Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1843-06-09
a FREE TRADE ARGUMENT ANSWER.
ED,

fhI4E TRADE ARGUMENT ANSN Err.
ED.
"A little more Than year ago, If VIC do not mis-
remember, the Vermont PATRIOT was in the hnbit
Of using the argument OF free traders that proiec.
tive duties are taxes upon the consumers for in
stance, protection any cuss OF goods must
ccssarily raise the price of those goods, and thus
draw The price of protection out Of the pockets of
those who purchase the goods and put it into the
pockets OF the manufacturer. III is may indeed
be true in some circumstances, such as the COM
mencement of a new branch Of manufactures,
when for want of skill, facilities and experience,
the cost OF the domestic article is enhanced while
the foreign is perhaps put far below its real cost
in order TO break down the domestic. But more
generally the reverse is the fact. While foreign
ers controlled our markets they fixed The prices
nearly at will, aud reaped the profits, and expert
ence has fully proved that these prices were ex-
horbitant. BY the introduction of domestic man
ufactures, competition was produced, both be-
tween the domestic manufacturers individually,
and between them as q class aud the foreign. BY
that competition their articles hive been reduced to
fair remuuerating prices, and the profits have been
kept within the country. Thus the free trade
arguments triumplandy answered, and the sound
policy of protection demonstrated. The N. Y.
Tribune has shown up this free trade ialIucy most
beautifully, and we avail ourselves Of its article.
In order TO what the free trade doctrine is, the
annexed is quoted from The New York Evening
Post of March 7lh--a hlue-ight federal organ of
old, but now one of tho biggest of the locoiuco
leaders:
From The ~ y Eceniag Post, .Nirch Z.
" Wood ScreiOS are chnrged with duty of cigh-
~ per cent. I'D palorem. making the retail price
mol much less than double, II imported under tho
present Tariff oUer q free Importation But this
article is prohibited, aud the domestic article will
he sold instead causing the consumer to pny no
tax, indeed, 10 tho United States, hut a tar 10 The
Eastern manufacturer Of one third The price, for the
privilege Of using hisinterior article. The doues-
tic article is handsome TO the eye, being made by
machinery but on account OF the high price OF
labor, has to be made out Of wire, instead Of for
ged blanks; and so iciI cause many a carpenter 10
groan orer heads ttoisted off, Besides, The corm is
not so good for carpenters use as the foreign dr.
Gle. These inconvenience are TO he borne, for
the privilege of contributing to the III gotten gains
Of The manufacturers of The East" sc. &C. sc.
Now for the auswer-and complete one it il,
quoted from the same paper OF subsequent
date
" .4mtricaR Wood ScretOS. We huve been show
ed Il sample Of screws manufactured by the New
England Screw Company at Providence, K. L.
They are remarkably neat and regular in their work.
nanship, compared 10Th The British article tchich is
coarse and rough 10 the eye. We are told that the
cost OF manufacturing them is about gross,
that girl will turn out, with the machinery, sixty
gross days aud ,hat the mandatory OF the COM
pany makes about ton of them daily. Then man
be furnished Twenty-Five per cent. cheaper than The
English article, which will ensure their sale in
this country, we suppose, Tariff or no Tariff"
The same is true of cutlery. Witness the an
nexed from the same locofoco free trade newspa-
per:
".4merican Cutlery We were interested il the
examination yesterday of some beautiful spec-
mems of American Cutlery manufactured by ].
Russell & Co. ct Green River Works, Greenfield,
Mass. The articles are fully equal in material and
finish 10 the best specimens OF the rival wares of
Sheffield the blades Of the best cast steel
the handles are of ivory, bone, and beautifully
polished wood. Not only these articles fully
equal in merit to the rival English goods but
they afforded ut n price beioc that at which
Cutlery was ever sold in this country before the
Imposition of our present Tariff. We learn ,riM
pleasure that The market for american Cttlerv as
tce as other articles protected BY the Nev Tariff is
STEADILY offending, giring leider and rider employ
ment u american Labor. At present, the Green
knives aud forks per day, aud are making arrange-
nlens for still further extension Of their busi-
ness"
The same is also true of cotton goods as has
been demonstrated by the recent expectation TO
England Of American articles In fact the A.
merican is not only cheaper Than English cotton,
but better.
la these circumstances, however The Free Ira
ders now take new turn; behold say they, A.
nerIcnns can beat British manu- factures therefore
there is no need Of protection. We answer, that if
the British are freely admitted 10 our markets,
through their superiority in point Of capital they
could and would flood those mark els dog cheap
and PROSTATE the domestic manufactures Then
would they amply repay the sacrifice by extor-
ton.
Mr.. Fan Buren, on The Tariff When Mr. Van
Burens Indiana letter was published, it was said
in this paper, and we dare say in many others
Il.