DUTIES ON SILK AND PROTECTIVE LAWS. 157 



SECTION XLVI. 

 DUTIES ON SILK AND PROTECTIVE LAWS. 



IT has been, at times, the policy of the American 

 government, to impose duties on certain raw materials 

 for their production at home, as well as for the purposes 

 of revenue. Such has been the case with bar and un- 

 wrought iron, arid wool, indigo, tobacco, cotton and 

 sugar ; this last, being an article whose culture is local, 

 its consumption as an article of food, and one of the 

 most wholesome sweets in nature, has become very 

 great, and it is now considered as one of the necessaries 

 of life. Yet, in the view of that equal encouragement 

 which is justly due to the poor, who purchase all for 

 their consumption, and to the manufacturer, it will be 

 deemed expedient that the duties on the raw material 

 should be rather light. 



Even on wrought silks, whose manufacture we all 

 should be desirous to encourage, the duties imposed, 

 whether for this, or for the purposes of revenue, should 

 be but moderate. Prohibitory laws will be but of little 

 avail. Competition, though restrained, yet inasmuch as 

 it gives new life and energy, its vivifying influence must 

 not be extinguished. As in the case of all other manu- 

 factures which are now so eminently prosperous, we 

 fear not the conflict ; resolved to conquer, in the struggle 

 with competitors, we shall acquire new powers, and 

 wonderfully improve our strength, till we come off vic- 

 torious. 



In England and in France, where the silk manufac- 

 tures now flourish beyond those of any other country, 

 they have, by experience, found that a very moderate 

 duty on the imports, is in fact the only true policy. This 

 duty on manufactured silks in France at the present 

 day is but from fifteen to seventeen per cent. But in 



