New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-08-11
The Proof from Rafi.,

Our recent deductions from the success
full experiment in the manufacture of wool
en- shawls at Lowell have been honored
with response from each If the two Jour
nails in this City which take the lead an OPP
posing protection and sustaining the inter-
ests of British manufacturers and foreign
merchants. We cordially welcome their
structures, and give them 4 place in our
columns by way Of rarity, Tor these quasi
Free Traders are generally very shy OF an
argument, and with reason, ii we may Judge
from the present specimens of what they can
say in defense of their cause. First, we
copy the disquisition OF Tie Ercnng Post
of Friday.
The Tribune has a long article, intended to show
that but for protective duties, should never have
manufactured shawls m this country as we are no"
doing to a very great extent
The Tribune seems ignorant of the facts necessary
10 night ludsment m The case although these have
been LAID before the public IN tins paper IL was
American ingenuity. and not The American Tam.
which enabled the American manufacturer 10 under
sell the Scotchman IN our market and ingenuity,
activity and enterprise are the only protection which
The American artisan manufacturer, who has r
proper feeling for the honor Of his country, wen
due Of the justice he owes 10 ms fellow -clil
zcnS, would ever clam.
Before the invention OF method OF making the
lnges 10 shawls by machinery. the Bay state Mills.
which now issue shawls IN such Quantities. could
hold no competition with The owners Of the mills
Scotland. Two mechanics. carpenter and his
son. employed IN the BAY state Mills, 1t the sugges
ton OF one OF the prOprleiors, invented and perfect
cd the mcthed Of making, by machinery. The t1nges
which IN Scotland are made by The hand and his,
and not the duty imported Shawls was the origin
of the prosperity OF this branch OF me American
trade IN wcolenS.
The lesson which We are 20 derive from this j..
that there Is a better method Of uyalng other
uCn> m the market than protection. II IS by the
merit OF the commodity offer. ~ superior skill III
producing Il, by greater cheapne>s greater excel
lence. THIS j. method which gives u the advtn-
iage. not only IN the home market 5u, IN the great
market of the world. Protection a premium
lazness on want OF skin on want OF care IN short,
on bad goods. Let the manufacturer be certain OF
market. however inferior the quality OF his goods let
better and cheaper fabrics than Ms own0e excludedby
prOhbltoy duties, and he has no ndUCement 20 ln-
prove the quality OF those which are made az h>
and yoa find HIM immediately casting aoout FOR
methods 10 a-isrd his fabrlcs cheaper or 20 make
them better.
We have excelled all the world IN ShIp-buiidlng.
not only without protection. but spite OF obstacles
thrown by our protective system IN the way OF the
Ship-oullderS. II the free trade system had pre-
vailed nom The beginning, II l. certain that IN what
/ ever other branch of manufacture We engaged, We
should have eQualed II nc. excelle1 Other nations,
Certainly no reader of the above, who
aid not know the fact before. would suppose
that this manufacture was now in the en-
joyment OF protection TO the extent of 50
per cent, and that il had grown up under
that duty The Posi- would have it under
stood that the American improvement in
making the fringe has alone enabled the
Shawl-makers OF Lowell to compete with
their British rivals. when il knows perfectly
well that We were right in saving that but
for protection the manufacture could not
have been called into existence. The saw
ing in the fringe is equal to but 81 cents on
each shawl, and without the additional
( advantage of 80 per cent. duty on he for
eign article, the mills could not have been
established. But having got established.
the large and increasing home demand,
and the economies they have successfully
introduced in their processes, enable the
makers TO diminish the price until they are
able 10 beat the British shawls out Of the
Canadian market, and We may even live 70
see them selling their fabrics IN Europe.
All this is proof of what we have always
commended, namely that with protection the