Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1823-11-08
From the Salem Observer.

ne fulnouS pDilCy OF country WHICH
imports, instead OF manufacturing, may
be illustrated by the following narrative /;
which, though eomewhat tahciIu, it -
thought, will render il PLATA on The most
cursory perusal.
A number of mechanics of different
trades, with some farmers and a shop
keeper, once formed settlement to-
,ether. TIE employment which ,hey
received in ii was sufficient TO support
them all comfortably each working al
bis own trade. Thelr annual wages
averaged $500. Their prices Of work,
though al first they were not aware OF il
themselves, were IS per cent higher
Than in other places. One OF them al
length discovered that he could purchase
| hat abroad, for IS, equal with that for
which he paid IN their own barter eight
dollars. He informs the rest OF the set
Tiers, and they all import their hats, be-
cause they choose "to buy thor hats
where they can procure them cheapest.
Tao halter, not being able 10 afford his
hats SO low, gives up his business, and
becomes day laborer, at inconsiderable
wages. Specie to the value Of the hats
purchased goes out of the settlement.
Il is next discovered that they can bay
shoes abroad al 81 SO pair, of the same
quality as those Tor which they pay their
own shoemaker 81. They therefore i'm
port all their shoes. The shoemaker IN
ike manner loses his employment, but
prefers leaving the place to changing bis
business. Shecie TO the UalNe Of the
shoes harcbaSea goes out Of the settle
ment.
Ii is then discovered that they can i'm
port clotn for Sc equal to that which
they buy Of their own weaver al IS.
They therefore import cloth Ioe
wca. er lJses his employment. II has
large family and cannot remove. He
becomes a day lab >rer at low wages
but that business is overdane since lhcy
had one before. The consequence is
that he and his family are reduced to
live on charity. Shecie TO the gafue Of
the cloth purchased goes out ofthe SET
| Element
1t Is next discovered, that the black
smiths work, ploughs and tools of Va
rious kinds, can all be oblalned abroad
25 per cent. cheaper than at home. They
therefore determine to import them !;
bu, as all the specie they could spare
was already sent abroad, they hr upoa
The eXpedlent of a bank, in order 10 sup
ply circulating medium. What spe-
Gle remained is tben collected together,
and bank bills Issued. Paper money
becomes abundant. More specie is
hen sent away for backsmiths' work,
The blacksmith finding himself ont Of
employment, and consequently ruined,
goes before the council. " Gentlemen"
says he, "the settlement goes behind
| hand. The halter is ruined and becomes
day laborer the shoemaker has left
US and carried his property and family
with him. The weaver and his family
are become panpers. | shall soon be
Obliged to leave you, and unless some
measures are adopted, tee mason, the
carpenter, sc. will he ruined in the
same way. The specie has disappear
ed, and nothing but paper is circulating
among US. And how does all this hap
pen 1t seems to me that it happens in
this way. This is new settlement.
There is great demand for labor; wa
ges are consequently higher than in an
old one, where there is less demand for
it, and where subsistence is cheaper.
Wages being higher, what we manu-
faclure in our different trades must be
higher. And in fact we charge 25 per
cent. more than in other places. But as
we alltcharge so, there is no inequality
in il. Before the maxim was introduced
of +" buying where we could buy the
cheapest" we all lived comfortably and
happy. Each of US had fair profit on
his labor, and all had employment. Blu,
the underselllng of foreigners will ruin
our manufacturers, who cannot afford to
sell as cheap as they do. do not ask
you, however, to prohibit their goods,
but if you will lay such a duty on them
that they cannot afford to undersell US,
it will be sufficient and we shall re-
ceive the duty also and our settlement
will thrive again." The council consi-
dered tina. the Blacksmith was speaking