The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1842-08-19
The Tax
On Pins and Needles!
In the Senate Aug. Sd,

In the Senate Aug. Sd,
Mr. Benton moved to strike out from the middle
of the 10th line, section 9Th, page ID, the follow
Ing passage:
ing, ambouIng, darnins, netting, knitting, and all
other kinds Of needles, duty OF 20 per cent. adj
,aloren.'
Mr. T. observed that his motion was to strike out
the duties on pins, sod-headed pins needles, knit
ting needles, and daTning needles; and said that
here was tax upon articles of universal use, and
for the purpose Of protecting to little pm factories
in the United States--one in Connecticut, at Der
by; the other in New York, at Poughkeepsie,--
These were the only two pin factories that he
knew of in the United States; and they could rot
be called domestic manufactures, for they only
worked up foreign wire made of foreign meal
Out of this foreign wire they made cub-headed
pin, like our club-headed nail; which was rough,
and tore the cloths The round headed pin was
not made by them; yet all round headed pins must
be taxed in order to pampcr two little factories
which employed themselves in cutting up foreign
wire, and sharpening one end of il while blocking
head upon the other. Thus universal taxation
of pins was to take place in these United States;
and this was one of the changes obtained by the
late elections. The people were promised chan
gcs, and they were getting them and getting them
with a vengeance Under Mr. Van Buren's ad-
minisrallon, there were seyenty-lour millions Of
dollars worth Of free goods--goods entering into
the daily consumption of the people. Now, all is
taxed, except what the manufacturers use. Here
is bill of fifty -four pages of taxes and in reading
it over it seemed that every thing that entered in
to human consumption was taxed; and for fear
anything might be forgotten, there was a reserve
"a precautionary scclion--a sort Of net 10 catch
all that was floating by--and which placed duty
of 20 per ccntum on all the articles which were not
named in the bill. 1t seemed to be to catch all
that was forgotten; so that, if he succeeded IN his
motion, these pins and needles would still be tan
ed; they would fall into the net But he would
make a motion to place them in the free list, il
successful IN striking them out Of the bill. lie
would try and fish them out Of the net.
| MIR b. said he was born since the Revolutionary
war, but soon enough after it to hear mothers OF
families talking about the privutons of the war,arsl
especially the wants of pins, and the necessity of
using lhcrns to fas,cn their cloths. lie had, there
fore, great anlipathy to taxing pins; an article
which vcrybody mus, use. lie hat heard the late
John Randolph say that, while Il dollar banknole
was disgusting thing in his eyes. which he would
not touCh yet brass pin was a respectable object,
which he took care Of This arose from his r.vo-
lulionary feelings, when he was accustomed 10
see fine lady using tlorns in place Of pins, and
rcwardng kiss to the child that should find a pin
and hing it to her.
Mr. b. said he did not wish TO see people sent
back to lhorns again as substitute for pins. lie
then took up needles. lie said that needles were
used by enthusiastically white women who sew
ed for their lNing--and who, Of all the descrip-
lions Of luborcrs in our country, were the most
poorly paid tie believed that the white wO-
man in The United States, who sewed for her liv-
ing got the poorest pay which the labor Of tho
country exhibited; yet here was a proposition to
make It still poorer. The Federal Government
pounces down upon them, and taxes the insru-
menl of their labor! 1t taxes the needle in their
hands, so that they shall not sew II stitch without
paying tax 10 the Government--and that, TO help
10 make up for the loss Of the land revenue. Mr.
VIZ B. believed if this tax on needles was cOninu-
ed, the Wing party would be sewed up. Mr. Is.
then took up the article of knittng-needles, and
said il was hard to tax the old ladies' who still fol-
lowed the andabe custom of knitting their own
stockings. Bad as this was he saw still worse was
to ioow-hat of taxing darnins needles; so that
the frugal mother could no longer darn the heel
and Toe of her chldren's stockings without paying
tax to this splendid Federal Government under
its magnificent JIhig rule.
Nl SEATi ALL DEMOCRATS.
-, N ,:a, ,,,r }ALL WINGS!