Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1850-07-04
Our 4th of July Article.
CONFESSION AGAINST FREE TRADE
BY BRITISH NEWSPAPER.

CONFESSION AGAINST FREE TRADE,
BYA BRITISH NEWSPAPER.
We hope the politicians who read last weeks
Walchman did not skip the foreign news. There
was a single paragraph in it with more pith
than can be found in many an elaborate argu-
ment upon the Tariff question. Il is this:
s.In an article defining the details ofthe tables
OF the board of trade for the four last months the
European Times says: "Upon general review
of the present accounts, we cannot but feel more
assured of the satisfactory state of our CONNER
cial system.
The springs of industry are now fairly in mo-
ton throughout the country, and can only be
checked BY the curtai.ment Of the supply OF the
raw material abroad; by the return of wages
from the manufacturing districts arising out of
the factory labor question, it is admitted the
value of labor has decreased, but by no means
commensurate with the great decline in the cost
of living, which has taken place since 1876, up
on every view."
From a report recently presented to Farlia-
ment. it appears that the largest importa;ions OF
wheat and -four this year, into Great Britain,
have been from France. The quantity from the
United States is comparatively small"
The European Times is assured of the sat
isfaetory state of the British commercial sys-
tens" but how is it satisfactory? The Times
does not tell Us that the imports of British man.
ufactures have been vastly increased the last
year, especially to the United States. Such is
the fact, however. The total foreign imports
this year are already ID millions more than last
our exports are about the same sum less,-thus
leaving the United States already 26 millions
more in deb. than last year! Truly, the British
commercial system may be highly satisfactory
to-the British.
And how is this system to continue 10 work
Surely, in the same bad way, going on from bad
TO worse. What says the Times England has
sent her iron and woo.ens to US, millions upon
millions of dollars worth has she bought our
products to a commensurate degree for them
NO. NO. Our readers will recollect that New
York shipper tried the British manufacturers on
American wool: they would not pay him living
prices, and he brought his wool home again
Yet we buy British wool, turned into woolens
by British labor. 1t comes into our market on
false invoices to cheat our government out OF
the duties, and to break down both honest A.
merican importers and American producers.-
We-shrewd Yankees as we are-pay the Brit
ish rogues handsome profit for their work. and
pay in cash. Do they take the wheat and -four
of the West !? NO. Mark what the Times
saws: "the largest ilnportations Of wheat and
-four thie year, into Great Britain, have been from
France. The quantity from The United Sates Is
comparatively small" From France, indeed:
then France has wheat to sell-she won't buy
of us; vet zoe are buying silks and wines, to the
tune Of millions per annum, of her.
Again we say,-this free trade system may
be satisfactory to the British, and to France, per-
bsps-but it is death to America. Stop though,
eays some jealous locofoco theorizer in free
trade: if under free trade system England can
cut and calve for herself caar zoe do too p
Suppose we could: what is 10 be gained BY cut
ting and carving from each o,her' Perhaps it
might be Kilkenny cat afair-little better.-
But can we play with England at this game P
Certainly not, a. will appear clearly when we
learn from the Tines hew she plays il Capital
in England is abundant : British capital is not
burdened to break down the energies Of all the
rest of the world. This burden is borne By The
laboring nsen-the hard s0orked farmers, manufac-
tarers and miners Of England, while the nabobs
pocket the profits. Marx the paragraph from the
Times again:
"By the return Of wages from the manufac-
turing districts arising out Of the factory labor
question, it is admitted tie uaiae Of labor has
DEcRKAsED."
Al: the working man's wages have been cut
down. albeit far lower before than any Yankee
would labor for. And how with the fsrmer2-l
Wsrx aig-lor says the pithy Times, the de-
crease in factory labor is ~bv no means COM
mensunte with tIs grsat dsrsise Of Living, which