Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1844-09-19
From the Poughkeepsic Journal.
FACTS FOR THE MECHANICS.

In the years when the rates Of duties upon all
important articles ranged at little 90 per cent,
1t is well known not only the foreign impo
so far exceeded the exports to create a ruinous
balance Of trade against u.s. but that owing TO the
low duties, in addition to the usual foreign goods
brought in, large quantities of articles made by
mechanical labor began also to be Imported, and
that kind Of business was increasing so rapidly
mat had 1t not been stopped by the tariff of '12 il
would soon have proved vast injury if not utterly
rnnous, to large portion Of American Mechanics
Hardly ship came from England that did not
brng as portion Of her cargo, LARGE quantity of
London made hats French cabinet furniture be-
gan also TO come by the cargo; but among the
chief mechanical articles were French boots and
shoes, and ready made clothing.
All who had occasion TO visit our large cities
in those times could see in every quarter signs
up, showing shops filled with French boots and
shoes, and the ready made clothing brought from
London could almost be found as easily. But we
wish to call the attention Of shoemakers and tail
ors, especially journeymen, to two simple facts,
which we noticed particularly at the time. A sim
gle ship which arrived in the spring Of lSd2 before
the Wing Tariff was passed, brought 10000 pair
OF Paris maze boots and shoes, which were at
once thrown into our markets. 1t was also stated
by tie city papers, at about the same time, when
orders were constantly going TO England for ready
made clothing, that by the steamship Great West
ern, In one trip, there We're sent measures 10 Lon
don Tor twelve hundred full suits Of clothes TO be
made to order for n. York and Philadelphia.
by The boots and shoes brought i'm the cargo
here mentioned, American journeymen shoema-
keTs were directly deprived Of patronage to the
amount OF ut least $4,000, and more probably
OF $4,000, all of which was so much cash Ia
ken directly from their pockets. And in refer
ence to the clothes ordered i'm one trim by th,,
Great Western, the journeymen tailors, to saw
hothing OF their employers, were, in like manner
sufferers directly from their pockets i'm the loss of
k In tha toTa BIZ
cash, for the making of the 200 coats alone
would have amounted to s., 600. All OF this.
let 1t be understood, was lost TO American jour-
neymen shocmakers and taors, in but iwo insian-
ces' without reference 10 the hundreds of others
OF similar character, in the importation of
ready made clothing, hats, cabinet furniture, &c.
10 MI the shops in our large cities.
NOW we wish our working men of all classes
many OF whom are doubtless still acting with
the Iocoioco party, would consider these facts
Weh' ana ihen without reference to past preferen-
ceS or preJudlceS as to men, conclude, deliberate
ly, according to the dictates Of their sober iudp-
ment, which policy is best calculated 10 promote
their own interests and those of the country
one single fact like that Of the arrival of 10000
pair OF French boots and shoes in one cargo, is
worth more TO enable them to reach a correct con-
cusion than all the theory in the world. A Jour
neyman shoemaker or tailor when he finds he is
discharged, and himself and family SUFFERING
through his want of employment, and because
me articles upon which he works are made in
Paris or London at prices below which he can
possibly make decent living, does not want to
read ten columns about "Democracy," "poor
mems rights" and ''bank," and so on, to UNDER
stand his position. He sees at once, if he looks
at the subject without prejudice. that both his in
terests and his rights sacrificed through the
bad policy of the Government, which allows
foreigners TO take away his substance by depri-
wing him of the patronage to which he is enti-
lied. The same rule applies 10 eyery branch of
industry.
But, says Locofoco demagogue, anxious to
conceal the real issue from the people, what has
all this to do with the Presidential question? We
answer, ii has euery fling 10 do ,ciM al, and upon
the settlement of that question will depend entire
~ the protection or The prostraton of American
industry. Henry Clay has always been the
steady advocate of that system, and if he is elect
ed II will certainly be established during his adj
mlnisiraton upon basis so firm that it can never
again be shaken On the other hand, James X.
Folk is and always has been an avowed oppo.
nent OF protection and an advocate of free trade
he is now supported at the South solely upon that
ground, as all his party papers and meetings
( show, so that II he is successful, the protective
system will as certainly be put down. There
is no diguising this issue, however much dema-
gogues may seek to mystify it. Let mechanics
then choose which of the TWO they consider as
presenting the best clans to their support. 1t is
to them plain business matter.