, 1870-05-23

and 50 eagerly engaged in looking after othHr
peoples rights, that they have almost 1ost
eight of their oWn. But they aro now begun
ming to inquire to some purpose what has hap-
pened to themselves during the past ten years,
and the more they investigate this question
the mere indignant viii they become. They
will find that certain individuals, many Of thon
conscientious, no doubt, have taken advantage
lived, and from which we haro scarcely
emerged, to act mp theory that they-
to 80 much better advantage than
We can, that we hAye no right to
inquire what they arc doing with it, or
example, > Juty Of oVef loo pei cent Is levied
upon salt, and if an officer Of the government,
or other pe1Son, ventures to inquire whether
30 high tar is wise, he IL denounced as IN en-
envy to american industry, OF as the paid agent
y now Constituted, is, IN fact, a ta1 upon ex.
ports. Thus, = farmer wishes to buy barrel
Of salt; without the tarif he could get it for
bushel Of wheat; but when the gor-
ernment imposes duty OF 100 per
cent on salt, it takes two bushels
the eall for one bushel Of vheat, md is thsn
required to hand the other bushel oyer to the
government before he can get possession Of
his o#n property. II lie buys Of the home pro-
ducer of salt, the result is the same 80 far rs
the fa1mesis concerned. It still takes two
bushels Of wheat to pay for the same quantity
the extra Eushel, and in the other case the
salt-boler gets it. But that protects shome In
dustry,' saya somebody. How does it protect
home industry to take an extra bushel or wheat
away from tho farner7 + he did not give
it to the sa1t-boiler, he would gire it to the
thoemakeE and get pair Of b1ogana perhaps
the industry Of the salt-boiler il encouraged,
That Of the farmer 1nd the shoemaker is dis
couraged. Under the so-called sprotecaiye
of wheat passed to the credit Of home industry, |
Under the other system We have baue1of salt, |
Two bushels Of wheAt and q pair OF brogans. |
The human intellect is alHays striving to |
9btain more With less; to get larger product |
with smallar effect to secure equal results !
y TSith less industry. The protective System, on |
The I other hand, socks to promote industry at
Lho expense Of the products of industry. The I
theory OF the system is that the less you have |
10 pay for foreign goods the worse you are of. |
Therefore, it you could get ronr foreign goods
absolutely for nothing yon would bo ruined.
The minority OF the committee do not believe
hat thinking, reading, people can long be
deceived by such absufditica. Tho business
u the country at present is in 3 state
If extreme depression, ind there can be
10 doubt that excessive taxation is the
main cause Of that depression. A tariff,
fneA1les 4eFaeu suuEtJ 1Ol one purpose OF an"
'thet, is simply tax. Al taxes ato nssess-
nents upon the Aggregate industry Of tho
country, and it makes no Difference, so FIR az |
be aggregate result is concerned, whether
hey ure imposed in one way or another. All
1ads is barter: an exchange of product for
'roduct, or service for service. And national
'oundancB, 80 far as trade is cor
c1ned, are more imaginary lines. A tariff Of
per cent Is q tax Of forty-nine
'er cent levied upon the industry and the e1-
maintains it. It is fearful tax; ono almost
in the history Of nations; and
be committee can think Of nothing which 80
trlkingly demonstrated the great natural re-
ources and productive powers Of our country,
h behalf Of the minority Of the Committee On
I lanufactures the above expression Of views IL
submitted.
"OREsrEs CLErEIASp,
"JouS II. R1cE.r