Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-07-06

| revenue to ''protectiOn.p y Mr.. Morrill, has
been, ever since he entered public life the
conspicuous advocate of high protective
measures and his name, affixed to the tar
III Of 1851, has carried the reputation of
that measure far and wide. Again, in 1854,
the "Morrill TARIFF received second
! manipulation at the hands7of its author,
aided by the Hon. Thaddens Stevens, and
| our entire revenue policy ever since has
been virtually dictated by those two men,
representing the extreme prOtectiohists Of
New England and PemsylVania. The re-
| suit has been steady and successive in.
/ crease OF dutleso on nearly allimported arti-
/ cles. .,...',.,'.fFu nj G.bsi1sIfimHh
All this while the representatives of the
agricultural regions of the country, whose
Interests lie plainly In theidirecti0nsof mod
crate duties, have, with few exceptions,
kept on voting with fMessrs. Morrill, and
Stevens to impose fresh burdens upon
trade. We are at peace, and commerce
Should once more be leftto resume, in some
degree, its natural channels, and there is no
excuse for piling on prOhibitofy tariff,
higher by, nearly Twenty-Five per cent
than any hitherto imposed In this country,
as is attempted to be done by the bill now
under consideration in Congress. = t'L.u
Take the single article Ofjwoolen goods,
sumption Of which is so universal AMONG
our people. By the tariff of 1851, the duty
on the ordinary manufactures of wool was
twelve cents per pound, and twenty-five
per cent. ad valorem, in addition The re-
vised war tariff of 1854 raised the duty to
twenty-four cents per pOnnd, and forty per
cent, ad yalorem. But, not satisfied with
this enormous increase of nearly one hundred
per cent, Mr.. MOrrills new tariff of 1866
fixes the duty, on wOolen cloths at fifty
cents per pound, and thirty-five per cent.
,ad valpremi on top of thatI AT this rate it
will not take long to bring prices to such a
poi1t that no man, not in the enjoyment of
aniincome taxed ten per cent. can afford 10
indulge in the luxury of a decent coat.
No tact Is more notorious than that the
wOolen manufacture of the world is carried
on where skilled labor is the cheapest, and
capital the most ABUNDANT. American fac
tories, with labor at two dollars day, can
hardly compete with Great Britain in the
manufacture of wool, when labor in the
latter country is worth but shilling day.
We are then reduced to this alternative:
Either TO Import our wooden cloths, at
saving of over one hundred per cent, un-
der anoderate revenue tariff, or 10 pile on
prohibitory tariff, ''tOencOurage American
Industry" and pay two prices for all the
|hwoolen goods we consume. Mr.. Morrill,
chooses the latter alternative for us, con-
sp1ing our depleted pockets, meanwhile,
with The promise that we shall reap great
revenue from the high duty, thus diminish
ing internal taxation and that we shall
foster domestic manufactures TO such de-
gree as will by-and-by make cloth cheaper
than ever. ..--.s.a .-uflsIoTI Jt. N.-
Experience has abundantly proved both
these promises to be delusive. The Treas
ury does not reap additional revenue, for
liberal importatiOns are checked, and the
price is raised to each consumer on the few
goods that are imported, while the manu-
facturer takes advantage OF this to enhance
the price OF his entire product to that OF the
imported article. This interference with
the natural course OF trade thus deprives
the Government of its revenue, and the
people OF their hard earnings, to pour them
9bOth into the pockets of few manufactur-
ing corporations, already rich.d This is the
legitimate result of attempting to make
water run up hill, or, in other words, to
make broadcloth with labor at 50 per day,
instead of buying it where it is made at
shilling day, and putting the difference,
not into our own pockets, but into those of
american manufacturers" ls4 i3A. ~ '..
Meanwhile, the unnatural and forced
scarcity of Woolen goods has another per
niciOus effect. The monstrous cost of a
good cloth stimulates the manufacture Of a
poor and spurious article, just as the scare
ity and Valueiof a genuine currency multi
plies counterfeitssa 1ui gvoiha- u'--o.ll"
We presume, from the alacrity with
which the imppsitions (for such they are in
more than one sepse) of Mr.. MorrilPs bill
have been lcOneurred in by the more infiu-
ential members of the House, that we can
hope nothing byoway of relief from the
present Congress. The particular interests
that are to be protected, manipulated the
committee OF Ways and Means, and the
Ways and Means are now engaged in man
ipulating Congress. 1t is not to be expect
ed that Congress will ever learn anything
Of thetrue Interests of the people, SO long
as they hearkens only to- interested advo-
Gates. The mass oof men, who can only
pay and fighttpoh have no eager spokesman
orinterested lobby to represent their inter
ests.WWe shall be denounced for putting
in even a mild protest against the dominant
insanity of trying to reduce prices and en-
hance the revenue by putting a.yeto upon
importatiohs, when the directeffect OF such
measures is to double prices and diminish
the revenue. sad slLAH
IL