The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1850-01-23
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.

LOWELL, Dec. Ii, 1S49.
Though Lowell is full of life and hustle,
it furnishes but few topics of interest for
our pioneers. Things here are much ste
reotyped. Twenty-seveny ears-busy years,
have worked wonders upon this ground
Before that, it was a rocky aud sloughy old
cow pasture. .,..,-. q.
Shad were taken hero below the Falls,
and some salmon A rough little old grist
mill ventured to dip its wheel into the cur
rent by the side Of the rapids, and one or
two small stores above the Falls, furnished
the region around with coiiish, molasSes
and rum.
1t was one bright day in the year 1920
that Kirk Boote,a literally educated young
man from Boston, ACQUIRED with fowling
piece and pouch sat recl:ned upon the bare
rock By the side Of the Falls and conceived
of the Importance Of the mechanical force
here wasting itself from century to century,
for want Of direction hy the skill of man.
This conception of Mr.. Boote occurred just
at the epoch Of the establishment of manu-
features in America. Waltham, town 90
miles south Of this. W. already in the sue
cess Of the enterprises. The capital Of Bos-
ton was ready for This species of investment
The result is before Us. Fifteen corpora
tons and fifty mills are in operation, and
Lowell has now a population of some &c.
| 600 inhabitants.
Notwithstanding the nceasing c,amor Of
these manufacturers for "protection, pro-
tection." they have realized fortunes out Of
the enterprise, and large city has been
nourished aud built up OIL the trimmings Of
the profits. This has been done under the
bane, nay, 'curse" Of Democratic legisla-
ton. If there was ever all ungrateful class
OF men, they are these Boston manulactur-
ELS. The whole agricultural interest of
the Union has been taxed and taxed for
thirty years, for the especial benei, ofthese
men who were already rich and needed
nothing.
The doctrine that q tariff raises lie price
Of labor, is getting here to he regarded rs
nioonShine.
A free party. composed Of tho producing
classes, has arisen up here in defiance Ct
the t!ictation Of their task masters and has
just now elected, for second year a demo
cratic mayor in Lowell. This fact is one
Of the brightest commentaries upon the viz
tue and intelligence of the American pso-
| pie, that appears upon their history. TIE
operatives for a time, were made to believe
that their wages Increased with the tariff.
Years of experience has ground into them
conviction to the contrary. The first eff
feet of higher tariff has been, to call more
labor into the employ ofcapital. What in
vited supply of labor, brought in sur
plus of labor. Labor would become an APP
plicant for employ instead of being applied
to. In the mean time the market would be-
come overstocked with manufactured goods.
The abundance of goods would occasion a
fall in prices. What is the result? Capt.
tai would say to labor, eve don't want you
unless you will work at reduced prices.''-
'But we can't support our families" says
Labor. "Till the soil, "says. Capital. "But
we can't sell our agricultural products, "says
Labor; 'syour high tariff keeps out foreign
goods and Of course Foreigners can't afford
to buy our bread-stuffs. Wouldn't it be
fair, Mr.. Capital, to take some of those
SURPRISES above your declared dividends
which you are laying out in mills and new
canals, which SURPRISES we piled up for you
in good ,iines-would it not be right, now
you have brought US into this fix, that you
should help Us out CT it, with this ready
means:" "Labor,I don't understand YOU"
says Capital.