Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1846-12-31
agtashtnaton eorresponoenee.
The Superiority OF the Home Market.
WAsmxeToN, Dec. Z3d, 1876.


James f. sieseart, Esq:
There is no issue before the Country in
which take so deep an interest as the Protec-
tion Of car Domestic Industry, and that must
be my apology, If any be necessary, for occu-
pying so much Of your space last week with a
review Of the Tariff portion Of the Presidents
Message. The Home Market seems 10 be an
inexplicable riddle through the crooks and
turns orwhich the Free Trade Democracy can
no, possibly see. Ii seems 10 BE- perfect bug
gaboo-whlch is placed at every corner;o jump
out and say leo to every farmer that has toturn
them. Wen, let Us travel for a moment that
course which Gen. JACKSON said ''c0mmon
sense pointed out" and see where II viii lead
US My object being to place good, solid IN
formation before your readers, and intending
this letter to be occupied with some remarks
upon the "Home Market" have fortunate
" to-day fallen upon the New YORK Tn
bune," with whose comments ! SO entirely
agree that ] annex them for you instead ofwFi-
ting out my own humble IDEAS. and ask your
farmers TO give them that consideration to
which they are so eminenty entitled. Here
they are =
The President in lis Message assumes that
''the Home Market alone is inadequate 10 en-
able them 10 dispose Of The immense surplus
OF food" &c. which our farmers care capa
bic Of producing, for the manifest rea-
son that they Cannot be CONSUMED IN The Com
-. \ L. ~
be utterly ignorant Of the fact that OF all the Pro
visions hitherto produced in THIS Country Gt
least forkj-nle faieiiS hare been consumed herel
At any rate, il Is the fact, and a comparison Of
the Census Returns Of Products with the Gus
tom House records Of Expectations viii dem
onstrate il bevond cayiL What would be ne
ccssary 10 create Home Market for all the
Provisions we might produce} Simply. the
extension or naturalization Of other branches
oil Industry, 10 a corresponding amount For
instance, Were we 10 create demand Tor Anne
rican Iron. Hardware, Hemp, Cloths, Silks,
Cordage, &c. 10 the extent Of Twenty Millions
per year, (not half our aggregate importation
Of these artic les, } we might cease entirely 70
export Breadsjutls and Provisions, yet grow
millions per annum the richer for the change
All that need be done in the premises Is 10 ere
qte demand for labor IN other purSlafS at pm
ces ,elich lcM tend to diminish tie aggregate en-
ployed IN grajil-grCwjng. That accomplished,
the Home prices Of Grain and Meat will rise
sufficiently TO prevent their expectation, eX-
cept in case an actual and serious deficiency
in the average production of the Old World.
Were we now making the fabrics we annual
" consume, we should usually export Food,
simply because the necessary diversion Of La
Dor from Food raising to Manuiactuing would
so enhance the prices OF Food among Us as 70
forbid their expectation.
With brief consideration Of the asserted
superiority Of two markets over one, we must
close. It's palpably better, IS the drift OF Mr..
PoLK's argument, that the Farmer have two
marketable Foreign and the Home-than
enc. Why, Sir, were everything else 10 re
main il. aa--ct4d this would seem reasonable.
But ;hat IS clearly impossible. j our Farmers
bay their fabrics mainly Of -: Eng land,
they cannot sell their Corn and Pork 10 .NtF
Eng for her ability to buy those articles
depends on the activity Of her factories, the
extensive sale Of her goods. The choice Of
two markets must therefore substantially be a
choice TO retain the one or the other, and the
perpetual alternative held out rs a lure by the
President is tallacious. five choose to buy
our fabrics Of Europe, we must abide by such
markets, such prices, Tor our Gram IS Europe
will give US; for cur Manufacturing region
can only buy thereof to any extent when its
own staples are bought in return. Letus give
familiar illustration Of this choice Of two
markets instead Of one, as it actually is. We
will take for example Connecticut township,
whose farmers now buy and sell with The man
uiacurcrs about them-oT, according TO Mr..
PoLK's logic, have been confined, by the Tar
III Of ~, to the Home Market only, and COM
PEELED to pay ''bountes" and taxes" 10 the
manufacturers. The amount current Of the
Farming Interest Of that township viii stand
substantially thus: