The Somerset herald and farmers' and mechanics' register. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 183?-1852, 1845-12-23

or cheaper hats or shoes, had got posses
sion ofthe market, the eve of this free
trade system was fastened on him like
vulture. The Secretary found he was
doing too well, and the duty must be re-
duced to let in the foreigner. Such was
the plan of this Administration. The
mechanic, finding his protection thus di-
minished, and having no other resource
but his business, would go on. to work,
10 work harder than before, and when by
working out Of hours, he had contrivcd
10 get over the opposition Of his Govern
ment, and began to get together little
profit, the same doctrine would repeat the
process; the duty would be evidently too
high-down with it! The "poor man
would now take his children from school
and bridg them into the shop. They ZOO
would now work, while the man himself
worked and harder. But what would be
the result? Ii would only bring him un-
der the Secretary's rule; the duty must be
again lowered, and still go on to be low
cred, more and more, till at last this free
born American must be'ground down by
the action of his own Government TO the
degraded and wretched condition of an
English pauper or Russian serf. The
moment an American laborer succeeded
by his exertions in shutting out foreign
competition, the foreigner must be let IN
and put over him. What sort Of rule
was this! For whom would one suppose
il to be made made! For the American
manufacturer, or the European! Clearly
it was rule for the benefit of the foreign
er. And could an independent and intel
ligent American consent to live under
such a rule! The moment the American
rises to his feet, in his struggle with for
eigners for the American market, he is to
be knocked down by this Executive
POKER, aud WALKED OVER by his Secreta-
nv Walker. A laugh. And this was
their AMERICAN SYSTEM. Mr.. s. insisted
il was a British system. 1t was Just
such system as Sir Robert Peel would
have recommended could he have spoken
through President Polk as his trumpet:
Its practical, its universal operation, would
be what he had just now described. And
would the House endorse a system like
1hiss This was the far-famed ''TREE-
TRADE SYSTEM" now for the first time
promulgated by an American fiscal Off
Ger. On how this tcnder-hearted Secre-
Iary did love the "poor man!' His love
was so great that he would bring him
down to level with the British paupers!
Since the improvements in steam, the
cost Of transportation was comparatively
nothing. Take of the duty, and the Bri-
fish workshops would be brought to our
door. Suppose these British loborers
were in Alexandra, working at twenty
five cents, was any man so blind as not to
sec that they must soon break down the
workmen of Washington! The employ
er would soon begin to talk to them in
very Ineligible language. ~My COM
pedtors in Alexandria gel labor for twen-
ty-live cents day, and VOC must take the
same or quit" Now where was the DIFF
ference, whether the distance was a little
greater or less! The practical operation
Of the system would bejust the same
And this was the blessed system of free
tradeI The workmen of England and
France could work cheaper than ours, and
free-trade doctrine held that we must buy
wherever we could buy cheapest Down
went the duty, in came foreign goods, out
went American money: and out and out it
went till we had no more money 10 send,
and the people and their Government be-
came bankrupt together This was the
blessing which the compassionable Secre-
tary had for the "poor mans Oh,
how he loved him! He brought in "the
poor man" ten times in two paragraphs
But his love would be very apt to oper-
ate like the love certain bear once had
for 'poor man." when he hugged him
10 death. A laugh
Mr.. s. had seen Mr.. Walkers name
announced for the Presidency. Now, an
uncharitable observer might perhaps say
that Mr. Walker was looking to be the
-'poor mans candidate If so, he pro-
posed wise plan, for his system would
soon make all the people poor, and then
he would go in by acciamation. Much
merriment.
The Secretary's system might not IN
apply be termed a plan to manufacture
''poor men," Such would be its prcati-
cal result, and there would be no escaping
it. Lei the the gentleman from Alabama
GMr- PArNE1 examine the report as long
rs he pleased, and see If he could make
any thing else out oft. And now Mr.
5. would ask the members OF this COM
mittee and his countrymen generally
whether the adoption of such a plan
zTunld not be equivalent to passing law
that hcnceforth no further capital should
be invested in manufactured 1t was in
1he nature ola notice beforehand, and it
ran in this wise: "Gentlemen, you may
invest your money in such way as you
deem best, b1H we here notify you that, as
.snnn IS vnH shall have snrnlinl the a An,er.