Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1844-07-05
THE DEMOCRAT AND "PRoTECTIoN,'


length. Our neghbor has a marvellous flow of
words, aud an abundance Of good advice which
last is entirely needless, do not feel under
any obligation TO pattern after locofoco paper or
follow its suggestions. And the complaint of SPAR
tizan parlance comes with good grace from his
side the fence Better not waste your breath in
this respect, neighbor-or at least spend il upon
some Of your brethren of the locofoco press, by
whom il is greatly needed. But is il not singular
that Shooting in the air, and at eiigies of own
CREATION, should so much luttering, and that
snch random, foolish remarks as our neighbor esti-
mates to be, should require a two column arti-
Gle in repy2
We do not lay claim to superior candor or fair
ness in this controversy, but are willing TO let the
public judge between US. We hope they will read
both sides, and give the mighty fine professions of
our neighbor all the weight they deserve.
Our neighbor says--"We seem determined TO
confound or have readers confound him with
the advocates of free trade" And can he blame
u.s. Did not James K Pok-whom he supports
for the Presidency-no longer ago than last sum
mer declare himself STEADILY OPPOSED TO A
PRorEcTIvE TARIrF, injurious 10 the interests
of the country" Did he not in 1888 introduce a
bill into Congress cutting down all existing duties
to rates averaging about Is per cent. within two
years '-an amount utterly insufficient TO protect
the interests Of either the farmer or manufacturer.
Is he not, with all his Southern supporters, the
open advocate of a rerenue tarif, without dis
elimination for protective purposes And did not
MIR Van Buren,, the lavorite leader of Northern To-
coiocoism, his decided disapprobation of the
tariff act of 1912, both in principle and detail p
which principle is protection. Surely when a
man proiessedly 'contending for principles sup
ports the open opponents of the protective policy,
we have some ground for believing him friendly to
/ their opinions.
But even if such were not our neighbours indi-
vidual opinion, what guarantee have we that il his
party come into power protection will not be aban-
doned The South clamors for free trade, and
Northern locoiocoism is proverbial for its ringing
submssiveness 10 Southern demands. Not only
that but the party with which neighbor acts,
changes lis line OF policy often the chameleon
his hue =; and ii would be nothing strange to see
democracy bitterly hostile TO a measure which but
few months before il had itself enacted The
friends of protection certainly most consistent
in acting with the Wing party, which every where
firmly and fearlessly advocates this truly National
and benrfcent policy.
But our neighboT ihnks-"a revenue tariff grad
uated by the neeessilieO of our manufactures and
their Importance TO the interests of the country is
the true policy. This phrase, or something similar,
is the common cry of ocofocos at the North, when
questioned upon the subject Of protection and with
its array OF three and four syllable words. has a
very pretty sound in the ears OF those who do not
investigate further. But we wish TO ask why the
locoiocos have not brought forward a tariff which
will answer neighbors description. Was Mr.
McKay's bill such an one Why did they not pass
II, with their sixty majority in the House OF Repre-
sentatives' Or if that bill unsatisfaetory why
was not another one proposed which would serve
the purpose How could the locofocos in Con.
gress as the peculiar guardians of the dear people
interests, permit that horrd black tariff of ls42
to rob the poor for still another year of his
hard earnings and ruin agriculture and commerce
entirely, merely 10 enrich a few lords Of the
loom: Strange friendship for just incidental pro-
lection this
I We believe we have but two points 10 substanti.
ate TO render our article of week before last still
npposite To the question at issue. First, that the
reduction IN the price of pins and hooks aud eyes
is the effect OF protection by reason of the encour-
agemeni given to the manufacturer. And since il
is acknowledged that the improvements in ma.
chinery for making pins and hooks and eyes have
taken place since duty was imposed on them we
will again try 10 shew how that duty affected the
price. We admit that these improvements have
greatly lowered the price of the articles in question
But 10 quote from late essay by Hon. Charles
Hudson, of Mass) what has caused this improve.
nient in machinery -
Protection created a competition and compo,itiou
nfth
That inventive power which has been exerted in per-
tectng machinery would have slumbered for AGES tn
come, II has for past had manufactures been
prosecuted under such brisk competition, that necess
ty, which is the mother of invention, demanded the
employment of aboT-saying machines Ii is TO protec
ton that competition, and to competition that
we owe those Improvements in machinery. which have
contributed to reduce prices So that aier ALL this re-
ducton is TO be ascbed To protection to the industry
which 1t stimulates and to the genius which excitesh
Let us take another illustration Would steam
printing presses ever have been invented had there
not been some nducement to follow the art of
printing and is not the cheapness of newspapers
brought about by these facilities for producing
them, result Of such inducements That protec.
ton hold out an Involvement to the manufacturer
even our neighbor will not deny; else why is he
avowedly in favor of il at all If home industry
will flourish as well without discriminating duties
there is surely no need OF imposing them, and we
had better at once have what neighbour South
ern partlzans demand-a horizontal tariff
The second point which it becomes necessary for
us TO sustain is that the foreign manufacturer can
carry on "a competition which will be ruinous to
The Yankee on this side the water England our
chief competitor, il is well known is the wealthiest
country in the world, and her riches in a great de-
gree flow from her exports of manufactures Now
as her operatives are starving, ilclad class God
help them } IT follows that the profits of manufac