The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1827-01-03
For the Massachusetts, Spy.

From The considerations already presented,
it aust be sufficiently obvious, that it is the
true policy ooi a nation 20 encourage such
branches Of industry, if it encourage any. as
are the most productive. Ii a portion Of the
communtty- produce less than they consume
thai portion necessarily obstructs and retards
the ecu uulatlJl OF wealth. Il, Tor instance.
the business OF the woollcn manufacturers is
not sotici ntly prof able TO support them with
out levymg contributions on others, il is be-
cause thy consume more th1n they produce.
IL 40, this proof that their services are actu.
ally worth lesa.to the nation than whai thew
coraGme? How then Can it be supposed that
Any advantages will result from that policy
waich requires some OF us to contribute por
tiol o: our earnings in order that an unproita.
bic en'erpllze may be sustained ?-or how can
any kind o. business, which does DOT support
its Ii, be considered profitable to the nation
which gives it support?
rhose who advocate the system Of protect.
ing or prohibtory duties, for the ENCOURAGE
meet oil domestic maauiactures, enieavor to
satisfy us that the taxes, thus levied upon us.
are more Than compensated by the increased
price which manufacturing establishments are
the means OF procuring for our agricultural
products. We are told that the farmer will
turer; because, il will furnish home market
for the products Of bis IaroI, and enable him
to get higher price than he otherwise could.
Let US examine this reasoning little. in
order to see II there re not more speciousness
in ii than soIidity or truth.
In the first place, it must be obvious that
Che demand for agricultural products cannot
be increased in community by change of
employment merely. A market for those ar
ticles is neither created nor enlarged by man.
ulacturing establishments carried on by our
citizens. The number of producers will be
thereby diminished, but the demand will re-
main the same. Those who do not cultivate
the soil will buy its fruits of those who do
and 1t the farmer can realize more for his la
Dor by exchanging them for domestic fabrics
than he would II he exchanged them for for.
eign fabrics, he would probably be benefited
by the proposed system.
But, how stands the fact in this respect
II IS incontrovertihle that such articles. az
cannot be manufactured at a profit without
protecting duties, must bear a higher nrice
than those which are imported. On the 9th
or hand, il is by no means clear that. ia conse
quence OF the protection extended to domes.
tic manufactures, the farmer can sell his nro-
ducts at corresponding increased price,
That such would be the effect however. ha a
often been insisted on by the advoc 4tes of the
system; but still it remains TO be proved II
is not easy to see why it should be so. Surely
the manufacturer is not aided, unless he is
enabled to sell dear and buy cheap. If the
prices OF those articles, which he is obliged to
buy, are raised in the same proportion as those
he sells, the measures intended for his benefit
entirely fail in their object. 1t therefore ire
sstibly follows, either that the other classes of
the community are taxed for the support Of
manufacturers, or that manufacturers are not
supported
1t can hardly be denied that the demand
for our agricultural products has rather declin-
ed than improved since the commencement Of
the system OF high duties; and such, "a il seems
to me, must be its effect II will not he pretend
cd that manufacturing establishments in this
country are yet sufficiently numerous to fur
nish market for all our agricultural products.
More is produced than is consumed here
inc surplus must, therefore, find a market A.
broad, or it must be lost.
rrIces are now unusually low, and this has
been subject Of remark by those who seek
to advance the interests of manufacturers. and
IS used by those as an argument 10 favor OF
such measure. II is in order to furnish a
remedy for this evil, as is pretended, that il is