Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1842-08-01
SPEECH OF Mr.. HUDSON, OF MASS.
Labor well Paid!
PROTECTION TO AGRICULTURE, MAN
UFACTURES, AND ALL INTERESTS
DOWN WITH BRITISH FREE TRADE.

iHcSc are true WING uOCiTiEeS SUCH
as the Wings in Congress practice well as preach.
The following extract from Mr. Hudsons speech
on the Tariff will speak for itself lie speaks and
votes as well for the raw material as the manu-
iacured article-as well for the oolgrower rs
the manufacturer. Contrast this specimen of
Wing speeches will! those which we huve given
from the locofocos, -contrast too the uotes of both
parles-and then tell us who are the strait for
ward, honest, and faithful friends of Domestic In.
dustry.
After quoting from authorities to show the de.
pressed price OF labor in Europe, aud the ex-
IRENE distress OF lnborers-so extreme as to lead
them to rejoice at the death oflei own children!
Mr.. Hudson proceeds:
Such is the psture of Iaborers upon the CONT
nent of Europe, aud in the boosted land of liLer-
V, G. Britain The condition of European aborers
must be obvious when we consider that the prices
given to men amount To only lOd per day, with
out board for species CT labor which requires
skill and muscular power, aud must generally be
carried on in cities or Iurge villages where rents
are high and provisions dear. The hours the la
borers are employed, ntd in many cases suficIeut
TO break down tho strongest constitution. Sosns
weavers ia Ireland aud Germany, more especially,
work from IA To 10 hours per day aud another
eVl, nechuSD more oppressive upon the
mass, il, that work cannot always lie obtained,
aud hence The hands are thrown out of employ
Many families in fact are compelled, rs we hive
seen, to depend upon lid to Is al per head for
food and clotling-abuut half the sum which, il
appears from The snme dOcuuen;s is required in
Great Britain 10 support her prisoners in prison
Some Of these Iaborers are in fact paupers hired
by the parish, that they may he able in some de-
gree to earn their living. This is the character
and condition OF the labor with which our own
comes In competition. Aud the question is,
whether we shall stand idle aud see our mechan.
les and artisans driven from their work shops by
the half starved millions Of the old world!
do the free trade men on this floor wish to see
American labor brought down 10 this low cond-
ton OF poverty aud wreichedness! Do the dem
ocras here in our midst, who profess to lie the
exclusive friends OF the poor and laboring classes,
desire to see the independent laborers-tle free
men oftle and-reduced to "a vegetable diet, aud
10 all the evils attendant upon the mos. squalid
poverty? As they have manifested So much
sympathy for the oppressed foreigners in the state
oil Rhode Island, who are deprived OF the right of
deciding the fate Of the institutions Of a country
in which they were not born, AMI " hich they
iuse TO adopt US their OWL say as they hive
manifested 80 much sympathy for these disturb
ers OF the public peace and traitors 10 our common
country, it was to he hoped that they would
manifest little feeling in behulf OF the uboring
VI
see them brought TO an allo vance Of eight shilIIngs
per week to supply ul their vans. u they are
desirous oil seeing wages reduced that they may
purchase the product OF labor al u lower rate and
thereby live themselves upon the hard earnings of
the poor, let it be known II this is their doctrine,
let them proclaim it upon this floor, and | Will
engage that this will be the last Congress in which
they will ever make The proclamation. Ard it is,
] confess, with great regre. that find tie gen.
tleman from Georgia, (Mr. tlabersham,) conteud-
lhg as lie does IN his minority report, that wages
should be so reduced TINT The hardy and indusri-
Gus laborer shall receive but fifteen dollars "a
month and board himself. The wealth of a ma
lion is in its labor; aud there can be surer test
OF the prosperity OF people, than the price which
the aborer eau command One argument and in
fact the greut argument with in favor Of tariff
is drawn from the encouragement il affords to do
mcstic industry.
wish 10 see the manufacturers prosper | wish
TO investments which have been made III this
branch of uationu Industry yielding fair return
to the enterprisng citizens who have embarked
their capital therein. But | confess that this is
not the greatest object OF my desire. No, sir;
desire above all things 10 see The honest uborer,
whose only capital Is in his own slnews, thrive
and prosper. | wish TO see his labor So rewarded
that comforts aud plenty may be in his huhi-
iaou, aud that he may have The means of educu-
ling his children, aud training them up Tor use
fitness.
Sir, there is an identity of interest between the
manufacturer, and the agrlcultnralist Agriculture
auI manufactures are not enemies TO encI other
they are not even rivals; but they are intimate
friends. Viewed OH large and liberal SCALE they
ure ONLY different departments OF the same great
system Of national industry and whatever lends
10 give prosperity TO The one will give prosperity
10 the other. They both need The fostering care of
The Government. The case OF wool did woollens
is an example of this The wool-growing inter-
est hes become an important one in This country.
The annual product may be smelly estimated ut
Sl6OOO,OOO. Withdraw protection from this
great interest, und tue shock would be felt by YER
lnoni, New YORK; Pennsylvania, Virginia. Ohio,
Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana, aud in some
degree 10y several other States or, if you Withdraw
RON the wooen manufactures uil protection, you
destroy in great degree The home market for
the wool, md the influx OF woollens would be
such us 10 destroy the wool-growing interest. This
one example illustrates the principle as well as
my. Let tie present law, (compromise) il any
law we have, 90 into operaIlen und the first effect
would be felt 10y the manufactures. Sanding in
the fore front, they would receive the first shock
but the ravagss would soun extend, md the labor.
er, The farmer, would finally have 10 beur his full
share. an fully convinced that the labor OF the
country is the great hing to he protected aud as
more people are engaged in agriculture than in
any other calling, sn agriculture has The greatest
interest IN The question. And il the gentleman
from Indiana, Mir Kennedy cannot comprehend
how the great agricultural States OF the West have
an interest in the success Of manufacturers he not
only cannot put TWO IDEAS together but, us seems
to me, is incapable of compromising one.
IL you should destroy manufactures, YOU would
al once drive The men engaged IN those various
employmen,s into agriculture, and, from Icing
consumers, they would become producers, aud
the price of agricultural products would al once
full. This would reduce the price OF labor and
so affect every aboring man in the country. In
fact, labor constitutes the wealth of the country
Il has been estimates, by writer's on political econ
omy, that the annual industry of the country will
amount TO one-sevenlh or eighth OF It's entire
wealth so that, if people should cease from Ia
Dor altogether, they would consume their entire
substance in seven or eight years. If this is true
OF nations generally, il is certainly true vi this
country, where industry is proverbial. If labor,
then, forms so large part ol national wealth, any
policy which stimulates industry must add great
lxt ala II, Of a.,l. l,t :.