The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1846-05-16
THE DEsERTERs.

mo:
efforts are continually making TO outice
our men to desert, and, regret TO say, have
met with considerable success. Four, how
ever, have been drowned in swimming the
river and two have been killed by our pckets
while attempting to desert, which has opera
rcd to check the practice. A majority ofthose
who have deserted are old offenders"
Extract from letter written by an officer
ofthc army on the Rio Grande, dated April
~:
awe have lost about 40 by desertion since
we came here The shooting ofthree by our
pickets, the drowning ofiour more, and some
severe measures understood to have been a.
dopted on tho other side with deserters sup
posed TO be spies, have nearly stopped the
practice"
QFSThe following article, from the Mid
dIebury Galaxy, confirms the positions which
we have heretofore taken on the Wool ques-
ton. The Editor of the Galaxy is himself
II wool grower, we understand, to a pretty
large extent.
II is well known by every reading man,
that the Wings i'm Congress made use of eve
nv possible effort to make the Tariff of lSl2
as effectual as possible for the protection of
Wool growers All wool except such as was
really coarse, was subjected to the highest
rnte of duties-3 cents per h., and 30 per cent.
advalorcm, while the 5 per cent. was limited
10 coarse wool only, which could not compete
with the domestic production, and costing I'M
der Z cents per pound in the South American
market. Several provisions We're made TO
prevent under valuations by mixing foreign
substances and charging upon bales accor-
ding to the finest wool which each contained,
&c. And vet il is fact avowed by the Loco
tocos themselves, that nine tenths of all the
wool imported from South America pays the
lowest rate of duties, although it is wellunder-
stood that ofthe five or six different grades of
wool imported from that quarter, three or
four are finer grades which come i'll compe-
ttion with ours, and should be charged with
3 cents per pound and 30 cents advaorem,
which would amount to IS cents advalorom.
In consequence of this abominable fraud
upon the wool growers, suffered to be prac
ticed by the Executive, the importation of
South American wool has increased from a
bout millions in 1913 to % millions in 1915.
And look at the manner in which these
hypocritca friends of Protection TO the wool
grower propose 10 remedy the evil of which
they complain. Instead of carrying ont the
present Tariff which would fairly allow du-
" of IS per cent advalorem on at least half
of the wool imported from s. America, Mr.
Walkers Bill proposes % per cent advalorem
upon importations of wool of every dcscrip-
ton. Yes, TO remedy what they pronounce
the "ourdgeous humbuggeIy of the present
Wing Tariff upon wool growers and which
las brought irretrievable ruin upon them;
Two cents a pound is the only prescription of
these empty pretenders for Protection 10 the
farmer" But such has been the duplicity of
Locofoism in relation TO protection, from be-
ginning to end. They have ever declared
themselves opposed to Tariff for Protection
on any branch of domestic industry. They
objected to the Tariff of1Sl2 on the ground
that it aimed at Protection, and in every stage
ofIts progress throughCongress they attempt
ed to reduce it on wooden goods, which is C.
ven worse for the wool grower than to reduce
on wool itself They are this moment eager
ly employed in Congress in reducing the Tar
lfffrom an average of40 20 25 per cent I'm
prudence and hypocrisy can go no farther
than these men have made them in cheating
the people out of protection to domestic in
dustry. One would think they could not o.
pen their heads on protection without being
choled with confusion in view ofthe Disgrace
fIl tricks they have played before the people
on this subject. The collectors in assessing
duties have regarded nothing but the price of
the wool at the place whence imported. They
have utterly neglected the distinctions be-
tween coarse wool and fine, which was inten-
ded by the friends ofthe Tariff as so conserv-
alive of the interests of the Wool grower.
Nothing is easier than to execute the law ac-
cording to its intent. Let the Secretary of
the Treasury procure samples Of coarse and
fine wool, and send them to the Custom House
officers, as their guide in the assessment of
duties. This plan was pointed out by Gov.
.Slade to Mr. Forward in lS43, then Secretary
of the Treasury; and would have been car
ried into effect had he not been Tylerized out
ofoffice and a free Trade Locofoco substitu-
ged in his stead.
The Watchman, treating upon the same
subject, remarks:
"Ilow has the act of l842 been executed?
During the first year of its operations (1S43,)
it appears for some reason the importations
ofwool were very small, less than millions
ofpounds against III millions in 1S42 and Is
millions in IS41. Whether more reasons
than one exist we know not; but there was one
the Wing custom house officers had not
NIL been Iylerized in 43. In "A, this work
had been completed, and the importations of
wool rose from less than millions to Ia; and
in as, when Polk had introduced his bosom
ofreform, the importations of wool rose to
nearly 25 millions! and nearly all, in both in
stances, consisting of wool imported under
the five per cent. duty. We have occasional
ly suggested that these large importations
gave ground for suspicion that the Tariff has
not been fairly executed: but now,if the asser
tons ola locofoco enemy of the Tariff are
true, the frauds upon the Tariff have been
gross in character and i'm amount.
Now word or two as to the remedy. Shall
lit be what the locofocos Representatives,
25 per cent. duty; or shall it be to erec1te the
ImiEef'42 fairly, and impose duty of 3