The Somerset herald and farmers' and mechanics' register. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 183?-1852, 1846-08-18

uIJs dhe uOWl dIl ti6 diHCICo III d
store, one after another-estimate the
value Of the raw material, the bread and
meat, and other agricultural products,
which have entered into their fabrication,
and it will be found that one-halt and
more of their value consists of the pro-
ductions of the soil--agricultural produce
In its strictest sense.
Now, by reference to Mr.. Walkers
report, it will be seen that, for twelve
years back, we have imported from Great
Britain and her dependencies annually
52a millions of dollars worth of goods,
but call it so millions, while she took of
all our agricultural products, save cotton
and tobacco, less than two and half mil
lions of dollars worth. Thus, then, as
suming one-half the value of her goods to
be agricultural, it gives us 25 millions of
her agricultural produce to q millions of
ours taken by her, which is just ten TO
one; to avoid cavil, put it eight to one.
To test the truth of his position, he was
prepared, if time permitted, to refer to
numerous facts. But for information of
gentlemen who are such great friends to
the poor and Oppressed farmers, | will
tell them that we have imported yearly,
for twenty-six years, $50 says Mr.. Walk
er's report, more than ten millions of
dollars worth Of woollen goods. Last
year we imported SlO,666,l76 WORTH
Now, one-half and more of the value of
| this cloth was made up OF wool, the SUBJ
sistence of labor and other agricultural
| productions. The general estimate is,
that the wool alone is half. The univer-
sal custom among farmers, when they
had their wool manufactured on the shares
was to give the manufacturer half the
cloth. Thus we import, and our farmers
have to pay, for FIVE millions of dollars
worth of foreign wool every year in the
form of cloth, mostly the production of
sheep feeding On the grass and grain of
Great Britain, while our own wool is
worthless for want of a market; and this
is the policy gentlemen recommend to A.
merican farmers. Yes, sir; and not salts
fled with five millions, they wish 10 in
crease it to TEN millions year for foreign
wool. Will gentlemen deny this? They
dare not. They supported Mr.. Walkers
bill, reducing the duties on woollens near
! ly one-half, with view to increase the
revenue; of course, the imports must be
doubled, making the import of cloth
| twenty millions instead of ten, and of
wool ten instead of five millions of dollars
per annum.
This was the plan to favor the farmers
British farmers, by giving them .9meri-
can market. Their plan was to buy
everything, sell nothing, and get rich
! CA laugh. What was true as to cloth
was equally true as to everything else
Take a hat, pair of shoes, yard of
silk or lace, analyze ii, resolve it into its
constituent elements, and you will find
that the raw material, and the substance
of labor, and other agricultural products,
constituted more than one-half its entire
value. The pauper labor of Europe en-
! ployed in manufacturing silk and lace got
what it eat, no more; and this is what you
pay for when you purchase their goods.
Break up your home manufacturers and
home markets, import everything you
eat and drink and wear, for the Jeneft of
The farmers. Oh, what friends these
gentlemen are to the farmers and mechan-
les and laborers of this country-no, sir,
am wrong, of Great Britain.
As still stronger illustration of his
argument, Mr.. S. referred to the article
of iron. Last year, according to MIR.
Walkers Report, we imported $9,043,-
396 worth of foreign iron. and its manu-
factures, mostly from Great Britain, four
fifths of the value of which, as every pare
tical man knew, consisted of agricultural
produce-nothing else. Iron is made oi
ore and coal; and what are the ore and coal
buried in your mountains worth! Moth
ing-nothing at all, unused. What gives
its value? The labor OF horses, oxen,
! mules and men. And what sustained
this labor but corn and oats, hay and
straw for the one, and bread and meat and
vegetables of every kind for the other
These agricultural products were pur-
T, chased and consumed, and this made up
! nearly the whole price of the iron which
the manufactures received and paid over
to the farmers again and again, as often as
the process was repeated. Well, is moi
iron made in England Of the same mate
rials that it is made here! Certainly;
then is not four-ffihs of the value of Bri-
tish iron made up of British agricultural
produce9 And if we purchase nine mil.
lions of dollars worth Of British iron q
year, do we not pay six or seven millions
of this sum for the produce of British
iarmers-grain, hay, grass, bread, meat
and other provisions for man and beast
sent here for sale in the form of iron!-
He put it TO the gentleman from Virgini;
/ (Mr. BAYLY) to say if this was not true
to the letter. He challenged him to de
n &c bl