Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1842-02-04


creased by that very measure. The prohl-
bifon Of that article may induce our own CT
,izcns TO 90 INTO the manufacture of the ar
ticlc, and this species of manufacture may
operate as an incentive to industry. By pro.
hibiting the importation of that article, new
resources may be developed, new vigor inn
p,rted, and new sources Of wealth opened.
which, by producing general prosperity.
would enable The great mass Of the people To-
purchase more of other iniportatuns, and S.
on the whole increase the revenue of tn
country. What, them becomes of the gen-
tleman's position, that where pro,ec,o"
commences revenue ceasesI
But my friend from South Carolina re-.
presents the parties in this controversy 10 be
the manufacturers rersus the people of the
United States; and he refers to the late CEN
sus to show, that while our whole population
is 1900, 900, the manufacturers IN the U.
States amount to only 70l ,OOO.-Here are
100000 against 100000. But does not
every one see that this mode of stating the
case is unfair! Are the IL, O00,OO0 all la
Lorers? Docs not that number include
women and children, infancy and age, tie.
lame, the blind, the sick and the dying.
, 70l 900 are all laborcrs, in the vigor and
one Surely not, But, unfair as it is, the
gentleman even goes farther, and contends
that 79l 900 is too large; for the operatives
have no interest in manufactures, and ought
not to be counted. Such is the position Of
the gentleman.
, Now, sir, ! maintain that the laborcrs or
, operatives have direct interest in manu-.
. features, as direc: as the owners themselves.
When, from any cause, there is a stagna-
ton in business, and the manufactured pro-
S duct accumua,es, or is disposed Of at re.
duced price, who suffers! Not the hands
; employed, but the owners. The owners of
! "A cotton Or woollen mill frequently run their
{ mills without any profit for months in sue.
g cession, rather than dismiss their hands.
= The first loss always falls upon the owners.
S Bat the gentleman says that the wages Of the
= operatives are regulated, not by protection.
: hut by tho wages given other labor around.
d This may be, to a certain extent, true: but
e the converse Of this is equally true. Tho
laborers employed in manufactures are ge-
d morally taken from the agricultural class, and
i the withdrawal of them from agricultural
" pursuits tends to increase the price of labor
y i, tina, pursuit. But my friend has told us
n that the whole number engage in manuiac,u-
= res was less than 800, 900; and does he mean
% to intimate that 100000 citizens are worthy
IN Of no consideration While tho gentleman
Il is unwilling 10 protect 800 900 laborers, en-
~ gagged in manufactures, he is strong adj
II vocato for the encouragement Of commerce.
o' The gentleman reminds me that ha has
y not asked for any protection for commerce.
y No, he has not, and for the plain reason,
: that commerce is already protect ID more
~ perfectly than manufactures have ser been.
10 But all the gentlemans speeches !liCw that
u. he is strenuous advocate for commerce !;
~ and what number | demand, is gagged in
y that pursuit! The same census gives III 900
e, as the whole number engaged IN commerce !;
~ and iithrsc deserve our consideration, why
- not those engaged in manufactures seeing
y they are more than six times as numerous.
C. Bat | confess have bu, little confidence iu
the statistics connected with the census.
'e Tia; document represents the whole NUM-
~ Der engaged IN manufactures in my own
Vi State to be $1,000. Now, sir, BY official
10 returns made by the assessors Of the several
o. towns to the Secretary of Safe in Massa.
''e chussetts, in 1897, tho whole nunlber en-
~ gagged in mapuiactures was III 900, and in
ne this number we're not includ ID those engaged
0y in many kinds of household manufactures,
We such as braidIng straw. palm leaf hats, &c.
rs Here then is an error Of $1,000 in q single
,e State.
!, .' Bat wo have been told by the gentleman
=. from South Carolina that the parties IN this
W. suit, were the manufacturers against the
" people. Tho manufacturers against tho
y people Who are the manufacturers but a
u u, par, of the people! The people. and tho
~ whole people, have an interest in the sue
n, cess of the manufactures. The commercial
q" interest is intimately connected with the ma
- nufacturng To say nothing Of the imports
~ otihe raw materials, the exports of manufac-
~ ;, tured articles make an important item in our
:. commerce, being about one-tenth of the
~ whole amount. There were, during the
:: PAS, year, exported from the United States
:" manufactures TO the amount OF ST., sos, O0U
~ An amount larger than the two great staples
'"' tobacco and rice. Manufactures not only
- give employment 10 our foreign commerce,
w. bat they foster our coasting trade by giving
"! employment TO large number of our YES
"" sells. There is no natural hostility between
commerce and manufactures; but, on the
'.' contrary, they have one and the same in
' -, tercsi. That policy which encourages en-
=, ~ terprize, which develppes the resources ant
y" increases the weaIthot the country, increases
.'e'' our commercial prosperity.
IN In like manner agriculture has direct in
ess teres, in discriminating duties. 1t seems Il
ties. be taken for granted tina, all protection i
me gwen 10 manufactures and none 10 agricul
&c. lure. But it is not so. Many of the pro
ducts of the soil are now enjoying protec
will ton greater by far than most of the manu-
tho featured articles. Potatoes, oats. whoa,
erv flour, indigo, cotton, pork, lard, hams beef
ere butter, cheese, flax, hemp, wool, &C., ar
d to now enjoying high degree of protection
t to The potatoes of Maine are protected to I'll
eth amount of ten cents per bushel. Repeal thi
will duty and how long would the potatoes of tina
cas- State be found in Boston, New-York, 0
say Bal,imore' Immediately would they be sup
planted by the potatoes of Nova Scotia an