The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1886-11-06
Tariff and Commerce.
Written for the Democratic Advocate

Much of the worlds happiness depends
upon the interchange of the products OF dit
ferent sections of the earth. All parts of the
earth are not equally adapted for the produc-
ton of the same commodity. One section
produces wheat, rye, barley and corn; anoth-
er. cotton, sugar and rice; and still another,
coffee, tea and spices. The metals also are
unequally distributed. Some portions of the
earth are rich in metals, either useful or pre-
cious, while others are poor. And the best
agricultural regions are generally without rich
deposits of minerals, and the reverse.
The design of this distribution of things on
the. earth is obvious. The author of nature
intends by this means to promote intercourse
among the different branches of the human
family By exchanging the products OF their
different habitations and OF their various forms
of industry, different races of men are to be
Joined together in the bonds of common
humanity, and the civilization of mankind is
to be promoted. The exchange OF ideas and
sentiments which always follows upon the es-
adjustment of commercial relations between
separate branches of the human family, is one
of the most powerful means of culture, and
serves to promote the highest interests of
humanity.
The material comfort and. prosperity of
each section of the earth also depend upon
the free exchange of its products for the pro-
ducts of every other section. 1t IS upon this
exchange of commodities that the superior
comforts of civilization are dependent. The
savage eats, and drinks, and wears nothing
but what his own hand can produce within
the narrow habitat to which he is confined,
and hence his comforts are very few, and his
life Is always wretched. The condition of
greatest material prosperity is that the in
babitants of every section OF the earth should
devote themselves to the production OF those
commodities to which their soil and climate
and circumstances are best adapted, ana then
exchange freely with the inhabitants of other
sections This is one of the fundamental laws
of social economy, which can no more be
violated with IMMUNITY than any of the laws
of nature.
But any attempt at the imposition of a
,,-otoct;ue farif is ; violation of this law.
/ The nation that makes the attempt declares
that it will shut itselfup within its own borders,
and that it will refuse to exchange its pro-
ducts, on terms of equality, for those OF other
nations The consequence of this is that for
| eign commerce is crippled and at last annihi-
| lated, that large portion of the people are
led to devote themselves to forms of industry
which for the time at least are Improbable,
that the mass of the people are impoverished
| in order to enrich few, and that the whole
i industrial and commercial life of a people
! comes to rest on an artificial and therefore
insecure basis. For the proof of this propo-
sition the reader is referred again to the vari-
GUS articles which have gone before on this
subject.
But as far as the effect of the tariff upon
foreign commerce is concerned, which is what
we propose to speak of now, the proof of what
we have Just affirmed is patent to the eyes of
all in.the actual affairs of the country. 1t
would be incorrect indeed to say that the
United States is not now carrying on con-
siderable trade with foreign countries. But it
would be still more incorrect to say that this
trade is as large as it should be. Instead of an
export trade amounting to three or four hun.
dred million dollars year, it ought to equal
four times that amount. Andwe believe that
if it had not been for the tariff policy of the
last twenty years that amount would even be
exceeded. 1t was this policy that has exclud-
ed our manufactured goods, and to consider
able extent the produce of our mines and OF our
rich soil, from the markets of the world; and
it was this policy that has driven our mer-
chant vessels and our sailors from the ocean.
At this moment only about one-sixth of the
| foreign commerce of the United States is car
ried in American vessels, manned by Ameri-
can seamen This is the immediate effect of
protection. Under this policy no ships can
be built for service IN the foreign trade; for
in consequence of the enhanced cost OF ma
terial and labor, they could not be built as
cheap here as in foreign countries, and could,
therefore, not compete with foreign built
ships in the carrying trade of the world.
| Hence five-s ixths of the foreign trade of the
| United States is now carried on in English,
| French and German vessels, manned by Eng
lish, French and German sailors. For every
vessel the United States has afioat upon the
ocean at this time, there ought to be ten, and
for every sailor we have abroad there ought
to be twenty.
fit v se not for the tariff, our navy yards
I might now be alive with activity, from Maine
I to Florida; and half million of men might
be employed in building ships, and another
million and half in navigating them upon
4 The sea. Here thousands of men might find
remuneratiye employment. who are now stand
ing idle and vainly expecting help from some
magic operation of the tariff. And the mar
kets of the world would be opento our goods,
and to the produce of our soil, our mines and
our forests. We would freely import from
other countries the things which they can
produce more easily and more pro6tably than
| we can, and we would export those things
which we can produce more advantageously
than others; and all the people would be hap
| pier.
The United States ought not to fear the
competition of the world, and instead of shut
ting its doors to the importation of foreign
goods by means of a protective tariff, it ought
to go forth with its own goods, and meet the
competition of foreign nations in their own
markets. The farmer and the planter would
certainly have nothing to fear from such COM
petition. 1t is just what the farmer wants;
and such is the generous fertility of his soil,
and such his facilities for raising his crops,
that, if he were not hampered by the policy
of protection, he could successfully and pro-
ftably compete with his produce in all the
markets of the world.
And neither wodld the manufacturer have
any thing to fear from such competition.
Why should England and France be able to
supply the markets of South America with
manufactured goods, rather than the United
States? When we consider the immense re-
sources of the United States, and the inven-
tive fertility of Yankee genius, there is no
reason for this at all, other than the tariff
If the price of living and the price of labor
were not arti6cialy increased for the benefit
of the capitalist, the American manufacturp1
would have as fair a chance for supplying fhe
markets of South America, of Afrfcey and Of
Australia with their goods, as tle< sf.Ene-
land and France have. The adoption Of the
policy of free trade, as it would benefit the
farmer and the planter, you'd equally benefit
the manufacturer. would not shut up the