The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1844-10-11
VOLUME 1. NUMBER 33.


rers and mechanics will eat up all the agricul-
tural products of the country. Then you give
a home market to our farmers and thus protect
all their productions. That is true. IF, by law,
you can turn so much Of the productive labor of
the country to manufacturing and the mechanic
arts, as to make these branches equal to the con-
sumption Of the agricultural products and we
cease to export bread stufs, beef, &C. then you
can protect the farmer in his whole interest. But
how will it then stand with the manufacturing and
mechanic nterests' Will the farmers be able 10
turn round and buy all the manufactures of the
country? For if they can't, your system is Just
as bad only you have changed sides Laughter ]
Now the farmer cannot be protected even though
there are heavy duties the agricultural imports
Then, the farmer would be protected to the whole
extent, and the manufacturer could not be protect
ed at all; because for two thirds of their articles
they must depend upon eXportaon-and the
moment they are compelled to go abroad for a
market. they are as much beyond protection the
farmer is now. Then, how will it stand? viii
the country be the gainer' Will it be in more
prosperous and healthy condition. And espe-
cially will the manufacturing and mechanical
interests be better off? We can answer this
question If VIC will believe in experience and
history The government of Great Britain. to
which we are pointed for an example Of the wis
dom of this prohibitOry policy, have gone through
with this. They have tried the experiment and
most effectually. They commenced by protection
to manufactures, by 20 and 100 per cent. duties
But they had more efficient system than we
have. The British government, neither depends
on public opinion nor on constitutional restrictions
to carry forward its policy. What did they do?-
At the start when it became the object OF govern
ment to protect particular interest, they said in
terms, "this shall not be imported" And for two
centuries, the importation of woolen cloth into
England was entirely prohibited-no duty about it.
1t was made penal for any subject to wear cloth
not wove and spun within the realm. Well, they
forced enough Of their population into manufac-
turing, to all the products OF agriculture.
What is the consequence? Population increased.
The farming interest turned back on them and
demanded protection against foreign bread, and
foreign meat and foreign provisions, and now
have got protective duty of more than 100 per
cent. on every necessary of ie-and the manufac-
turing labor of the country is Starving to death.
That is experience. There the thing has been
tried. And now they have got to point which is
unchanging so long the agricultural interest can
control. Let me add a word which may be rele-
want to a state of things with US. How is it that
the agricultural interest Of Great Britain compos
ing seven per cent of her population, is able to
command the legislative policy of that great coun-
try? 1t is because the government in the pursuit
of this policy, has built up debt resting on the
land Of the countryside stock held by the land
holders and landlords of the country-which the
government can't pay-and through its credit and
its debt, the landed interest commands and must
command, while that monarchy exists, lis egisla-
tive policy. And it can command protection to
its wheat and its beef and other productions while
the laborer starves at his loom and spinning ienney
Do we, fellow citizens, and am sure address
people, large majority of whom are farmers-do
we desire any monopoly to the agricultural INTEREST,"
[Cries of 'no, no'] Then the manufacturing
and mechanical interests should not--as wise men
among them do not-desire to drive the agricuu-
raj interest, by seeking monopoly for themselves,
to this result. Because the road is plain. 1t is
beaten track. Not England alone, but France,
Spain Au stria have followed it to the same con-
clusiOn Now, the argument is--"protection
against the pauper labor of Europe" How has
that pauper labor been produced' By carrying
out the prohiditOry policy We should protect
ourselves to the whole extent of the revenue of
our government with the exception of what we
enjoy without taxation by duties on imports
Beyond that it wuuld be impolitic, as it would be
unjust, to go. But | am OBTAINING you too long
on this subject Another word shall close.
What is tins system OF benefits which our op-
ponents so urge upon us, and to oppose which they
say is anti patriotic and anti American? Strip it
of its imaginary qualities, and of rhetoric in
which they dress it up, and it is system of tara
tiOn on the people. And did our revolutionary
fathers ever dream, when they were comforting
on the federal government this tremendous power
of tdration, that the people to stand up in
mass and instruct their epresentatives-"taru as on
tar as on-because by t0rdtion you can drive
US into unerUnpled prosperity" [Laughterl-
Fellow citizens it is fallacy. Divest the human
mind of prejudice, and it will detect the falacy at
once 1t is not system of blessings at all; and if
your government required no revenue, no Con-
gress would be permitted to lay taxes to tax you
into prosperity. This is all the benefit, all the
honest part of the invention-that by just regard
to the different interests of the taxing power, you
NAV relieve burthens on the community Tar |
lightly the accessories Of life, and you relieve
taxation on the poor and laboring classes. Tax
heavy the luxuries, and you reach property that
should bear the he heaviest portion of taxation-
Where your interests conflict with foreign interets
bear taxation on the article hard it will bear,
consistently with revenue. You fill the treasury |
and relieve taxation from another sourse. What |
pay more for my coat or cotton, do not pay on |
any thing else--whilst aid an important interest |