The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1842-04-05
PEOPLES PRESS.
A numerous meeting of the friends of home
industry convened on the oath ult. at Middlebu'
ry, Addison Co. Vt. adopted the following
ADDRESS TO THE PUBLIC:


ADDRESS TO THE PUBLIC:
FELLOW CITIzENs,-In approaching you
we wave no banner of party. When the coun
try is furnishing, the people may array them
selves in the political arena, and contest the
price of power, office and emolument, which
too often constitutes the sole object of party
organization. But when misfortunes thicken.
and they find themselves standing on the brink
of ruin, the landmarks party should be tram
! pied in the dust, in the halowed movements
ola lofty patriotism towards the salvation OF
the republic.
! Those who now address you, although en-
bracine some of all the various pursuits of life,
are chiefly agricuturasts. Possessing rich
and fertile soil, peculiarly adapted to the growth
of all those productions necessary for the sus-
tenance and comfort of human existence, we
have for long succession of former years found
ourselves thriving, prosperous and happy. Our
LuXuriant acres, under the hand of labor and
cultivation, have not only supplied our wants,
but yielded surplus which, finding ready
sale and fair price in the markets of the cOun-
try, has abundantly rewarded their labor. But
within few years, all the hopes of continued
prosperity, which past success had enkinded,
have been doomed to disappointment. The
great staples of the country have been so de-
pressed, as to afford but a scanty remuneration
bility, will soon be reduced to degree rulnous
to the producer
The same sad reverse which has crushed the
hopes ofthe shepherd and husbandman, is fast
coming over the mechanic and laborer, in every
department of industry in this section of our
country. Under the operation of the constant
ly decreasing protection, our country has been
deluged with foreign goods, our manufactures
depressed, our industry paralyzed, our resour-
4 Il, e
ice and cupidity land on our commerce furled lin
lstless inactivity in our harbors. Should the
same on-resisting policy bs still pursued, and
the two hundred and sixty millions of capita!
now invested in manufactures, he finally sunk
under the overwhelming wave of foreign COM
petition, the annual surplus of the twenty-five
millions of our produce, which now inparts
comfort and competency to every firesde i'll our
valleys and our mountain tops, would be com.
paratvely, as worthless as the mould from
which it springs. The home market would
thus be ruined; and under the present restrict
i've policy of other nations, no other would be
accessible TO the produce of our soil. That we
have faithfully depicted the reverses which, in
common with the people of the Union, I'VE have
experienced; and that they are attributable to
the causes which we have assigned, we will
now endeavor to demonstrate.
The greatest staple of Vermont is wool, in
the growth of which, capital of IL millions of
dollars has been invested, and which has gen.
orally been valued at 81 10000 The duty
on this article, for the last Is years, has aver
aged about As per cent, which has at some pc
riods amounted TO prohibition. Although the
price of the European clip has been below ours
from 25 TO 80 cents, it could not he imported,
paving freight and charges, as the tariff has
hitherto been. As the tariff has diminished,
the importation of foreign wool has increased,
and in 1913, at duty of 20 per cent, it will
food the country with foreign staple COM
ing in direct competition with our own. In
1892, it may be assumed that the importation
of wool from abroad was 3 millions of pounds.
Under the gradual reduction of duties, it POW
rises TO ten millons-an amount equal to one
half of what is sold to manufactures from the
consumption of the fircSide. Ir addition to
this, it is known, that in this, probably the most
wool growing county in the Union, foreign
wool, which comes iii competition with our
common native, is now manufactured into a
staple article of goods for ordinary ware, which
including every outlay, costs but IS cents per
pound, an, Peruvian wool costing % cents per
pound, including a duty of four cents, with the
al valorem duty of 20 per cent, fully equal to
the half-blooded merino ofthe country, is also
used instead of our own. When the tariff is
reduced to the minimum, it may be safely
suned. that 25 or 80 cents will be the price of
average wool of the country, which has hith
erto generally ranged from 40 10 Is GEMS. EX-
perience has taught us, that when wool falls,
all our other agricultural productions expert
ence decline in proportion, and the soil it
self which constitutes the fortune of the own
err, will be reduced to half of its original valu-
ton Indeed, under the operation of the re-
duction of the tariff, and the consequent a.
bridgement of the home market, the surplus
products Of Vermont will soon almost be a drug
upon our hands. In this disastrous condition,
we can find no relief from looking for market
to foreign countries. Other nations have aim
ed to secure the home market to themselves
for all articles which they can advantageously
produce; and have. consequently, adopted
system of protection to their own industry, and
of aggression upon the industry of all other
countries. Hence, not single article of Am
erican produce is admitted free bv foreign ma
tons. Even upon cotton, Great Britain, in
1888, raised revenue OF 50, 500000; while
every other agricultural production-our corn,
our flour, our rice, beef, pork, tobacco, lumber
and wool-are subjected to rigorous excise in
every port in Europe. Our cotton, which from
necessity, is comparatively free, constitutes but
a very inconsiderable proportion OF the leading
agricultural productions, which are either heav-
ily taxed, or totally excluded from the ports of
Britain. BY the census returns, it appears
that the annual value of cotton brought to the
cities for expectation, Is 80 millions, while the
dhuual value OF Otner agricultural productions
Is estimated at SIS millions-more than six
times greater than the annual value of the cot
ton crop of the United States. Upon flour,
Great Britain raises sliding duty of from so
to 100 per cent. 900 hundred per cent on TO-
bacco; beef, per cwt, 50 50; butter, S4 80 per
cwt.; salted pork, So So, per cwt.; and upon
all other of our productions in proportion. In
deed, there is not dcspot in Europe, from the
Imperial Queen of Great Britain, down to the
petty sovereigns of Germany, who do not en-
rich themselves, by plundering the industry of
our countrymen. The states of Europe get a
revenue of upwards of So millions out of i'm
posts upon our tobacco-double the whole reg.
Oh. 70