Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1841-08-16
TIE ANrl-TARIFF DOCTRINES OF THE
IOCOFOCOS

leaving industry to regulate itself"
We wish that the people of Vermont might, one
and all, know the fact that the foregoing resolu-
ton was adopted unanimously by the locoloco
State Convention, that it has been received without
dissent by the locoGoco presses, aud is, therefore,
a pnrt of the ncknow edged creed of the locofoco
| nrty. Ii involves first question OF fact, viz.
that industry cdn take OF ITSELF without the
aid of the government. Is this true? 1t strikes
that it may well be said TINT liberty, proper
~, lifr reputation, education, and all other things
pertaining to human rights and human interests,
can all take care Of themselves, without the foster
ing and protecting care oflaws but so the people
have not thought. In their gross darkness, per-
hnps-in their utter lack Of the light OF locoioco
philosophy, perhaps,-they have long been i'll the
habit of thinking that constitutions and laws and
all the pnrophrenaa of government, were abso-
uely necessary to protect the lives, the rights, the
liberty and the interests of the people. To carry
tho matter still further; nppreherd it may
be said at once truly rs it can be said that in
dustry can take care Of itself, we mean-thnt the
people can take care Of themselves and all their in
| iorcs,s, without II government and without laws.
II is no more absurd to say this Of all the people
and of all their interests, than il is of tho laborers
of the country and their particular interest, the
protection and success Of industry. II this be re-
ally true, is high time that all governments were
at an end if governments are not necessary, the
cost of them is money lost aud the restraints i'm
posed by them are unbecomiug reemen to bear.
furrah, then, for the ungoverned, unlrammelled,
fT- II IL. ii. 6
political philosophy. Bul undoubtedly the loco
foco convention did not think of going to this re-
sui they assert only, that industry can take care
of iself-or, in ineligible language, that the
millions of American Citizens engaged in COM
merce manufactures, the mechanic arts and agri-
culture, need NJ protection from the federal gov
crnntri. is this the fact So the locolocos re-
solve unanimously, and they ought 10 he able to
demonstrate its truth. We should Ike 10 be told
hoc, for instance, Vermont protect her indus
try without the aid of the federal government. -
Tie other nations of the world are the natural
tagonis,s of American industry; the labor OF THEN
half starved and enslavcd population is brought III
direct competition with the free labor Of America
aud their policy, which is to sell to us all she car
and buy nothing of us, completes tho difficuc:
with which American industry has naturally tc
contend. This being tho fact, it will be easy tt
iuresee the results, if the protection Of the feder
al government is Withdrawn, and all existing laws
and treaties, which protect American labor, are
annuled. Europe would food us Instantly will
her products refusing TO take our sur2us of grain
and every thing but specie. She has done this TO
great extent even with all our tariffs and treaties
and often brought the balance of trade imlnensel,
against us ; without these, there would he no re
sraint to foreign imporla,ions. The natural ant
inevitable consequences would he u reduction o
the price of American labor to the level Of Euro
penn prices, and resort, by our own government
TO direct taxation upon the people 10 raise its rev
enue. In Vermont the effect would be 10 ruiz
her manufactures aud wool growers, ana speedily
reduce the value Of her annual products from on
third to one haf-tliat is from 80 TO 90 or only i
millions of dollars or course, the wages OF tn
laborer must he reduced in like proportion
Now we should like to see what remedy Vernon
can enforce. Can she shut American ports agains
the world? Oh no---hat belongs to Congress-
Can she impose duties oil foreign products enter
i.g Vermont? No, not even that, without tie as
sent OF Congress. Can she in any way, dlrect
or indirectly reach aud meet The foreign antago
nists of domestic industry? Not at all and
sho could reach them, she is inadequate 10 com
pete for n moment with them. 1t is mol true, ther
tina, Industry can protect herself, or be at all pro
tccted short Of The full exercise of the power q
the federal government.
This brings us to the second thing involved i
he resolution il is that the federal governmer
possesses net the power and right to protect A
merican Industry. This is the gist Of the resou
ton. Ii is direct blow nj the Tariff system
Protection, and upon the ground of want Of ape
cifc' constitutional power. Strange, it seems, Il
ter fifty years otaction ut different times, by Cor
Gress, asserting the right of protecting America
Industry, that the power and right are now qnel
toned and that, too, by party which, until nov
has protested TO hold lie opposite faith III
more strange would il be- were it TO be proved lh'
a National Government has been created by ii
people without ample power TO protect their pal
amount interest, National Industry. What wi
The farmers OF Vermont, say, when they are to
that the government can tax them, can comp
them 10 fight ut any time by declaring war, c,
by sub-lreasuries reduce the value OF labor or C,
make treaties to admit foreign ships freely to Of
ports, and pass laws admitting cloths, WOOL sugl
grain and every other thing of foreign mannia'
iure free of duty, to compete with them in O
own markets, destroy our domestic manufacture
and thus reduce the value Of The products Of the
farms and the wages Of labor more than half-b
yet cannot do one single thing to advance th'
interests, or 10 increase the value of their produc,
, Surely their answer must be- that this is COVER
ment which has ample power to curse, and no
, to bless, them 1t cannon be. We have alrea
h seen that the states have no means of protect
Domestic Industry against the anlagons, int