The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-09-21
The Cheap Food or Canada.

When we urge upon the consideration OF
Congress the revival of the system of 1912,
under which the manufacture of iron grew from
two hundred thousand to eight hundred thou
sand tons, thus making on the land market
for It's products 10 the extent of thirty or forty
millions of dollars, our neghbors of the Union
inform us that "the manufacturers want cheap
food -
When we urge the revival of the system nn-
der which the consumption Of cotton grew from
270, 900 to GOO, 900 bales, and prosperous ope-
ratives were large consumers of food and cloth
ing, the Union replies: These manufacturers
want cheap food"
When we urge the revival of the system
! under which immigration grew rapidly from
year TO year, trebing in four years, thus max
ing market for the products Of the farm and
the plantation TO the extent of thirty millions of
dollars, they again reply: "These manulactur-
ers want cheap food"
When we urge the revival of the system
under which navigation grew at rate
| more rapid than in any other period of our his
tory, and prosperous ship-buiders consumed
largely of all the products of the land our neigh
| bors assure their readers that the sole object of
| the manufacturers is that of obtaining ''cheap
| food" that they may manufacture cheaply and
undersell their rivals.
Food IS cheap in Canada. Within the Union
| it is high and it is so because we have made a
| market on the land for its products. The Ca
madam desires to be permitted to participate in
that market and for that purpose asks to be
brought within the Union, just so far as to
enable him to import his wheat and his lum-
| thus reduce the prices of the Union to a
| level with those Of Canada. The measure
| is advocated by our Locofoco opponents. By
| the Wings, as party, II is utterly dlsclalmed.
They 60 for the protection of the farmer and
| the planter. Their policy leads to the reopen
| ing of the now abandoned cotton and woollen
mills, furnaces, FORCES, oil mills, and coal mines,
| and to the extension of the market of oar oun
| farmers and Our o,cn planters, to whom they
would secure the supply of the men who work
| in those mills, and furnaces, and forges, and
! mines, whether of ore or of coal. The policy
| the remaining mills, and furnaces, and mines,
| and to the diminution of the market of both
| farmer and planter, and then to the division of
| that diminished market with our neighbors,
! that those neighbors may be enabled to attract
| immigration and sell their land, and thus ac-
quire the ability to make railroads and canals,
\ further to facilitate the work of destroying the
great agricultural interest of the Union. Hav-
| ing crushed the farmers customers, they would
now crush the farmer himself Their motto is
| "Rule and Ruin"
In case Of the passage of this bill-and we
| hear that it is to be forced through by the ap-
plication of the screw-we shall have frequent
occasion to ask to it the attention of our read
ers, both agricultural and commercial, but es-
pecally the former, with view that they may
understand accurately who are really ''the
farmers friends" We therefore invite our
neighbor OF the Union to define accurately his
position on this question, informing us WHO 1T
IS THAT NOW WANTS CHEAP FOOD.