New-York tribune., 1869-03-27

stance or two may be given in further con-
firmati0n of the positions which we have taken.
Tn 1860 we imported 122,t74 tuns gross OF
railroad iron, when the duty was "a per cent,
which, at the import price given in the Gus
toms report, is equivalent to 81 27 per tun.
In 1863, the duty on the gross tun was Sl5 W,
and we imported 270535 tuns, considerably
more than double the quantity taken than
when the duty was good deal less than one
half. Again, in 1850, the duty upon brown
sugar was "a per cent. which was equal to one
cent per pound, and we imported 693,OOOOO0
pounds. In 1868, the duty was four cents per
pound, and the import rose to above 103,0OO,OOO
pounds In 1860 when coffee was free of duty,
our import amounted to 201,OO0,C0O pounds In
1868, the duty at FIVE cents per pound, the i'm
port rose to 25sOOO,OOO pounds Tea, also, was
free of duty in 1850, and we took 305OOOOo
pounds at an invoice value of 28t cents per
pound, while in 1868 we imported above
37,5OO,OOO pounds, at an invoice value OF 2sf
cents per pound, with tariff duty of 20 cents
on the top of that, or duty nearly equal to
the first cost.
In taking the year 1850 for comparison of
dutiable imports with those of 1868, it is to be
observed that the average rate OF duties then
was by much the lowest in operation since the
year, 1917, and the imports of dutiable goods
larger than in any previous year except 1857,
and full fifty-three millions of dollars, or
twenty five per cent greater than the average
of the ten years Immediately preceding The
commercial year 1850 was, in fact, one of those
critical ones, marked by inOrdinate importa-
tions, which have usually preceded our fnan-
cial revulsions. We have therefore given our
opponents immense advantages by selecting it
as representative year for the purposes OF
trying their theory-advantages more than
enough to cOunterbalance any increased con-
sumption by the larger population OF 1868.
That we had larger population in 1865 than
in 1860 is certain; how much larger 1t is not
easy to ascertain, nor safe to guess; but we
may reasonably doubt whether we had even 30
large consuming population. The seven and
q quarter millions of the Rebel States in 1850
had more than double the consuming power
that their population had year ago. and this
falling off may be taken to cover the actual
increase of purchasers in the loyal States, or,
at most, the advantage conceded above the
ordinary rule by taking 1860 for the exponent
of the w-price and lght-tax system, greatly
more than covers any difference of population
at the respective dates which we have en-
ployed.
We have said enough, we think, to show that |
q general high range of prices, whether pro-
duced by increased demand, or increased duties
or taxes, provided these also are general, do
not, aud can not, burden the consumers or |
abate their ability to purchase. Our official
figures show that the present tariff rates, which
are still called restrictive and even prohibtory,
have allowed of an enhancement of our foreign
purchases beyond all parallel, and that our very
high market prices have not diminished, but
consumption and comfort; and all
this because the system has carried with it the
ability of the people to purchase.
The prejudice that so much increase of duties
upon foreign goods must mean not only so
much increase of their market price, but an
equally diminished ability to purchase upon the
part Of the consumer, seems invetcrate, for it
is kept alive in the minds of the unskiled by
the cunning of the unprincpled.