The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-02-26
Our Foreign Trade and the Tariff:

From the Tribune.
There is much discussion and citation of OPT
mons on the supposed advantages of leaving in
terna tional trade to the natural operation Of the
laws of production and transfer; but whatever
may be the theoretical benefit of unrestrained
trade, its practical working is evidently ruinous
to us as a people. We can conceive of a time so
remote, when men and nations in kind of
millennial community OF labor and commerce,
may be governed by the Christian law of doing
unto others as they would be done by, and it
may do no harm TO advocate the extension of
the rule to the limit of prudence; but so long as
individual avarice and national selashness pre-
vail, 1t will be well to provide tariffs and custom
houses, as well as bolts, bars, and police.
AS for the pacific and civilizing influence Of
international commerce, we have recently had
rich specimen OF it IN British neutrality; and, If
peace is to ibe maintained with other nations,
we submit that an intelligent volunteer system,
coast deenses, and independent manufactures,
are much more efficient and cheaper means than
large importations. The English newspapers,
manufacturers, and their iobbers on this side
have been, and are, industriously trying 10
incte disaffecton among the classes OF our peo-
pie in order 10 stiAe our manufactures and
enrich themselves; and there are simple people
among us who believe that the free trade which
Adam Smith and John Stuart Mill advocated is
really practsed by England. The position Of
Great Britain is peculiar, as she has to buy
breadstutfs and raw products in her attempt to
become the workshop OF the world or sixteen
of the principal articles, however, from which
her revenue is raised, eight of which we expert
the following is the average rate of duty exhi.
bited, both in periods of peace and war;
l88sr41 sS9a 1SaS748 5$ 585S 1879
1t would be difficult to Gull eight articles of
Importation from which, with our present neces.
sites, we raise an average duty of so per cent.
In fact the sc-styled tree trade system OF Eng
land has most convenient laxity, and is closely
,oIt 10
competitors. We lately published table of the
production of manufactures mechanic arts, and
mining Of the United States from the years 1850
to 1860, by which 1t appeared that the increase
III The whole was only 80 per cent. in ten years.
A more forclble illustration of the oppressive
influence of low tariffs could scarcely be found.
The increase of production In mining must have
been more than 200 per cent, while that Of agri-
culture was about 200, thus reducing the decen.
NAL improvement in manufactures and mechanic
arts 10 beggarly 80 per cent. The trading and
importing interests OF this city are organizing
all over the country their Tree trade leagues,
while their agents, furnished with funds, are
keeping open house and plying all the knoW oWn
arts OF the lobby at WasniI ton 10 pull down
the tariff and still further PROSTATE our rising
manufactures.
1t happens that the Committee of Ways and
Means must find the Secretary OF the Treasury
with means to meet the expenses of the Govern
ment. TheIe are three sources from which they
may be draWn-customs, direct Gax, or mixed
export duty, and the tax on imports has met the
ordinary expenses OF the Government Mr..
NcCullOch must have about $50. 900, 600 for the
interest On the National debt, SlOo, 900 900 more
for the current expenses, and, il possible
$50, GOO, ,000 more to wards liquidation. From the
tarit substantially as it stands he may expect tc
raise $1,000 900; from internal revenue, pruneo
OF its unequal and veXatiOus features, 5000 0O0
900; and from miscellaneous sources, $40, 900, 600
If these traders and ioFwarders who are clamor
ing tor low tariff are alone heard. they will
surely saddle the bulk of the taxes upon the pro
duclng portion of the population.
A judicious encouragement of manufactures
while raising the revenue, would have the ad
ditIonal effect Of furnishing home market TO-
our produce, work Tor our fine, skilled labor
would curb luxury, enhance the stability anC
value of property, give us indeoNsdence, anC
constitute us homogeneous people. Such
policy we contend Is ultimate gain, the highes
economy; but If it were not, would not thes
blessings be worth paving something for
viii the opposite policy give us anything
beyond the wretched privilege of consuming
toreen hnery, and enriching those VINO dol
them out to us?