Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1849-02-08
VOLUME VI. NO. 6.

' N'-Ny P0lHdPSA gan manufacture
cheaper than we can, and we can raise Grain
cheaper than they can; at any rate they would
be glad to work cheap for bread, rathertba have
no work and staNe; their manufacturers come
aere to seek an exchange for food; but up stems
the American tariff and says, if these goods are
Sold mere they must be taxed.-Its lanpnage is in
eject this; we will tax foreigners for the sim.
port Of our government; it will tighten the bur-
dens OF our citizens it will make as ricber,-
NOW this tax upon foreigners falls upon those
starving poor! For if it does tax foreigners at
all 1t does SO by depreciating the value of their
productions in our markets; ana of course les
senlng the amount they receive for their labor.
Hence the tax falls upon them eventually.
But y. save that lAEIsiGGg eoAia4r6egoutar,
i OF wrenching the bread out of The month";, d.
the poor" See if cannot. But have not
done with its merits yet. As have said. this
tariff policy is rcciprocated. Great Britain tax.
es our grain Now if this tax fails, from any
cause, to raise the price of grain in her markets
then 1t falls upon our farmers. fit does raise
the prices there, then the tax falls heaviest upon
her poor. On the other hand, if from any cause.
the tax We lay upon the manufactures of British
laborers, does not raise the price of goods in our
markets, there is no protection for protection is
this rise prices as have shown. If it does
raise prices, then the tax falls on our own
poor. Thus both governments unite in heaping
burdens upon the poor.
Now is it not far more rational and lust, that
instead of taxing foreigners for their support
each government should tar its oion citizen? Is
not this whole policy of beneftting self at the
expense of others, without caring where the bur
den falls, provided we can shirk it from our own
shoulders, a piece of ineffabe folishness and
meanneSs, as well as injustice? Must our SYM
pathy with the weak and oppressed be bounded
by geographical and State lines; Where do
we derive our moral right to practice this policy?
Must we wrong the poor of other nations by OBJ
structing the sale of their manufactures, in or
der that few wealthy men here may grow rich
err? Why should not labor have right to the
whole world for market? Free trade will
give it this right.
But let us look at the effect of this policy in
still another light Protection by adding to the
price of goods, obstructs their sale. fit is high
enough to exclude foreign goods, certain results
necessarily follow. These goods are thrown
back upon the home market. New goods are
continually being manufactured and crowded up
on the same markets. 1t becomes guttcd. The
prices fall The owners must force sale at
lower rates. Importers then take advanta9
ti,aaa Oirerr.a=tAneesko flood lie markets VI
, gooaI. JNSsDs oar Tsioes fall, and prot
defeated of its object. This is not all.
of prices causes corresponding reductions
the wages of the manufacturers, both at home
and abroad, and in many instances they are
& thrown out of employ" Here again the bur-
den falls upon the poor. Tariffs are at war with
labor
Capital seeks it own interest in every possible
way. BY discharging laborers and manufacture
ing less, it raises the price of goods again. This
game is often tried Now, inasmuch as protec-
< ton tempts capitalists to invest their money in
u manufacturing, just so far as it contributes to
draw off men from other employments and to
5 plut the markets with goods and then turn those
9 men out of employ, just so far IS it answerable
- for these evils.
&c Again. If capital has not sufficient induce
IT ment to engage in manufactures, lc'thoM tariff
'' aid, it follows that tariff forces labor out Of its
natural channels into those which are less pr9ftd-
/ BILE in Themselves and therefore really, and sub
y slantialy dminishes both It's products and It's
VI profits. / will not enlarge upon this proposition
at present. further than to say, that there Is
SC much time necessarily lost, in learning new
~ trades, during which labor yields but little prot
its or products. Men in their haste to get rlct
III fall into various temptations which prove smart
:, in the end.
NC In this connection will reply to the follow
I'll inp statement of S." If doing our own manu-
~ featuring in our own country occasions mort
~ WRONGS and evils, than would follow from havn
'u it done in another country, then he has otierere
~ an argument against tariffs"
80 Now, this is begging the question entirely 10
". it assumes as an indsputabe fact, or as 1ut
NJ dameptal point" this phrase Slips in handlly
III that without the aid of a tariff we could not,
,' would not do our manufacturing at home'-
''' This point is favorite argument with prote'
tionists, but it cannot be proved. 1t IS me-
p pretence, a humbug, sham, that we cam
manufacture all that is for our IL crest to do, wit
out the aid of protection. We can do what
nlease. If it is not for the interest of capital
Il enpage in manufacturing let it seek its lntere
elsewhere. Why force things out of their nal
A raj channels. Why must the poor be tariff ia
'wn ed to bring about an unnatural state OF 'hlni
- Or to enable the rich to erect factories and ke
at, them in operation'" The rich ought not
pro- have this bounty. Let capital seek profit whe
nti- can be had without the extraneous aid OF tar
by But tariffs touch many other things beslt
can manufactures and therefore the argument agai
ner- them does not depend upon the alternative Of
A It is perfectly clear, though, to my mind, t
at while they do not lessen evil in this country, tt
by do an incalculable amount of harm to the pool
ecu this and other countries, by lessening the va
ex- of their labor, or causing greater expendit
free of labor for the same amount of food and OF
Iere necessaries Of life.
1t a s. contends for such protection as will
once cure to every man, black or white the avalls
his own labor" Now If he will extend this r
neri- throughout the world, | agree with him IN
wish. thouph as to what would constitute 81