The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-01-05
Free Trade.

Az i,lustra,ion OF the theory Of the pro-
tectionisss msy be found in the operations
81 the Post Office Department and the laws
concerning the same. The NUMBER Oh ic'-
ters carried between New YORK ana rh''''-
delphia is so large that II the Government
would allow il TO be done, private persons
would gladly undertake the work OF con-
yeving them either way for one cent per
letter. But the Government VIII not anoW
Letters TO be carried for less than three cents
each. Why noty Because the Govern
mcnt wishes 10 use the profits which II
makes in transporting letters between those
cities in paying for the transportation OF
letters between points between which
~ few letters pass that the Govern
mcnt loses money 10y carrying thcm al
three cents each. The Government thus
no, only performs the work OF maii-car-
ricr bat absolutely forbids the free citizens
Of the United States from performing that
sort OF work; because free trade in the
conveying of letters would soon leave 10
the national Government the carrying OF
none passing between places sending ana
receiving so many Of those epistles as 10
make the business OF conveying them pro-
ftable. II everybody were allowed TO
carry letters, UNCLE SAM would OF course
be permitted TO carry letters between places
q, thousand or more miles distant from each
other. but not to carry any between Boston
and New York, or Philadelphia and New
York. or Baltimore and New York, or Bos-
ton and Philadelphia, or Baltimore and
Philadelphia. But in order 10 enable 1t to
furnish mail facilities to the entire country
the Government "protects p" itself by pass
ing such laws on the subject as secure to II
perfect monopoly Of the business OF let
teI>caTrying.
Now, LET us suppose that the Govern
mcnt, instead OF letting out the carrying OF
the mails TO ten thousand contractors,
should let out the whole business TO sim
Gle contractor. Then all the laws Of the
Post-Ofice Department prohibiting other
persons from carrying mail matter would
be laws protecting a single person in mo-
of the large cities in order TO pay con-
tractor for delivering letters to the dwell
ers in the deserts Of Colorado. is there
any difference in substance or principle
between such laws and the laws which in
lcvying a tariff make the people OF the
whole country Pay higher prices for
tobacco in order that the American
manufacturers of tobacco may not he
nut down by foreign competition? The
Government receives rorevenue under the
tariff on tobacco, but it thereby protects
the Virginia manufacturer in his business.
and derives revenue from him. or course,
the consumer has to pay higher price for
his tobacco than he would have to pay If
Canada were allowed 10 buy our leaf to-
hacco free Of tax, manufacture it free OF
lax, and return il TO lis manufactured free
OF tax, as might be done, seeing that the
Federal Constitution provides that "no
tax or duty shall be laid on articles export
ed from any State" The Government
thus protects the Virginia manufacturer
and preserves its revenues by leyying
tariff which yields no revenue. So as to
the mails. In carrying them all, and for
bidding persons to do so, il provides for
itself a source OF revenue which enables it
TO carry letters three thousand miles for
three cents each.
A paternal Government is not altogether
bad.