Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1842-04-11
PROTECT ION
TO AGRICULTURE, COMMERCE. AND
MANUFACTURES.
EXTRACT FROM AN ADDRESS TO THE
PEOPLE OLE MASSACHUSETTS,.

mn LIZ VI mhOOhCtOCIbl .,
BY Committee appointed By The Convention of The
Shoe and Leather Dealers and Operatives, held IN
Boston on The I'd of March, 1912
wrong impression has been made, and II con-
sequent wrong opinion is prevalent in the public
mind in relation 10 the true question at ISSUE Ow-
ing TO The greater activity aud Influence oil those
engaged in tue manufacture of cotton and wool,
aud the eSerlions which they have always mnde
when the Iaritf has been n matter oil discussion,
their interests have been much more promi-
hently brought before Congress, that common
feeling hns been created, that they only had any.
great stake IN the matter, and were alune desrous
Of protection. But this Is not true. They are not
even the majority of interest Far lron IT, III
Massachusetts in 1887, the amount OF cotton a0d
WOODEN fabrics was hui $21,00O,0OO, being less
han one third OF the whole amount OF the manu-
features of the Commonwealth, and employing but
about one fourth part Of all the persons engaged
in manufactures within the State.
This erroneous opinion has operated uniavora-
hly in Congress- and induced among lis members
u belief that all The cinmor Tor protection arose
from the rich manufacturing corporations. Ii has
operated uuiayomby among the people, by lead
ing them to suppose that they had no great inter.
est in the question, except Us indirectly connected
with those engaged III tie manufacture OF cotton
or wool. Hence, thousands have been indifferent
on u question really OF more vital importance to
themselves tlnn TO those interested III the branch
cs Of industry before referred to.
products in this State in 1887 amounted to $l8,-
100000, also those employed in the manufacture
OF straw, trade which amounted at the time men-
toned to ~ 000000, are lar more deeply interest
ed than those whose products are aided by ma
chinery and large fixed capitals. Those branches,
and they are numerous in the Common wealth,
which are carried ON almost exclusively by manual
labor viii iecI most severely the effects of foreign
! competition.
TO such, and they the majority Of the whole
within the State, an all vaIoreu duty OF twenty
per cent. will prove entirely insufficient ; and nany
! of them, under this duty only Oh foreign labor,
| must be nearly annlhlated.-
| This is fiction. The consequences, then,
/ may he easily foreseeu. great part OF our in
! dusry must he changed. Absolute starvation we
need not fear. Our country is too extended, land
too cheap aud too productive, to permit us to all
! ticipaie any such alternative but change OF EN-
ploy,nent, and change of residence, must with
considerable part of our population take place, and
thousands OF our citizens must seek on the pral-
res of The West, thai food and sustenance which
they could no longer find in the beautiful villages
of New Eng by the fre.sides OF home, by the
graves OF their fathers.
The result of this operation will be equally di
sastrous upon the West. The home market, the
only one which 1t can rely, will be then mainly
dcstroyed while the additional number of persons
who will he compelled to engage in agriculture,
will as matter OF course so increase the quantity
of produce, as to greatly reduce its value; indeed,
so much as almost TO make il worthless MS an
| article of sale.
Fellow citizens, are nll interested. Nc INIT
ter what our situation calling, the change will
"come home TO our business anu nosohis. NeV-
was there greater identity of interests than in
ms matter Al "''Ne W III s"a'e III ''e co'i,'hou
calamity Our metropolis, now united by alfroad
to the great West viii feel il in the falling off OF
I that mgnty trade which, III successful condition
OF manufacturing industry, she would he destined
~ e,J"y' C"' '"''"u''; u'f''e" W '',e" "oo
'ha'he' ",!r Io'"pe'I" " Io''l1'e ~ '''I .o'.'s"
'h"'he'e' w 'noy ''"'' "'u 'uI"'l III "e GU
e'uP'Is " TUG ',''''e CO.. """''' Wv" '"''' lt,'P
cry uet ee'u'ou' W." GOV ''''"' f"'"S N'u' '''"
''.nuS"9 u''''""'"'u' .,
mere is one c'ass, however, Oh "uc' 'lo "e'e"'
OF thlS c"'ali'y WIN 'a' WIN peou'"' seVet'y'
mn c'ass &c ''o "oINN VI ""' cou""! Wv So
lhcir llN'hg, as ""iy "u'',''e"s VI "p"e""uo III"
90 WIN great co'o,' uuu '.SP:.t"o''''y, 'y 'no
WORK OF tielr ow" nunue' ln'e h's anu '''.o'
eshs CLASS, "e'e'o'o'e ''"t o'e'P"'" '"' un" oe'
vices, 'i'uSt hot ON! o"Fe''e"ee" s'e'' ,a"s o,'
III price, u"t III many instances, al "n""'"e a"''-
hh'ioh OF deii"i" ,"t 'h'r 'aoor' iney cannon
s""slS'' coc'pene" 70 "o'A :" .u''rea'uo" r m,.',
me laDorihS 'e'l'ales % l'u'opr ""o 'eee'e 'o"'
iouI 10 SIN Gems per "ny 'o' '"e'' 'I''''s'
Men, wich urNch "uli one e'nP'"!n."'i "huy
seek IL IN announcer uuo " Wo'h ca"'''' "o '''" :"
nome, ihey "hhy 20 "o'oa"' ~ '"""p' oe w
tallou on me ia'u' " "'"! po u Nv" o' ''o 80"
bnt II Is ho' so WIN "o'''en, t"o! 'e '"' "'o' =
dependent ana he'P,esS anu "nen "'o"" OUT '"
employ, arr ihVo'en III iheV''a"'e "'''cSs anu s',,
iermg There are W l''lS Coi nn US ON
cally ascerlaned' ""onl 4e'oUo o women employed
in different manufacturers; i3ooo OIL Wnom are
engaged IN 'he u'a"u'@c'"fe OF SHOES nov erea
then must be me ""o,e hummer e'P'oyeu !" WE
, United States; an" "ia' an amount Vi Pt""'oi
aud suffering must he involved III me turning ou
of employ, or IN employing nj halt price, th's nm
meuse number OF industrious "'me" iinman''
" recols ut the contemplation OF such scenes
and yet come they must and come they w'lI' I'M
less Congress, ~ me sp'ru OF wisdom an" justice
shall discriminate in favor OF their industry in thu
duties laid for the support OF Government. Were
there no other motive than that arising iioln 'h
view ol the subject 1t would alone nn sufficient II
he uuu T. w