The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-04-25
Domestic Industry.

ana FREE TRADE, by WILLARD PHILLIPS,
esq.,, with which we have been favored by
the publishers, Messrs. LITTLE s. Brown,
of Boston, we extract the following sec
| ton.
| VII. The promotion of OWN INDUSTRY, or ne
gleet Of it, has m0mentOus consequences.
We may, then, consider it to be an established,
indisputable, and indeed ON all sides admitted,
principle that Legislation, well the neglect to
legislate, and also the policy and administration Of
the government will forward or hinder the nation
al industry and the progress of the domestic arts.
We shall readily that it is of infinite Importance
to favor and promote that industry and those
arts. This you admit, perhaps So much the better.
But some do not admit it: the late administration
did not, when it recommended to Congress duty
tea and coffee, which do not produce, in pre-
ference to raising the revenue on such articles as
do produce; for which, as far as can perceive,
it could have no possible motive but to avoid the
encouragement of our own industry; and to such a
degree was it actuated by the dread of merely in
cidentally promoting the useful industry of the
country by the mode of levying the imposts, that,
for the purpose of avoiding this, it recommend
ed that duty should be imposed the two i'm
ported articles in the consumption of which the poor
man comes nearer to an equal amount with the rich
MAINTAIN in any others, except drugs and med-
cines. By this, and other like propositions, the
same executive has done service to the country;
for before its messages and reports and official
documents were promulgated, only Mr.. McCul-
loch of London, and some few of our southern
politicians Of the abstract metaphysical school,
had explicitly avowed the fallacious postulates
and extravagant sophsms of free-trade logic. 1t
was desirable to have some authority of practi-
cal chs no haft han icia
sectional and partisan for the preposterous results
to which the free-trade theory necessarily leads,
and this we now have such it is; 30 that, if we
state the doctrines in plain terms, not liable
to be told that though such doctrines may be those
Of Adam Smith, Mr. Senior, Mr.. McCulloch, etc.,
they not those of professors Of free trade.
There are, then, those among us, besides recluse,
speculative theorists, who profess and teach the
Observation-Disclosures of that so-called science, as
thus appears by vouchers and signatures
who go to, at least the ltimd Thule of the system
ifnot beyond.
The great importance of labor and its annual
products merely in respect to value, independent
ly of other considerations, appears manestly from
the fact, that ii is in comparison with the entire
value of real and personal property in the commu-
nifty has already been suggested, in the proper
ton Of the absolute possession of thing forever to
proportion you may, from any data of the least
authority, still the value and importance of the
labor will immensely predominate; from which it
necessarily results that the promotion of industry
is of vital importance. Arts, civilization national
strength and progress, political life death, de-
pend upon it.
Take an illustration of the effect of want of en-
ployment in the of Pittsburg in 1915, from Mat
thew Carcy's New Olive Branch. You may make
much allowance as you please for any supposed
want of exactness in his statistics though he plainly
intended to be within the mark, and still this
Of poverty and distress will be sufficiently fearful
He says: "This city, in 1875 contained about 5000
inhabitants. II exhibited as exhiiarating a scene
Of industry and prosperity any place in the
world. Its immense local advantages, seated at
the confluence Of two noble rivers, forming the
majestic Ohio; its boundless supplies of COAL
and the very laudable enterprise Of its inhabit-
ants, had, for a long time, rendered il the empo-
rum of the western world. But alas! the inn
moderate influx Of foreign manufactures, poured in
there shortly after the peace, produced most
lamitous reverse The operations of the hammer,
the Ratchet, the shuttle, the spindle, the loom,
ceased in great degree. Noble establishments,
which reflected honor upon the nation were closed;*
the proprietors ruined, the workmen discharged. a
and the circumjacent country, which had shared
in it's prosperity, now equally partook Of its de-
cline" And he states that by minute investiga-
ton, conducted by citizens of high standing ii APP
peared that ,576 people Of that city had been de-
prived Of the employment which supported them !;
that is over one-third Of the population had lost
the income from their labor, 10 many of whom il
was their sole income. The loss in that one year
in the wages of labor, compared with 1915, he
computes at 81 ,735,s33. lie makes the CORE
spending loss in Philadelphia S7,1UO.s04
Here is a result in two cities, one the seaboard
and one in the interior, which would represent the
country generally. The population Of these two
cities then about $4,000; and that of the Uni
ted States exclusive of slaves about 800 000 from
which data, allowing that the average intensity of
distress for want of employment throughout tho
country eighth of the estimate for those
two Cities the result is loss industry alone that
year Of Ss3,75O,O00 Vary the statistics as you
please still If you admit of any fraction whatever
of the population being thrown out Of employment,
you will come to result demonstrating the pre-
eminence of industry, and the mighty effect Of
whatever enlarges curtails it,
But this is not the whole of the destructive effect
Of any law or policy, or any neglect to make
needed law, or TO follow expedient policy The
income of capital, that is, the advantage annually
accruing to every man, rich, of ever so small
possessions, in land, tools, industrial mate
rails means Of whatever description, is depressed
by the same cause. This accumulated stock of
tools and materials, which call capital, cannot,
in such circumstances, all be used adysntagcously.
If one man in ten is out Of employment, then one
plough in ten will be out Of use, and the wages of
men and the value of implements will be reduced
two OF three tenths more, and so on through the
whole variety Of trades, industrial instruments,
and materials Of all kinds, the most necessary
in their degree; for If men very moderate means
out Of work, they will be less comfortably clad,
fed, lodged, and sheltered, that is, will demand use,
These we're, no doubt, put up 10 supply the ne
ccssitics of the country during the war Of 1872
what Mr.. Secretary Walker considered 10 be monu.
ments of folly that il, the folly of Industrious
tcrprisng men, who come 10 help the country in
it's need when the free trader folds his arms and
says Let alone.