The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1846-10-03
From the New York Evening Post.
THE HOME MARKET.

"a home market" are words IN the mouths oil
all the tariff orators and tariff presses, until the
words have become so familiar to their ears that
they believe they have some sense aud some mean
ing. But not one of them could tell what they
mean by "a home Market" in Its bearings on pro.
lection, without beng ashamed Of using the mean.
Ing as an argument. S-
If by"a home market" Is meant that most oil
The products of the soil are used on the spot where
they are raised. the words have sensible mean
ing, and their truth Is applicable to our own and
almost all other nations. But II in their applica-
ton as TO the tariff, they are designed to convey
the impression that any enable increased pro.
portion Of the farming products are consumed IN
consequence OF the establishment of cotton and
wooen. or other manufactures, it is a faacy so
easily refuted by facts, that il becomes ridiculous
IN the>mouth Of a man who lays claim to an ounce
of common sense.
The number ofpersons employed in these man
ufactories could not consume for instance as much
flour as one county in our State produces. The
simple reason Is that there are so few of them, not
enough to make more than decent sized village;
vet the protectionists would make us believe that
manufacturers keep up the price of agricultural
products
The truth oi these remarks may be illustrated by
taking the returns of the State of Massachusetts,
an example, forthe year ls45:
There were then employed in the cotton manufac
tures 20,7l0
Andin the woollen factories, including
worsted goods S,2ls
Add to these the Calico printers and car
Also the persons employed in making ma
chinery 2,506
We then have total Of persons 34,52l
The estimate in this country ofthe consumption
OF -four is one barrel to each individual. The coun.
iyof Monroe, In this State, raises one million two
hundred and Fifty thousand bushels OF wheat an
nually-equal to two hundred and fifty thous-
and barrels of flour, and halt as much as the
highest pretender in Massachusetts, alleges is taken
by that State for consumption from all other parts
Of The Union. ..,.
. The same ridiculous pretensions are made in ref
erence to Pennsylvania. Yet the county Of Lam
caster alone raises more wheat than can be con-
sumed by all the iron and coal miners and manu-
factures in the State. In order to get over these
difficulties, we are told sometimes that we must in
ciude the families who are dependent on these OPP
eratiyes. This would not help the matter essen.
fiay, as if we allow five persons for each laborer,
the county named would furnish the whole guam
iity required. In cottons aud woollens, however,
the mass Of the operatives have no families, being
generally unmarried persons. The number ofper-
sons employed in coal mines and in the manufac-
tory of iron in all its branches in Pennsylvania in
1910, was IA $50; Allowing five persons 10 each
Of these and there would be dependent on them in
elusive, II .750 persons. five suppose the num-
ber to have doubled since that time, that there
would now be 500 persons, they would only
consume II II 500 bushels of wheat The county
of Lanca aster raised n that year l29 ,277 bushels,
more Than fifty per cent beyond what these opera
tiyes would consume. The increase of the crop
ufMichigan annually is more than all that is con-
sumed BY the manufacturers in the United States.
If all they consumed were burned up every year,
il would not make half cent difference in the price
of wheat on bushei.
Thus far free trade; but let US subjon few 9th
er facts:
The crop of Indian corn for 1916, will be more
than five hundred millions of bushels.
{ The crop Of wheat will exceed one hundred and
forty millions Of bushels, which would produce
equal 10 twenty eight millions barrels Of -four.
Within the last four weeks the price of Indian
corn in this market has risen, in consequence oil
large shipments to Europe, from fifty cents per
bushel to eighty cents per bushe. which is an ad-
vance Of sixty per cent on its value.
Flour, within the same period, has risen from 81
to S5 per barrel, which is an advance Of 20 per
cent.
Rye has experienced much greater advance
than wheat.
All other articles OF agricultural produce. as well
as provisions, have advanced considerably in price
in consequence Of foreign demand
The enormous amount Of wealth which this
advance adds 10 the capital of the country, aud
which goes chiefly into the pockets OF the farmers,
can easily be estimated by referring to tabular sta
tistcs We shall not pretend to indicate the pre-
else amount; it will be seen at a glance that it
must be prodgious; we will venture to say that it
greatly exceeds all the wealth that all the cotton
and wooden manufactures ofthe nation could make
for il In ten years. Yet the farmers, who are so
deeply interested in the spread Of the principles Of
free trade are most audaciously asked 10 sacrifice
their stupendous interests, that few upsart man.
rufactnrers may he allowed to coin money tor them
selves They are requested to forego the vast ad-
vantages of an unlimited trade abroad, for aprob-
lemetical home market; which after an experience
ofhalf century, we are authorized to say, will
never open. 1t is quite incredible how the agri-
cnlturalists should have allowed themselves to be
duped IN this respect as much as they have been.