The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-07-03
The Tariff Before Congress.

The Tariff Before Congress.
From the Tribune.
The Evening Post-after chuckling over the
illadvsed prediction of Mr. Wilson, Of Iowa, that
a sternly protective tariff may cause "the pen
dulum TO swing to the other extreme" and
sweep away all protection whatever-adds:-
"This is verv true; and he might have added that
such protective or prohlDtory ian as Is now pro
lshed, another way for 1t induces great numbers
of capitalists to rush into manufacturing IN the hope
of securing the extraordinary profits; and then, by
Overmanuacturing when the tariff is modified as 1t
will be- rum is brought upon all alike, the old and
the new"
Will not our Western friends heed this state.
ment? Do they not desire to "induce great
numbers of capitalists to rush into manufac-
turing?, Men of Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Wis
Consin Minnesota, Kansas Men of tue South
also lis not this exactly what you all desire, or
should desire? And what becomes of the "eX
traordinary profits" of iron-making, or cloth
making, or warecasting, when great numbers
of capitalists rush into' those pursuits? Who
so wiltully blind as not TO see that this rush
reduces the profits of those pursuits, while diff.
fUsing manufactures all over the country? Then
what sense, what justice, in talking OF Protection
as specially advantageous to New England and
nnsylvania! Are irOp, COAL and water
power confined TO those States? Will Minnesota
and California persist in sending their Wool to
be manufactured in Massachusetts, and Rhode
Island, when the requisite machinery shall have
been planted on their own soil? Do try to re.
RarQ Jnls matter with something OF lne DreauJn
OF view, the nobeness of soul, that distinguished
your own Harry Clay
The Post says that when the Tariff is modi-
fed, as it should be, ruin is brought upon all
alike the old and the new" But why should it
be? If ''great numbers of capitalists rush into
manufacturing" aud thus set furnaces roaring
and spindles whrling all over the country,
bringing markets for wool, charcoal, vegeta-
bles, fruits, etc, to every farmers door, and
thus increasing the productiveness and the
value OF lands while reducing by competition
the profits OF manufacturing and the prices OF
wares and fabrics, why should the tariff be
overthrown? What Anerlcan interest will be
benefited by such overthrow? And will not the
vast agricultural as well as manufacturing ina
terests thus sensibly promoted by protection
interpose some objection to their own ruin ?"
II you think they won't try them!
Late in 1874, when Henry Clay and protection
had Just been beaten by the Kane-etteT swindle.
and the Cry of "Polk, Dallas, and the Tariff of
42, Mr.. James Buchanan, who assisted in
The operation, wrote letter to Pittsburg,
claiming that the defeat of Clay had saved the
protected interests from ruin; because, il he had
been elected, and protection thereby established
as the policy o. the country, so many would
have rushed into manufacturing that they would
have ruired themselves and all their predeces-
Sors. eve give the idea, not the exact words.)
so, you see, it is not necessary that protection
should be broken down TO insure excessive COM
petition, resulting in low prices tor fabrics; the
same end Is obtained by firmly holding on to
protection. And it is just as true as that water
will find its level, that, under protective tariff
the profits of manufacturing will average the
same as those of other pursulis-neither less nor
more; and rare talent, or good management, or
good fortune will occasionally secure large
profit.
We have known good farmer to buy ten
acre field for $3.50 per acre, manure it highly,
cultivate it thoroughly, and pay for land, labor,
seed, fertilizers, and all, out OF his first crop-in
other words, make a clear profit of one hundred
per cent. and yet we all know that our farmers,
as class, don't make six per cent. net profit on
their investments. Yet how easy TO parade some
rare instance of great profit from farm, and
Clamor against the inordinate cost OF food, the
enormous profits of farmiag And if the mass
OF the people were envious fools, perhaps some.
thing might be made out Off
What we seek by protection-What we wish
and hope TO secure-is diversifcation Of pur-
suits, resulting in increased production, COM
fort, and wealth. No naton hardly any COM
munity does or ever did employ all its labor;
but multiplication of pursuits leads directly
and surely to increased production. There is
Minneapolis, for instance, on the Falls of st.
Anthony, where labor has for several years been
scarce and in eager demand yet the two
wooIen factories recently established there
have given employment to scores of women,
boys, and girls who were previously idle or
adding very little to the aggregate product of
the place. There is not lot in that young city
there is not wooded or arabic acre within
increased in value if the spinning and weaving
machinery Of Lowell or Lawrence were trans
terred to or duplicated upon that magnificent
water power. And what is true of that is mea-
surably true of a thousand other localities
throughout the West and South. The Republic
tremblingly awaits the action of Congress and
the President on the new Declaration of Ameri-
can Independence Just presented to the House
by Mr.. Morrill,. Heaven send her a good de-
liverance!