Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1848-05-13

homej that we should encourage our own
manufacturers, in preference to foreigners;
and that nation can never be said to be
truly independent, so long as it relies upon
foreign markets for articles of daily use,
necessary TO the comfort of its citizens
That it is the duty of the government in
collecting its revenues derived from i'm.
posts upon foreign importations, so to reg.
ulate them as to afford reasonable protec.
ton to our manufacturers against foreign
competition. But in the Democratic ad.
dress recently issued we are referred to
the late example of Great Britain, as con.
elusive against the policy of protective
tariff, and liberal extracts are given from
an English newspaper, 10 show the opera.
ton of free trade in England. In observ-
ing the effect of the repeal Of protective
duties in Great Britain, it should be borne
in mind, that under the influence of high
protective tariff, she had carried her man
ufactures to the extreme point Of perfec.
ton, and had fixed them upon stable ba.
SIS defying all competition in her home or
foreign markets. The perfection of her
machinery, the skill of her operatives, re.
sulling from long experience. The vast
amount of capital seeking investment and
|
bined with the low price of wages, result.
ing from her dense and half-fed population,
gave her the most ample assurance that her
manufacturing interests no longer needed
the protecting arm Of the government;
that it was fully able to take care of itself,
and could successfully compete in all the
markets Of the world, with the manufac-
lures of other nations. But until they had
attained TO this condition, she rigidly ad.
hered to the protective policy; and only
abandoned it at last, because it was no Ion.
ger needed, hoping, by the force of her ex-
ample, TO induce other nations, differently
circumstanced, to adopt the free trade poll
cy, and thereby open their markets TO her
competition. 1t was, perhaps, very wise
policy for her, but will prove ruinous 10 a
nation whose manufactures are yet in their
infancy, and whose well fed and we'll clad
operatives expect fair remunerating prices
for their labor, and are not willing 10 be
placed upon an equality with the pauper
muIttudes that throng the work shops of
England. If the doctrine of free trade, as
maintained by the Democratic party, is TO
prevail, our own mechanics and manufac-
turers must shut up their shops. Until Ia
; Dor becomes as cheap in this country as il
is in England, under the influence of free
trade doctrines, they will send their manu-
features TO the very doors Of our work
: shops, and sell them for less than we can
: produce them for. There can be no valid
objection TO this, if we could have any guar.
anty of its continuance. But when they
shall have destroyed our manufacturing in.
teres,s, and obtained a complete monopoly
/ I<c bot tho,y ko
I their instincts if they did not exact from
US exhorbitant prices for articles which we
: are compelled to have, and for which we
would thus be dependent upon them. Du
G ring the last year, whilst we were feeding
e from our well filled granaries the starving
IS population of Europe, and when all kinds
Of produce we're commanding exhorbitan
$ prices, our Democratic friends were louc
u in their encomiums upon that great Dem
u ocratic measure, the tariff of 1916. W.
were pointed to that as the prime moving
cause of the high prices Of produce. ant
IS of the golden stream which was then flow
Y ing in upon US.
But since then, the seasons have beer
E propitious the harvests in Europe have
;, been abundant, they no longer need ou
e breadstuffs to feed their starving multitudes
> and in despite of that great political pana
cea. the tariff of 1916, prices have declined
;, until many Of our products are not nov
" worth the cost of transporting them Il
: market.
:. There is yet another subject OF importance t
, the Western States, and 10 Missouri in psrlic
, ular. to which we invite yonr attention. w
allude to the removal, by the General Govern
= ment, Of the distractions to the navigation G
e our great navigable streams. This is subjec
e OF profound interest TO every man in Missouri
lie State has not now the means to make any i'm
D. provemen:s OF this character. President Poll
il has recently vetoed an act OF Congress appropr
y aling money for this purpose, upon the svowe
E. ground that Congress has not the constitutions
e. right 10 improve the navigation OF these grea
E. commercial thorough.fares, and the Democrat
is Convention, recently assembled at Jefferson Cit!
ofl by resolution Of that body declared that the
n, approved Of the grounds assumed by Mr.. Pol
rs on this subject, We may. therefore, safely a
- sumo il as an article in the Democratic Greco
y that so long as they remain in power our rive
u, are not to be improved at all. That for years
e' come, the lives and property Of our citizens a
&c to be sacrificed by the perils OF navigation, wit
e. out, an effort on the part OF our rulers to remet
the evil. We lake issue with them upon do
e. trns fraught with such incalculable evil, and '
at aver that James X. Polk is the first President
lsl these United States who has ever had the temt
IT. ity 10 maintain in opposition TO the long ests
u. ished usages OF the Government. that Congre
or has not The constitutional power to make sppl