THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



8T 



demand ihere and none here, are precisely those 

 which we forbid, or "condemn," punishing the one 

 offence with fines, the other with a mark of depre- 

 ciation. It is done, we hear, to keep up the repu- 

 tation of the market for Virginia flour. But the 

 argument proves too much, since all American 

 flour is inspected. But suppose it did, how would 

 it affect us 1 Suppose Kentucky, to keep up a repu- 

 tation for horses, should forbid the export ot mules, 

 wkich are a mixture of the horse with an inferior 

 article. How much would she make by her reputa- 

 lion in the horse market with those who want only 

 males 1 Suppose, in order to keep up her reputation 

 for mules, she should dock and crop all under thirteen 

 hands high. She must either use them herself when 

 she does not want them, or sell them at less than 

 their value, in consequence of the brand of condem- 

 lation. Yet where is the difference in principle 1 

 Why should we seek to raise the standard of good 

 bread for the rest of the world 1 What is it to us 

 if people like "flies in their soup 1" Why shall we 

 insist on selling butter to people who prefer soap 

 grease 1 



Equally absurd and pernicious is the barrel feature 

 of the law. Its intent is to preserve flour; but it 

 forbids the use of the best description of barrel ; and 

 ft will not tolerate any other form of package. The 

 truth is, if flour is intended to be disposed of in any 

 akert time, barrels are useless, for bags will answer 

 •rery purpose. They are cheaper in the propor- 

 tion of 2i to 51, as we have shown. They are 

 more readily adapted to the habits of the consu- 

 mer, (who if European never wants a barrel,) they 

 lake no room, are always in demand, and can be 

 retnrned to the miller — a common practice where 

 ihey are used. Whereas the barrel is either thrown 

 away or sold at one third cost, and is a dead loss to 

 somebody. If the flour is intended for keeping, or 

 for warm latitudes and exposures, a barrel, espe- 

 cially one with a hole in it, is not sufficient. Louis 

 Mapoleon in 1853 "conceived the idea that it would 

 be practicable to compress flour so as to diminish 

 the bulk, and in that way facilitate its transporta- 

 tion, and yet not injure its quality. In July of tkat 

 year, an experiment was made by his command to 

 test his views. Flour, subjected to a hydraulic pres- 

 sure of 300 tons, was reduced in volume more than 

 twenty four per cent. On a close examinational was 

 foand to possess all the qualities it had previous to 

 its violent treatment. It was then put into zinc 

 boxes and sealed up. At the same time, other flour 

 manufactured from the same wheat, but not com- 

 pressed, was sealed up. 



" In October thereafter, several boxes containing 

 hoth kinds of flour, were opened and examined. — 

 The pressed was pronounced to be the best. — 

 Twelve months after this, in October, 1854, another 

 examination took place, and with the same result. 

 The two kinds were then kneaded into loaves and 



baked. The pressed flour made the best bread. In 

 March, '55, more of the zinc boxes were opened, 

 and on examination the loose flour showed moodi- 

 ness, while the pressed was sweet and retained all 

 its qualities. Made into bread, the same differences 

 were observable."— [Albany Journal] 



From this we perceive that the foreign flour trade 

 of the United States is not yet up to the mark. Such 

 precautions as are necessary, such as an enlightened 

 shipper would take but for the law, will warrant 

 an excellence in the flour that will repay them by its 

 higher price. The envelope will then form a part 

 of the value, and not as now, merely a part of the 

 price. 



The provisions of these laws then, in making it 

 penal to modify trade either to suit the habits of the 

 consumer, or to ensure a belter article, not only- 

 defeat their own object but violate sound commer- 

 cial policy. 



In attempting to guarantee the quality of any ar- 

 ticle it is assumed by the government that there m 

 a difference of interest between the seller and the 

 purchaser. "By accident," says Burke, treating 

 a cognate subject, "it may be so undoubtedly at the 

 outset; but then the contract is of the nature of a 

 compromise ; and compromise is founded on cir- 

 cumstances that suppose it the interest of the par- 

 ties to be reconciled in some medium. The prin- 

 ciples of compromise adopted, of consequence the 

 interest ceases to be different." In fact all sales are 

 compromises, and when government steps in, ex- 

 cept to enforce agreements, or punish frauds in them, 

 it injures both parties. So generally is this ae- 

 knowledged among us, so intertwined with our no- 

 tions of individual action, that it is not too much 



assert that, apart from the question of protection 

 to manufactures, every citizen of the United States 

 is an absolute free trader. How in certain commo- 

 dities the anomaly of inspections has grown up 

 among us, it is not necessary now to show, though 

 it may be stated that originally the ascertainment 

 of quality was merely incidental to their main pur- 

 pose. But it is easy to show that it violates all the 

 analogies of trade, and works a positive injury to 

 it. These principles lie at the bottom of commerce ; 

 competition which is axiomatically called the life 

 of trade, warranty, and caveat emptor — (Anglice 

 judge for yourself.) These are of universal ap- 

 plication ; the first absolutely ; the two last alter- 

 natively. Whatever tends to supplant them is hurt- 

 ful, because it destroys the tools, so to speak, with 

 which the merchant works. The influence of in- 

 spections on competition has been illustrated above 

 in the case of flour. It has also been shown, in 

 note, page 83, how the warranty of a responsible 

 merchant is destroyed by the mark of an irrespon- 

 sible Inspector. It is obvious how it operates to 

 destroy the third by substituting the opinion of an 

 Inspector uot necessarily a judge, and sometimes 



