The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1841-08-17

CiotnihS Is CoHSuLHou yearly, anu therefore
must be replenished yearly-and hence we
are furnished with data for calculation that
will not be questioned. We proceed there
fore to show the extent of our home market
for such goods as are indispensable to our sup
port. 1t is assumed as moderate that the year.
ly personal Clothing of each individual white
inhabitant, from head to foot, and including
also the yearly consumption of necessary
household goods, may be estimated to average
$40. Fifteen millions of whites, at an aver
age of $40 each is $500, 100000; two mil
lions of colored, at an average of So each, is
$4,000 ,000-showing a yearly consumption
of Goods to the value of $4,000, 200, and
requiring a production of one million of dollars
in value of such necessary goods every work.
ing day of the year, or to furnish money to
buy them, to supply the existing population in
1910. 1t is known that our population doub-
les every twenty-five years; wemay therefore
assume that in 1885 we shall have thirty-four
millions of inhabitants requiring a yearly sup
ply of 600,000,0 900 worth of manufactured
goods; and in the year 1890, (only fifty years
hence) our population will have advanced to
sixty-eight millions of inhabitants, requiring a
yearly supply of manufactured goods to the
value of 100000 900 or about four millions
of dollars for each working day, to supply the
consumption of necessary clothing &c. for
our then population. This is a plain and SIM
pie view of the extent of the home-market of
these United States for manufactured goods of
the first necessity, at present and within fifty
wears to come. That such a market presents
the most encouraging prospects for the work.
shops of Europe will not be questioned, provi-
ded only that the policy of free Trade can be
established in these United States, and the ex-
listing manufactures can be destroyed.
To annihilate the existing manufactures of
the United States, which are already so Grip
pied by the operation of the compromise law,
will be an easy matter to effect. 1t will only
the continued ascendancy of free trade
politicians in the national government, or e.
ven the continued timidity of those in power
who claim to be friends to nome manufactures,
whose halfway measures of Protection being
met by a timely and continued OVERLOOKING
supply of foreign goods for a few years more,
will do the business. The young manufac-
lures of the United States will, under such op-
e%rations, most assuredly be dead-dead-
Dead
There appears to be one difficulty, however,
III view VI tuc pOIlCy VI llCC liduC " iuio OOuh-
try, to which it is hoped that the wise men
who have labored to enlighten this generation
as to their true interests, by advocating and
defending free trade will direct their attention,
and spread the result before this inquiring peo-
pie so plainly, that she that runs may read
1t is this We have shown that the yearly
consumption of necessary manufactured goods
for these United States, is TO the amount Of
three hundred millions of dollars for the popu-
lation of 1910, and will continue to increase
until that consumption will have reached the
amount of twelve hundred millions of dollars
yearly within the next fifty years. 1t there
fore appears difficult to show to the understan-
ding of the people of the United States, and
particularly to that portion of them who do
not raise cotton, where, supposing the home
manufactures to be destroyed, these three num-
dred millions of dollars are to come from to paw
for the goods-and when they look to raising
twelve millions of dollars yearly, is an easier
and more beneficial way than to manufacture
the goods themselves. If the advocates of
free trade for these United States can only
surmount this last difficulty, it would seem
plain that the foreign manufactures may reck-
on confidently on retaining the supply of this
great market-but if they fail to demonstrate
tothe people their abundant ability to pay, and
that it is for their interest to have their work.
shops in Europe it may be apprehended that
their goods will be excluded altogether, from
necessity, and thatfhe foreigner NAV thus be
compelled to transfer his shop, his workmen
and capital to a country which sustains him.
These notes have suggested questions of
great Importance to the people of these United
States-as to their ability to produce all the
manufactured goods required for home supply
the extent of our produce o fraw materials
the increased value given to those materials by
the manufacture-the amount of capital en-
ployed in productive industry at home-the
extent of the population thus occupied and
thus to be supported-the extent of the market
thus to be produced at home for agricultural
Products-the extent o home trade that would
be sustained by such establishment of home
manufactures. All which are respectfully SUBJ
mitted to the advocates of the Free trade sys-
tenn, in such a country as the United States of
America, in the year 1s41.