The Somerset herald and farmers' and mechanics' register. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 183?-1852, 1846-09-01
From the National Inteligencer.
TO THE EDRORS.
HOME LEAGUE. i"

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE, Aug, '46.
| see this morning that am assailed
by the Editors of the Union in nearly
a column of abuse for having had the
''hardihood'' to propose in the House the
formation of "home league" TO use A.
merican instead of foreign goods-to
support our own mechanics, manulactu-
rers, and farmers in preference TO those
of Great Britain, and thus resist the de-
clared purpose Of the Secretary of the
Treasury to prevent the substitution OF
American for foreign goods.
This the Union" characteriZes as high
treason-as a proceeding against the
Government" Now, how the preference
of .fmerican to British goods is a pro-
ceeding ''against the Government is be-
yond my comprehension. If he had said
against the British Government, | could
have understood him. But this is not all.
The Union threatens that, if this plan of
''a home league to prefer American to
British goods is persisted in, they will
form ''a home league to prefer British
to American goods; or, in the words OF
! the Union, "reftSe TO touch an article
produced by American manufacturers.
Let the Union and his friends form their
''home league" and "refuSe TO touch"
any thing produced by Americans-let
them do this, see what the American
shoemakers, hatters, and other mechan-
les and manufacturers will say to it. Let
them form their British league to use
British goods in opposition to the Amerl-
can leagne to use Americon goods, and
see which will prevail. Let them try
which is the strongest, the British or the
| American party in this country. TO
this | have no objection.
am further charged by the Union
with favoring the tariff of l642, which ii
says imposes tax of eighty millions oj
dollars, by the increased price of sirfcen
articles enumerated by the Secretary OF
the Treasury, viz. iron, woollen and cot
ton goods, leather, paper, &C., the prices
of which have been greatly reduced. as
every body knows, since the tariff oil
! 1912. Yet we are told that the people
are taxed eighty millions of dollars by
the increased price of these articles, oil
which the Secretary says we now pro-
duce annually In the United States three
| hundred and thirty -one millions of dollars
worth. But let the Secretary destroy, as
he proposes to do, this immense home
supply, and purchase them from abroad,
and what will then be the tax paid to for
eigners! Three hundred and thirty-one
millions a year! And where will he find
money TO pay it! But how does the
Secretary make out this tax OF eighty
millions, as the Union has it, or seventy
five according to his own statement! BY
adopting, to use his own words, "thc po-
sitlon that the duty is added to the price
of the import, as also of It's domestic
rival" To show the absurdlty OF the
Secretary's "posaion" that the duty is III
all cases added to the price of the ''do-
mestic rival'' product, let us take few
other cases, (quite as fair as some OF those
selected by the Secretary and sec the
result to which it brings him. For In
stance, the duty on potatoes is ten cents
bushel, of which we imported last year
21I 900 bushels, exported 274,OOO and
produced l50,O00,000. Now, if the
duty of ten cents is added to the price OF
the hsme supply; then the potato tax is
100000. Weproduced l2s,OOO,O0O
bushels of wheat: the duty on wheat Is
twenty-five cents bushel; so that, II
the duty is added to the price, as the Sec
retary says, then the wheat tax amounts
to S32, 100000 year. We produce
.O00, 100000 pounds of cotton yearly
We imported last year, according to the
Secretary's report, 100000 pounds
of cotton. Ifthe duty (three cents pei
pound) is added to the price of cotton