The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-07-09
Oar Native Chinese-The Party Of Pro
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OuE NhINu NhAnCSo-hhC VI "
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From tie Times.
The violent effort of the Tribune to identify
the Union party with high protective party
will not succeed; but its endeavors, as well as
the words OF Mr.. Stevens in a recent debate, in
which free trade and Rebellion were apparently
regarded as gro wths of the same soil, give
color TO some of the worst accusations oil our
European enemies, that our struggle was IN the
interest of protection rather than of nationality
OF liberty. The great Union party included
within its wings persons OF all probable shades
of opiuion on the tariff question. Free traders,
revenue tariff men, protectionlsts, and exclu-
sionists. A convention of the party never ven-
tuIed TO enunciate any principles on the ques'
ton OF low or high protection; and for the
Tribune now to raise the cry OF "ialse llghts
and treason TO party" because large ana
influential body OF UniOnists are opposed 10 a
tariff ("nee trade tariff according 10 MIR.
Stevens), raising duties from one hundred to
two hundred per cent, is simply the old partisan
trick familiar to the readers OF that journal, OF
ubsututng abuse for argument
We regret that any party or personal feelings
are allowed to enter into a discussion OF a pure
question OF finance and economy. The position
OF the American people is simply tbis:-They
are recovering from the vastly destructive
effects of terrible though necessary war;
They are suffering under loss and scarcity Of
labor and redundancy of currency. All eX-
and the problem Is to turn the capital and labor
of the country to that which will waste the least
and bring in the highest return, in order to meet
our financial difficulties and bring down prices
As all agree, the most profitable and natural
branch of this country is agriculture. Thus far
the effort of the bigoted protectlonists, since
and during the war, has been to divert capital
and labor from this to less profitable pursuits.
Manufactures, already sufficiently protected
have been bolstered with bounties, until in
some branches their profits have ranged from
80 to 800 per cent.
AS a consequence, every farmer has paid
great additional price for the manufactures pur
chased by him, tor his clothing bedding, impe.
ments, machines household furniture, and
building materials; but worse than this, in
many cases the capital though diverted by large
bounties to these branches, has not been per.
manently profitable investment for the nation,
so that though the individuals are richer by the
taxes paid in their favor by consumers, the
whole people are poorer. Prices remain high
for the farmer because manufacturers receive
excessive duties to aid them IN that which Is not
profitable. With our vast agricultural wealth
we ought to be exporting grain and brea istuhs
and dairy products to many countries OF Europe.
We cannot do it, and the great reason is the
expense of freight from the central " est to the
seaboard. This expense is immensely height
ened by the tariff. MIR. Raymond gives striking
instance OF the truth of this in his remarks on
the duty on iron, in the House session of the Sd
ultimo:-
"The New York Central and Erie Railroads, he
says empl, yed together five tunes capital tnan
all the rolling. mills IN the UmTed States, dibursing
ten times as much money TO work them and sup
porting ten times as many people. Those two roads
renewed usually one-tth of their track every year,
requiring, each OF them 10000 tons of railroad iron.
At the present rate of duty the duty ON that was
$772 000 at the increased rate proposed it would be
1915 000-that is TO say, those two roads would pay
about two millions OF dollars by wav OF protection.
They had paid last one million each as internal
tax. There must be an end 10 that-they could not
stand such pressure These were only two railroad
companies. All the railroad companies OF the United
States had paid last year little less than millions
for internal tax, and now 1t was proposed to put
upon them five or six millions more IN the shape OF
protection"
Who does not see that this increase of
600 in expenses for the railroads OF the
United States must come out of the freight, and
that for every cent added to the cost OF IRON the
farmer must pay IN diminished price on his pro-
duct?
The increased expense of iron and steel is so
great, and the high protection has male all
material and machinery so costly, and has IN
creased the waste and careessness so much IN
our machine manufacture (as is the we'll
known result of bounties), that II is notorious
that foreigners from South America, tor in
stance, no longer order their machines here as
they did, going to England, where they are
cheaper; and it is equally well known that the
vast commerce in IRON screws between America
and Europe and other countries, has been taken
rom our hands, because we cannot make screw
teamers as cheaply as the English. And tins
manly from the bad influence OF over PrOtec-
ton, Tor the rate ei wages in machine factories
is not SO vastly different in the TWO countries.
Some of our manufacturers, perhaps large
proportion, can now stand on their own legs
without Government help or bounty. Tnose
which have been ''protectedp SO many years, and
TOR whose protection every man, woman and
child in the United States has been paying a
heavy tax, and which are now as weak as ever,
had better be lett to go down. and the money
and hands employed in them be turned to more
Iemuneratve branches. To add now duty OF
one bundled or two hundred per cent. 10 keep
up these sicky branches OF manufacture Is the
height oil folly.
The position OF reasonable men on this subject
who seek the financial good of all sections is
precisely that of the able Commissioners on In
ternal Revenue is confirmed by the long eXpe
rience of foreign countries in the matter o
taxation; that is, 10 arrange the tariff Will
reference solely TO gaining the greatest revenue
and to lay the great proportion OF the duties OF
few articles of luxury. The tribune deride
this, but the experience of Great Britain in thu
immense results from taxing spirits, tobacco
and q few other articles Is fair proof OF 1t
wisdom.
1t happens, fortunately, that most Of our i'm
ports are articles OF luxury; they ought to yiel
a large portion Of the public revenue. Then
without improper interference from Govern
ment, the capital and labor of the country vii
turn to what paws best, and the whole peopl
feel the good effect in higher profits and 10 We
prices.
To the Death.
From the Tribune.
The ditficultv which dead persOns of color