The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1846-07-09
SPEECH
OF Mr Stewart Of Pennsylvania,
IN DEFENCE OF THE PROTECTIVE POLICY.
Delivered IN the House Of Represento>
tees ofthe U. s., May 27, 1916.
SPEECH


The rest Of the country was compara-
lively young in manufactures. They still
needed the helping hand OF Government;
they wanted protection in their infancy.
New England was magna0imous and
patriotic; she wished TO see other portions
Of the country prosper by following her
example; when the South and West sup
piled, as they could, the coarser goods,
she would go 10 work on the finer fabrics
Did not the gentleman see that by redu'
cling the tariff he was checking invest
ments in his owl country and in mine, in
the South and West, and thereby secur
log a monopoly 10 vested capital, where
ever it. exiscd, and present high profs
which could only be reduced by enlarged
competition at home? Was not this true?
Was it not common sense? He put it 10
every mans understanding. 1t was not
only common sense, bat, what was more,
it was proved by universal experience.
To show the practical operation Of the
protective policy, he would take by way
of illustration, The eighboring iron works
at Mount Savage, near Cumberland
That establishment has been bull! up with.
in a few years. Some time before i! was
commenced, land could be bought there
for Two and three dollars an acre, which
could not cow be purchased under twon-
ty or thirty dollars; and mineral lands had
lately been sold at hundreds Of dollars per
acre, which, few years before these i'm
proVcmenls were made, were compare
lively worthless. Such were the effects OF
the protective policy. Was this system
hurlfuI to agricuIlure? Then let gentIe>
men look at the Laurel Factory, not far
from this city. The proprietor Of that
factory lately bought the ground on which
it stood for five dollars ar acre; and the
same proprietor was now trying 10 pur
chase land in the neighborhood at fifty, s.
could not get it. This was the effect Of
giving the farmers market. Manufaco
turing establishments multiplied the VAL
ue of farms in their vicinity often ten,
twenty and sometimes, mineral lands, an
hundred fold. And what was lis effects
upon labor? Did itnot increase The price
of Iabol2 Wha! depressed prices but the
destruction of employment? The pro,ec.
tive policy, by increasing the number Of
manufacturing estati samen;s, Of course
increased the number of persons employ
ed in them, thereby creating a greater de.
mand and higher wages for labor. La
borers of all descriptions flock to the fur
ces-coal dggers, choppers, teamsters,
aad a thousand 9TH RS. Now, suppose
The gentleman should quit his agitation
make no more appeals to party, no more
speeches, what would be the
efecl? Would not others go TO building
up new establishments? And would not
that furnish new markets for farmers, and
employment for labor of all sorts? The
Noun Savage works employed in various
ways from four to five thousand men,
Let three or four more such cstabishS
men,s go up in thai vicinity, and you
would have at once demand for three
or four times as many hands, aud for all I
sorts of agricultura produce in The same
How, then, could gentIe> {
men assert that the protective policy was {
10 labor aud agriculture? ,
[Mr. Holmes, of S. c., put question S
10 Mr.. Stewart, whether all this was not t
lone by taxing the South for the benefi. of |
New England!l c
The gentleman asked whether all this i
benefit did not grow out of tax upon the {
5outh2 Mr.. s. would answer the gentle. i
nan; if these factories were built by Gov =
then this might, TO some extent, !
oe true. Butthey were built, not by Gov. !
but by individual enterprise; & +
what sort of tax was it upon the Souh a
o give them better goods for one>tounh +
he price they formerly paid! Mr.. S. said i