Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1842-05-09
THE TARIFF WOOL AND wooLENs.

only deeply Interested in wool-growing, but whose
knowledge and experience on this subject snt-
Tie his views TO great confidence.
Mn. EDIToR,-A gentleman friendly to the pro.
lection of American industry, has called my at
tention to an article in the Vermont Patriot of the
Odd inst under the editorial head, protesting some
zeal in behalf OF the wool growers, and great in
tignaiion Mt the Wings for sacrificing, MS the wri-
ter suys the interests Of this useful class of the
community, to favor the manufactures. Being
one Of the earliest, most uniform AMI most stead
fast friends Of the wool-growing und manufacture
ing industry of our country, am always happy
to receive aid from any quarter in lavor OF cause
upon which, sincerely believe, the prosperity of
our country mninly depends. But from such
quarter, and in such questionable shape, 1t
brought TO my recollection the fable of the sheep,
the dogs mud the wolves, which read in my ear
Nv life As those excellent moral lessons nre not
now SO fashionable ns they were when was at
school, for the benefit of some Of your readers
who may have never seen ii, will give my rec
objection OF it. The story ran thus flock OF
sheen had long lived with sulety under the pro-
lection of their strong, courageous and inlhiul
dogs; bat pack of wolves in the vicinity, whose
mouths had walered to devour some OF their jul
cy launches and fat lons, but had always been
kept at bay by the vigilance of the dogs at length
concluded to accomplish by cunning, what they
could not effect Ivy open force. They al mt once
professed the greatest friendship for the sheep, alp
preached them in the most bland and lnsnuating
manner, praised them for their lnOffensive, ainln-
bic qualities and useful properties, and proffered
their services in any way that might he required
for the comfort, safety and well being OF The t"ck
The sheep were charmed with these (as they be-
lievedl generous aud DISTINGUISHED offers, and when
the willy wolves represented to them that their
dogs were a set of lazy, gluttonous animals,
which it was expensive aud useless to maintain,
,I,n,, tho, .,,I,, nnIx nfH
cenuy protect Them the sheep lent "A willing eur
to those plausible but insdous representations
aud hanshed their faithful dogs No sooner were
the wolves thus left masters oithe flock, than they
turned TO- aud gorged their voracous nplelites
from the fine FISH of the sheep, until at length
they devoured the whole hoLk.
When saw this new born zeal in favor OF the
protection of American industry against foreign
rivalry, and the Indignant ouipourings against the
Wings for n neglect of duty, in not protecting the
wool grower the aptitude Of The fable | have Civ
en-, forcibly struck my mind. Now for few facts
in the way Of eucidation. 1t will hardly lie
necessary to mention the declaration oil MIR. Van
Buren,, OF his being northern man with southern
principles and that, throughout his administration,
he was intimately associated with J. Z. Calhoun,
Thomas ii. Benton aud the other most bitter OPP
ponents of our protecting policy. But we will
Try the question OF The friendship or ennly of he
Wings and Loco FOco party, by the facts that
present session OF Congress. No sooner was the
Presidents message Delivered than the lines were
drawn and openly avowed between affording in
c'denal protection to American industry, IN the
arrangement of the new revenue law on Que side,
and, on the other side, that OF abandoning the
whole protecting policy, either direct or lrciden-
tai, by laying duties on all articles equally alike.
Ii was as well understood and openly avowed,
that the Committee OF Manufactures would so ar
range the Tariff as to grant protection; and,
on The other hand, that the Committee OF Ways
and Means were to arrange the Tariff exclusively
for revenue, without any reference to protection,
either direct or incidental. Upon the motion be-
ing made for the distribution OF The several por-
lions Of The message TO the appropriate Commit
tees, u Wing member rose ard moved that the
uari, recommending u new Tariff OF duties, be
| referred to the Committee OF Manufactures; wien
| Mr. Anterior, locofucu member from N. Hump
| SHIRE moved, amendment, that it lie refer
| red to the committee of Ways ami Means. A
! warm ardent, and sometimes violent debate en-
sued of more than a month in length, IN which
the two prime pies Of proe ction or noh-protectlon
| were fully discussed and throughout it was dis
tincy understood that if the reference made wa;
to the Committee OF Ways and Means, the prn
ciple of protection was 10 he abandoned and Il
to the Committee OF Manufactures, the protecting
policy was to be sustained. This was test vote
for or against protection. How did the vote stand
I Every Wing in the House, with the exception o
| eight or ten from the southern sates voted IN Ia
vor of its being referred to the Committee OF Man
ufactures on the reverse, every Loco toco IN th'
House, with the honorable exception OF the Loc'
| Foco members from Pennsylvania, and ole iron
Massachusetts, who were not willing TO sacrlhc
the interests of their country for party purposes
voted that il he referred TO the Committee OF Way
and Means and the ballot being counted, it wa
found there were thirteen ma orliy in favor of it
going 10 the Committee of Manufactures. Agnin
when Mr.. Saltonsall, Chairman Of the Commit
/. tee of Manufactures, Il few days after the refer
ence, made motion TO he authorized TO send 10
persons and papers, to obtain information in re
ga rd to the wants OF the Industrious classes of on
community, almost every Loco Foco member vo
ted against il, and also against another motion 10
. u clerk, TO take down such communications a
, were voluntarily offered; which information wa
needed for the judlcious action OF Congress. Bu
petitions having since flowed in from all classes
, the community, and from all parts of our coun
I try, warmly recommending that our national il,
, dustry be protected by Congress, and the tide G
popularity strongly setting in favor olthe protectln
policy, the scales have lately dropped from th
= eyes of many OF the Loco Foco editors, aud the
. now pretend TO great zeal in favor OF the system
= If they are sincere instead of abusing the Wing
those editors had better admonlsh their friends i
S Congress 10 give hearty support to the system
n ard although late, both the Wings md the coul
"a try GENERALLY, will thank them Tor their aid in
place where it is likely TO he of some service.
they will pursue this course, ], for one shall bt
y lieve that they mean we'll TO the cause bur, O
y the reverse, il they attempt to sow dlHcord b'
e tween thu wool grower and manufacturer even
sensible man must conclude that their object is
= PROSTATE the system, by means of lhose division
'r Every one who knows anything OF The matte
knows, that our man uiacturers are The only pu
chasers of our wool ; aud it is equally well know
that if our manufacturers are not fairly proieett
i, against foreign composition, chenpened 10y the pal
!, per labor o. Europe, they cannot go on, and col
sequently that our wool growers must lose the
re only market, Was 500 per cent duty laid on II
importation offoreign wool, it would be of no Sc
vice TO the American wool grower, unless SUI
" protection is given to the American nlanufacur
8 as will enable him to purchase it. Does the edit
I'd ofthe Patriot, or his quonIum correspondent thin
nj that the wool-growers ofVL so utterly ignora