organs Of that
party-particu1arly those Of the Copper
head species-are firing away al the Nor
rill Tariff, with the intention, evidently, Of
making that point Of attack in the war
that they will wage upon Mr.. Linco1n's
Administration. The Copperhcads are
animated by the hope that, By diminishing
the revenue from imports, they will olnbar-
rass the Treasury and contribute to national
bankruptcy, which they forcscc will end
the war; while the War Democrats, con
1rolled by the old dogmas of the party,
probably really think that the tariff is op-
prcssiye and should be repealed, to the end
that the revenue from imports, under q
wiser and a more generous system, may he
increased.
Both are wrong. The Tariff is not
question that stands by ITSELF The proper
regulation Of the scale Of duties depends
upon certain facts which lie behind the
trade returns and the statistics of manufac-
lures; and these facts relate to the volume
Of paper money and the facility with
which that volume may be increased
or diminished. Hence, until legislators
shall agree to sliding scale Of the duties,
which shall 60 up as the amount OF bank
bank paper increases, and go down as that
amount decreases, tariff legislation is the
merest charlatanry upon which professed
statesmen ever yenturcd. And O single
illustration will prove what we say: Ad-
NIT that, in time Of peace, an iron master
Of Pennsylvania, at work when the bank
issues are two hundred millions Of dollars,
under tariff Of twenty per cent ad rato-
rem, is sure Of moderate profits, what will
be his condition, when, under an Increase
of one hundred millions in the volume OF
paper, wages, rent, cost Of material and
subsistence, are increased thirty-three per
cent? The margin Of profit is cut of:
The duties which served as moderate but
sufficient protection, are useless; and be is
compelled either to put out his fires, or
submit to bankruptcy as the price Of the
attempt to do business at loss.
The facts in the Illustration that
We use, contain the whole history,
not only Of the legislation on the
tariff, but Of its effects upon the dcluded
manufacturer who has attempted to do
7u.es1oec rrnp +1,n ,runroptv that C,&, ,~r,ec
has offered. as soon as an increase Of
duties has been decided on, as means Of
aiding and developing manufacturing en-
terprises that were in their infancy, cry
like this has been invariably raised: Now
"we are going to manufacturing, and
"more bank facilities will be required.
Men want capital; hence We must have
"more paper money. GiYe us banlzs.'
And State Legislatures, controlled mainly
by the monied interests, have always been
weak and foolish enough to listen to this;
and in addition to what they could do in
the way Of expanding the currency by
means Of new banks, the banks organiz-
cd and doing business have never failed to
increase their issues to the full limit al
lowed BY the law under which they were
created; and the result has been that all
tue good that was sought in Protection has
been neutralizcd and defeated by the ex-
cess Of paper money, which, by raising
prices Of all that the manufacturer hires or
buys, has increased the cost Of productionto to
degree that tile foreign competitor, after
paying protective duties, could undersel1
him at his own door. This, VIC say, is the
history and until our statesman will consent
to study it and learn that almost any tariff,
high or low, will work we'll, so that the
volume Of paper money remains stationary,
or is increased only with the increase Of
population and business; and that no tariff
will satisfy any party, If its effects are
destroyed by constant and rapid changes
in the amount Of the circulating medium,
upon which the cost Of production depends
until, we say, they will study and learn
these things, and base their legislation upon
them, VIC have little hope Of any tariff that
will insure, in operation, the results that
its most moderate friends claim for it in
theory.
For the political dabsters who propose
to inaugurate new system, or to 60 back
TO any old one, we have this warning,
which they probably will not heed. They
deal with great facts, new in the history OF
our country; With conditions, all Of which
do not I've on the surface; with events that
change as rapidly as the figures in a
kaleidoscope; with a new form of paper
money, and with largely increased vol
rmes Of that currency to which we are
accustomed; and they will be wiser than
our legislators have been heretofore, if, out
of the mass, they can organize anything
lint, if they desire the country's good, will
be satisfactory, even to themselves. For
A1r. Morrill, and his work we have little
love. He is probably as profoundly igno-
rant OF Political Economy as science, as
he is Of the topography Of the moon; tie
Tariff that bears his name is hodgc-podsc
ofcontradictions; and he and it are worth lit
tie trouble, save US they arc facts that have
undue weight in the body polite. The
stun Of the whole matter is, that all loyal
men will be compelled to unite in adoptine
L scale Of duties that, in their belief will
yield the greatest revenue, without regard
to whom it of1ends, or what interest it
Einclaes. The good of the whole is SUNG
11or to the prosperity Of few, and on TINT
principle VIC must act, and By it Judge Of
measures, without regard to the label that
they bear.
PLANT MORE SORGHUM.
Tie culture Of the Sorghum in this term
we include the Chinese, Imphec and the
Otaheitan cancs) has been so pursued in
lie West and with such results, that we
are justified, upon general principles, in
r. r..