The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1854-11-10
support your own Mechanics.

The following sensible remarks. which we find
| in some of our exchanges, we transfer to our
columns, and would earnestly commend them TO our
readers in this city, and The State at large:
There is no truth more undenablo than that II
is the boundcn duty Of every community 10
support its mechanics. They are worthy ana
indispensable class of men, and we find 40 town
| or village fourishirg without their aid. Indeed
their presence or absence is always true index
of the condition of place-whether II IS advancing
in wealth and Importance sinking into decay
Whenever pass tbroug b village and hear
the frequent sound of The carpenters hammer, the
clink of the bIacksmth's anv--that village, We
say 10 ourselves, is 6ourishng 1t cannot be
otherwise, for the producers actively employed.
and outuumber the consumers. Whenever and
wherever this is the case. the people are growing
wealthy, and at the same time training up the
rising generation 10 habits industry and morality.
Where, if city village pursue the opposite OF
this course-neglects its mechanics and supports
those Of some foreign town-those who can Will
be compelled to go TO some other place. and those
who are compelled by the force of circumstances
to remain, will become idle and prof1gate--ihey
will cease TO produce and be consumers-In a few
years they become beggars, and their children
ignorant and vicious.
If there is any truth 10 the assertion, that we
ought as a nation to give the preference TO domes
tic manufactures, the fact is equally true with re-
gard 10 Inc community !; both sustained by the
same arguments If merchant would have
around him substantial customers let him by every
means in his power support and foster the mechan-
les Of his village, and as they become more wealthy
their custom will increase, especially IN those
articles on which he makes the greatest profits,
for it IS undenabIe, that men become more
wealthy, they also become more luxurious, and no
merchant will deny that articles Of luxury always
afford The greatest profits The habit Of importing
large quantities of cheap and half made articles OF
competitions with our village mechanics is short
sighted and wrong, both as regards the mechanic
and consumer; and If the merchant would look
further into the operation Of things, he would find
that he crossed the path of his interest by
doing Let the merchant bring the case to his
own door, and he perhaps may better understand
IT; suppose that every individual who possesses
the means, and who uses in his family four or
five hundred dollars worth Of goods per annum
should, instead Of buying of him at RETAIL 90 TO
some city wholesale establishment and purchase
his years supply-would he not in bitterness con-
denim such Iiberal course, and would he not
say 10 him with truth that he warning against
his own interest," by destroying the business of his
town and giving it to another: and that his little
ness would react upon him in double fold bv the
decrease OF his property and business So, in the
above instanced, could the mechanic say the
same to the merchant We say, then, let all
classes support each o'her and by mutual
changes keep that wealth at home, which, if un.
necessarily expended abroad, tends to destroy the
business of your neighbor, md which in turn
destroys your own.