Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-10-30
The Mechanic.
Mechanics.


"Support your own mechanics" There IS per-
haps no truth more undeniable than that we should
support our own mechanics This, upon mo-
ment's reflection will seem to force itself upon
us as a duty we owe the community and as 1t
were selEeyident fact that cannot but find as
sent in the judgement of every rejecting mind,
Where we have no mechanics, society suffers
the greatest inconvenience for the want even ef
the proper implements of cultivation, and like
wise for the want of the numerous neceSsarles OF
life, which are to be looked for from the hand OF
the skillful artizan. We find mechanics to be
an industrious, enterprsing and worthy class of
individuals; and indeed it has been found that
this class of men have been of such Importance
in town, village, or settlement, that their pres
ence or absence has been set down as an index
of the condition of a place, whether it has flour
ished in wealth and prosperity, or declining and
sinking in decay.
Who has not been filled with pleasing emo
tons when he has passed through the smiling
village and heard the sound of the carpenters
saw and hammer, the cnk from the anvil, while
the smiten steel, and the circle OF mechanic arts
are by all encouraged, and industry and cheer
nlness, twin sisters of virtue, stamp their image
on the countenances of all.
The impression in this case is irresistible, that
this village or settlement is in flourlshlng con-
dition and that the unanimous sentiment OF the
whole community is this: We support our
0aon mechanics" Whenever this is the case, we
see the happy effects upon the community, and
multtudes that would otherwise be idle and M
dolent, and prohgate, become industrious and
enterprising and useful citizens, and are cllssed
among the productive rather than among the
non-productre part Of the community But
when this spirit is not fostered, great class be-
come idle, and are obliged in a manner to re-
main so, or seek other places where the mechan-
ical arts are better encouraged, and hence the
decline of a town, community or country Whele
these arts do not meet with proper encourage
mcnt
Many individuals readily assent to the idea
that we should as a nation, encourage manulac-
lures among us, and any effort to discourage our
domestic manufactures would be strongly disap-
proved by them, but still their practice in dis
couraging manufactures in any particular sec
ton, would, if rightly considered go equally a.
gainst manufactures in any part of our country.
If the merchant would have around him profta-
bic set of customers, let him encourage the man.
ufactures in his own vicinity by which means
the mechanic becomes wealthy and is enabled
eventually to establish himself, so that he can
manufacture to as good advantage perhaps, as
any section of the country But on the other
hand he becomes disheartened and broken up by
the course that merchants and traders take in
importing articles that might be manufactured tc
good advantage in their own vicinity. The OBJ
lection is often made that our articles come much
higher than articles imported, and are frequent
ly inferior but this is the right way to make
the objection still prevail, for as long as such i:
the disposition on the part of tradesmen, sucl
still will be the objection. Let for instance the
case but once be changed; let each farmer OIL
mechanic who buys from one to FIVE hundred
dollars worth of store goods in year, instead o
purchasing them of the merchants in his owl
vicinity, 90 to some wholesale merchant in
city at distance would he not say at once the
thing is unjust! And could he not reply to the
individual that the course he was taking wa,
one that would eventually operate against HI.
own interest as we'll as against the interest o
the whole community in his section of country
Me Union.