The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1847-08-28
An Old Absurdity Revived,


An error with an interest attached
to it, whether the interest be political
or personal, is prodigiously long-lived.
The cat; in the old adage, which could
bear killing nine times, was nothing to
it. 1t rises again,
With twenty mortal murders on its crown,
and often even the twentieth does not
finish it; the erroris revived from time
to time as long as the interest lasts.
The old nonsense about home
market, for example, which in all reason
should have been dead months ago, has
again made its appearance in the whig
and protectionist journals. The pre-
text:for reviving il is the recent decline
in the price Of wheat and breadstuffs
generally. "Yeu no W see your folly,"
say the whig journals to the people. 'in
desiring a foreign market. How much
better would it have been to create
market at home and secure steady
prices"
But do not these persons see that by
the new impulse given to our commerce
under a freer system of trade, we have
been creating a home market for A.
mercan produce, and most extensive
one, for several months past? What
have all the boatmen on our rivers, the,
forwarders on our canals, the persons
employed on our railways, the seamen
who man our vessels, the builders Of
boats, and ships, and steamers, been
doing since the new activity Of trade
began? This vast multitude have been
consuming the grain and the beef raised
by the American farmer. Add to these
the inhab abitants of our commercial sea.
ports, rapidly increasing in population:
add the inhabitants of our towns on the
lakes and the interior springing up un-
der the new impulse given to com.
merce; add the hungry swarms whom
our ships are bringing over from Eu-
rope, and you have a home market for
the products of American farms, far
larger and wider than could be created
by all the manufactures filled with ma
chinery which the strictest application
Of the protective system could force
INTO existence. 1t should not be for
gotten, however, that in the meantime
'ur manufacturing establishments have
been as active as ever, and that even
lew ones have sprung up in almost
Every part OF the Union.
Let it not be pretended, then, that
lnder the free trade system we forego
| home market for the fruits of the
'arth. By no means; we keep the
lome market; we enlarge it, and we
i'd to it the market of the world. It
S the shallowest of pretences to say
hat we can have home market for
'ur farmers only by granting exorbitant
advantages to the owners Of mills. AS
ong as we have an active population,
Vell-employed and well-paid, we pos
ess the best home market that il is
possible to have. Such population
purchases the most and consumes the
most. aw1
But these journals inveigh against a
oreign market. We answer, that but
or the opening Of the foreign markets,
he wheat Of the western farmers would
till have remained in their granaries.
f it be misfortune that the settlers Of
illinois, and Iowa, and Wisconsin, have
'sen able to part with the produce of
heir land for prices which in any de.
rec reward their labor, then we admit
hat one mischisvous consequences Of
rec trade is proved. Had they been
obliged to wait for a home market,
heir harvest would have rot;ed on
heir hands.
Neither is fuctuation in price one Of
he results Of being allowed access tea