Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-04-28

uNioe kuTiuS countries, llie means OF purs
chasing machines aud skill multiply of
course + one Manufacture after another
then begins TO dawn upon u.s. Until this
state OF things arrives, il is intke general
cheaper 10 buy abroad thaa manufacture
al home. Ii IN certain SECTIONS of our
country, population and capital have al
ready advanced 10 this point, they mil
seek employ ent in the mechanic parts.
Why say, they deserve the fostering care
oil the government when i'm fact they do
| not require II
But, il is contended, that manufactures
| are a most profitable employ meni that
"we have exchanged the most valuable
| productions of nature, in the rudest state
| with the least possible degree OF. labor :;
and received I'm return every species OF
merchandise IN its most finished form, of
which labor constituted 2-3rds, 3-4ths,
and 5ilis of the value. This more par
iicularly applies to cotton, which we
have shipt al an average of about % cts.
| per Id. except ea-isand, and received
back al an advance about five fold thus
enabling foreign nations 10 pay for the
whole crop with one fifth part of il, aud
wanionly throwing away the remain
! ing iour>fiiihs. Strange how much
| genius is led away by this popular argu>
| merit. If a nation Astounding in labor
gives US a handsome proportion of il
| in exchange fer the rudest articles, thai
| cost us very little labor, ought we 10 com.
plain Each OF US, in fact, exchanges
that which The other wanis--we, give her
The raw materials, which she v ANTS
| she gives us The manufacturing Iabor aud
capital, which we want.-fIer manutac-
iurers do not clear 4-5ths Of The cotton.
They have 10 lay out great deal of cx,
/ .ahA
have bought it-and The additional price
which they get for 9th Of The Id. when
wrought up INTO cloth, is only i'm proper.
lion TO this extraordinary expense: il but
repays the wages il has cost them with
the profit on the machinery and all their
| advances.-We find another branch of
thus same argHment In The address of The
Philadelphia Society No ll.-Tbey at
tempt 10 prove that lOO, 900 persons would
produce $4,000, 900 lbs. cotioms, which
| at ID cents, Is S II, 050, OG0-whereas The
same number OF hands, with power looms
| anu other machinery, would annually
cirdr. aiier paying for the raw material,
| 10000, 00Oby The cotton manufacture. This
calculation is said TO be made upon the
basis of an extensive cotton factory near
| Boston, where the machinery has been
brought TO the last degree OF perfection
Il
es, The raw material excepted and the
| article Is assumed TO command in the
market % cents per yard. Grant il how
ever, 10 be all true what feto de Sc ar
| gument this is Why is not the country
FLIED with manufactures II the bust
| ness be so profitable, whence these COM
plants we have heard With what face
1 can the manufacturer beeseech protection
from the government 1t is believed
| indeed Inc Boston manufacturers are ma
king money, and most of them have
modcsiy enough TO be silent.
But, II Is urged, that they will assist
| agriculture; furnishing her with full and
| steady market for her products.-Who
believes the fret? What proportion will
they take Say of cotton, a handsome
portion but where is the great beneti--
| 10 the cotton planter g. Britain will buy
less, because she will sell less cloth and
what great difference is il 10 them, xhe.
| ther the consumer is here or there ? If IN
the one case they pay less freight, IN the
! other they receive lower price from The
competition Being more confined 10 home
| consumers, who have certain monopoly
OF the home market for cotton cloths ?
But put cotton aside, what proportion Of
our surplus flour, tobacco, rice, lumitisr.
would be consumed al home The areai
mass OF our consumers would still be
| abroad and it remains TO be seen how
far the jealous policy of other states
would restrain the consumption and of
| course production of our articles, in re-
ialiation OF The prollibitory duties we lew
upon their's.-lfindeed the home market
'Dere TO he more steady, we pay dear
enough for il, in The bounty which we
| advance towards the protection Of manu-.
| features.
IL is said further, that our present en-.
| Darrassments are 10 be attributed 10 the
! want of this protection that at the close
| of The revolutionary war, our citizens
! rushed into debt for foreign goods and
| so also at the end of the late war; which
high duties would have prevented. But
| what says the year 1915? Our imports
| then amounted to llS millions, tho The
double duties were uOiTepealed Till June
1916. These were 10, Is, 80 per cent
more than the present. What duties are
| sufflcIent Al The end Of the war, gene
| raj spirit OF speculation seized on US
| Every man seemed TO have the world in a
silng-ali classes OveT'dcah, pushed on
by the fatal syren OF paper money which
would have sung US to our ruin. Would
manufacturers alone have escaped The
temptation, 1t they had dared 10 indulge
IT But why confine ourselves 10 tie
dIstTesses of Our manufactures
Mr.. Carey Is himself frank enough TO
! confess that general distress now over.
| spreads the land that Congress by no
tariff could have prevented the diminu
lion OF our commerce, aud the deprecia-
lion OF the prices Of our staples generally.
Cotton" (aDd that alene is named as) can
exception" We admit, the manufacturers
have suffered but it only show us how