Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1842-02-07


Sines and nearly one-hnlf Of their entire popu.
lation arc slaves. Now, it cannot he pretended |
for single moment that this population consume
any thing like the amount Of dutiablo articles
which is consumed by the free population ut the
North. Their food and their clothing nay but little !
duty. While all this class of Southern pop,,n !
ton contribute hut little to the support ofho Gov.
eminent, the laboring classes ut the North are il
the constant Use of those articles which pay rev.
enue TO the Government. Their food, their dress
the furniture Of their houses. all contribute TO the
national treasury. II we allow that The wealthy
portion Of the Southern population consume an
equal amount Of dpuble articles with The same
class nj the North, suppose il will be found true,
that there is II larger portion OF tho white pUpua
ton in the Southern Stules who IRE pool than will
he found in tho Northern States, The operatives
Of Il cotton mill consupio articles paving ten times
MS much duty us tbs same plumber of Southern
slaves, II is idle, then, ard worse than idle, to
rrejvnd that The South Is more heavily taxed than
VIE North, The lrui,I is the very reverse of this.
From The character and habits of our population,
the burdens ot taxation must fall more heavily
upon The North
But po;haps, it may be said that the free nrti-
ces those which used in manuinclures-are
consumed at the North more than at the South
This may be irue But some OF these free arl
cles---wuo, below s cents, for example-and some
of the course fabrics, nre made free or nearly so,
for the express benefit Ufour Southern friends
But we lave official documents which will decide
This question. A communication from the Treas
Try Department, submitted TO the 26 h Congress-
giving detailed account of the mporuliuns in
the several States from the yenr 1921 TO 1899
shows that the average rate per cent actually paid
the whole amount of importntons, including
the free as well as the 1uable articles, amounted
in Massachusetts 10 80 per cent, and in South
Carolina to only 70 per cent, making difference
of 10 per cent. in favor of South Carolina. And
still it is represented that the South benr the great
or part OF the burdens OF the Government!
The North, even as compared with the West,
are taxed the more heavily by impost duties. This
is no subject of complaint by Northern men. 1t
arises, not from any inequality in our laws, but
grows out of the nature of lie case. In all new
countries he inhabitants depend more upon their
own products for food, mud are less exlravngunt
in their dress, than in older settlements. We, up
on the seaboard, have more temptations TO luxury
and extravaganza in dressing our persons, and
furnishing our houses, than our brethren in the
Western wilderness.
We have been told upon this floor that n dis
eliminating thrift was lax upon Southern labor,
10 increase Northern capital. The contest, gen
tlemen tell us, is between Northern capital and
Southern labor! MIR. Speaker, | wish 10 assail
no part of the country; but, sir, | am compelled
70 say that The truth is the very of this
II is Southern capital against Northern labor. The
North has frequently been tainted us being rich
and graspng. Gentlemen having pointed to our
manufacturing villages as evidence That we were
tat,ening upon the labor Of what they denomn-
ate the great producing States But why do gen
tlemen point TO our manufacturing villages? Let
them look to our soil, rough aud rugged MS it is,
and compare cultivated fields with their ex-
hausted soil mud half cultivated plantations, and
ask themselves whether they cannot account for
this difference, by our habits Ut industry, and the
character of the labor we employ.
Nor is il true that manufactures are carried
on or owned by the wealthy, to the extent tina,
would MANI IF cotto
and woollen mills are owned aud operated by men
of small capital - the laborers IN the mills owning
portion OF the property. Many species Of man.
ufacttre prosecuted in Massachusetts (nnd speak
of my own State only because cen speak OF her
more Understandings than of any other) require
but very little capital. We manufacture boots and
shoes to the amount of 81 5000 O00 annually
This large sum is 10 great extent the product OF
labor. The conversion of a raw hide into shoes
is produced by human toll. The manufacture OF
furniture and chairs amounts 10 8 300, QUO annu
ally mud labor is The principal Ingredient in TIL:
product. The same is true of hats which are
manufactured 10 the amount Of about 800 ,0O(
per year. The annual product Of straw bonnet:
and pom-eai hats is So 100000; and this begins
and ends in labor, too, mostly performed hy wo
men and children. BY The official statistics o
Massachusetts il will be seen that there are produ
eed annually of these little articles, these house
hold mauuiacures-stch as straw aud palm leaf
hats aud bonnets-a very large amount. In some
towns, where such articles IRE manufactured, thu
amount in dollars is ten times The amount OF thu
population Of the town; and in some few case
TWICE that alnount-ihat is, n town OF 1000 inhah
ilans will produce of straw, pam-eai, and arti
Giles of this character, $4,000, aud in some case
$4,000, though, in the latter case, portion of tn
article, partly manufactured, was Obtained in In
adjacent towns These articles are, 10 a grea, de
gree, tie product of labor, and are produced prin
cipay by the women and children. And it is b.
unreniltng toll, by patient aud continual ppplica
ton. that these products are brought forth. b.
means such as these hundreds Of poor families, O
lone widows md destitute orphans. are supported
And would gladly ask my friend from Sou
Carolina whether he can present a picture Tx
this from his own State; whether the females q
the males there will submit to toll Ike this? II
knows that they will not And still he speaks {
our manufacturers as though they were all men c
overgrown capital, rolling luxury and in wealth
will give the gentleman specimen OF Yanke
manufactures. There are gentlemen within 10 @
20 miles ofmy residence who manufacture wood
en- ware. And what, Mr. Speaker, do you SUI
pose they produce? will tell you. They maj
nfac,ure pals, and wash-boardS, and mop handle
and clothes pins And where do you suppose the
find market for these staple commodities
will tell you. They send them into the Wester
wilderness! They have actually oil agency
Missouri, to which these articles are sent Tor sal
We have another class of manufactures, of
different character. Our cotton, woollen, glas
iron, and paper manufactures turn out an annu
product about equal TO The cRpitul invested. TAX
all our manufactures together, and the annual pre-
duet is at least one third more than the capital in
vested. Not that The annual product is SO niue
clear gain far Otherwise. The interest and it
surance on The capital and iabric, the cost of Il
raw material, the cost Of the labor aud other inc
dental charges, are all to be deducted In fact,
company may turn of an annual product great
than the capital invested, and still prosecute the
business al a loss.
From this view Of our manufactures, it will
seen that our fabrics in great degree the pr
duct of labor and not OF capital. But how is
with The products Of the South? Take the
great staple, cotton OF what is that the produc
OF labor or of capital2 OF capital, almost excl
alYelY. Their nnda are cnnliM. and their slay