Indiana State sentinel., 1849-08-23
Manufacturers want Cheap Food.

The manufacturers of Great Britain have broken
down the laws, which secured monopoly in
to the landed interest which is the nobility, in
order let into their country the cheap food of other
nations, and particularly of America. The cost Of
subsistence is important elemcnt of price. There
fore hgh-prced food added to the expense Of
facture, and nterfered with the ability of the British
manufactured TO compete with his rivals OF other
countries. In proportion as he reduced the cost Of
subsistence of his operatives the proportion
be could reduce wages and the price of the manufac-
tured article and thus keep his hold upon the trade
Of other nations.
The American manufacturer has the same object in
rieic to be brought about by process directly the
of that resorted to by he British manufacturer
Here we have large surplus of food for which our
farmers must find market abroad They are, there
fore, interested opening the ports and markets of
other nations for the sale Of their -four, corn, and pro-
visions. BY multiplying markets. the American far
increases the demand for his products, and coBse
quenty the prices at home. Now as the cost of SUBJ
sistence important element of the price of man.
uacured articles, the American manufacturer is in
terested in reducing the price Of food, well OF
the raw material He therefore is for having the
ports and markets of foreign nations shut against
produce. That would keep the vast surplus of the
products of our farmers home, and put The prizes
Of them at The mercyOf The manufacturer. As the
plus of agricultural products is large. if there
great outlet for them in the markets of other
countries, they would lie on the hands of the farmer TO
be taken al such prices as The manufacturer would be
pleased to give, or perish
The is only true of provisions, but Of cot
ton the great staple of the country, and the material
upon which depend our manufactures, commerce, and
exchanges, to a very great extent. If the mauufac-
turers of other countries could be broken down. and
thus the foreign market for cool destroyed the re-
suit would be that manufacturers ooud hare AZ
their polcer to control The price, and purchase at
such rates they pleased. If prices were, in their
estimation, too high, they could stop their machinery
for few months, discharge their operatives refuse
TO purchase the raw material and thus reduce the
price In short, they would control il completely.
IL is The competition of the t1orid cich ,ciR contribute
most to the interests of the American planter and far
Their interests are too vast and too mighty to
be accommodated by the demands of n home market.
If all the operatives employed in the cotton woollen,
and iron manufactures in England were transported
TO the United States they coud not be able Ia consume
our surplus food; and if we had enough of men and
machinery to manufacture all the cotton produced in
the United States, it would add enough 10 the con-
sumers of -four and 10 consume half the surplus
which we raise Besides it would compel the ma nu-
acurers of cotton themselves seek foreign ma rket
for at least $lOO00O,0O0 III value of their manufac
/ lures And should not they, too, have home mar
ket for their products! Certainly they are by right
much entitled 10 it as the farmer and planter for
whose interests they profess such tender affection
How idle, then is it TO talk of home market for the
various products of this vast country. Yet we have
many eupeIbCidi pnHoSOpnelS WHO lnaglne tnat t4sy
can fix the machinery by which all our immense in
erests Gun be equalized and made TO harmonze. They
can be equazed, and they can be made to har-
monize only by letting them alone.
Not many years since the hobby of the proectionist
was to protect Manufacturers. Now, since the man.
ufaciurers nave become nabobs, with princely in
comes their theory be carried out only by furnish
ing home market; or, in other words, protecting
the farmer and planter They do not much,
now about protecting the manufacturer, but the far
'nsr must be protected. He will get such protection
from these pretended friends Vultures give to
lambs, covering and devouring ttem."-W. Union.