The Woodstock age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1844-1845, 1844-10-03


country, and such the low value OF land,
that almost every industrious laboIer had
iAe means, by his labor, Of becoming in a
short time freeholder, He thereby OBJ
tans feeling of responsibility, sense of proprle-
" and ofpersona independence, which Is generally
eiseu,n. 10 elevated character He has stake
in society, and inclined, therefore, rather TO up
hold han demolish it. lie does net look on all
propnrty as the enyied possession oil o'her'' anu
a. q proper prey for him and his fellows 80 soon
IA they may venture to set the power oil law ana
Government at defiance bnl, ns stock in winch
he has share, and which he is interested, there
fore 10 protect. Now we know that the reverse
q, all this is true Of the thousands of lourneymen
manufacturers in the gaeat establishments OF Eu-
rope.
Z, hey have no stake in society; they hang loose
upon it, and are often neither happy in their own
condition, nor without danger to the State, MIR
W. stated that he had lately compared the returns
Of lha number of persons committed to JAM !"
the several counties in England or crime or deo''
for thirteen years. viz; from 1904 to 1877 with the
proportion of agricultural and manufacturing pop
nj ,,ior,m those counties respectively. The re-
snl, was what he should have expected, except
that il was much more striking. In the most az
rlcultural counties, the number committed to Jail
was one in 10 900. In the most manufacturing,
ous in less than 1000; proportion OF twenty to
to one in favor of agricultural empoymens on the
moral habits, or on tue melns Of subsistence of
Individuals
It was well known tina, the English armies had
been principally recruited from among the manu.
occurring population. 1t had been stated, he be-
cY1d That during The late war, the City OF elias
ycw had furnished as many recruits as oil the rest
o' Scotland. This facility Of finding recruits might
Ne convenient to Governments but it was hardly
NJ indication of individual happiness and indepen-
3auac. In short, Mr. w. said, he would put 1t TO
any man who possessed the blessing of children,
whether he would not hope rather tina, they
would be freehoders, though they should Till their
own soil with their own hand, with the reasonable
prospect of respectfully and independence al
t.sugh this freehold were TO be beyond the Vel
,a@ Stone, or beyond the Stony Mountains, than
'Aa, they should 60 through life as journeymen
ianulactuIers, taking the chance Of the ignorance,
and the vice, the profisOcy, and the poverty, of
lot condition, although it were in the best manu-
isrtory in the richest city in the world
Il was no recommendation 10 him, thet the lar
ger factories gave employment TO women and chill
Gren, He thought it a kind of employment not
suited TO the one or the other; and he observed
;aat in England, Parliament had lately been obig-
81 to interfere to prevent the cruel and excessive
orer-working of children in these establishments,
lie was happy, most happy, to know, that, with
NJ, all possible care had been taken in regard 10
30 moral hahirs of the persons employed, espe.
tally in the excellent establishments in our neigh.
Jorhood, with which he was best acquainted
Hu, it must be remembered, that the system was
bIt Just now begun. Those who come for EN-
poymcnt must come with excellent habits, already
formed under the care Of their parents, in the farm
houses of New England. Thus far, all is we'll
But le, US not deceive ourselves. Some situations
ire favorable TO moral habits and others unr,vora
bic, and among the last are some Of such power
ill tendency as no care has been able 10 resist,
10 would not but believe that the respectable
young men of the country would choose hereafter
:, look for companions for life rather in domestic
families, rather among those who ale companions
f their mothers, the guardians Of their younger
brothers and sisters educated in the family society
,nl ,,Ih c,nilv nflpclnnu .lnn In far t,nir
choice to the crowded weaving-room Il, IL factory
n an atmosphere orco,ton, and oil, and amidst
he din of spoos and spndles, He knew he was
speaking upon what might be thought the remote
effect Of these great establishments, Yet not so
remote, perhaps, as we may imagine. If The sys-
TEN be established, and adhered 10, which he
could not believe until he should see it, the el-
rccis will not be tardy in their arrival. Two gencr.
atons, in his opinion, would change Ire whole
lace of New Engond society. lie persuaded him.
SELF however, tha,.. the proposed change was i'm
practicable. Our very state and condition varied
against H. Our best interests, he believed, were
opposed TO it, and Of all public measures it was
among the very last to which he should give his
HpppUdliVH' t'C pclIpNcu 'ic az
ready given to manufactures would enable them 10
extend themselves as fast as The general good re.
quired. The question was constantly asked
"wiII you do nothing for the manulacturers'"-
But this he thought an unfair mode of stating the
question; much is already done for the manuiac
,urers. The duties, as they now stand, afford
great protection, and, in some cases, extruord
naly bounes, 10 our manufacturers. II wa,
thought that complete satisfaction had been given
at the tlme, by The law Of 1876 which yet hac
been again altered, most materially, in favor o
the manufacturers, Of wooen and cotton cloth
BY that law, the duties on these articles was pu
at twenty-five per cent. after three years B,
subsequent act, however, this was altered, mt
the duty kept al the highest rate On woollel
cloth there is now paid duty oftwenly.6ve pc
cent. on their original value which, will. the usu
al addition, amounts TO q per cent
On cotton cloths, although the nominal rate pc
cent is the same, The duty Is in effect much high
er. il Is p per cent. on the first cost, but thei
the first s IN he tleptned al, o., Ian n,