Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1857-03-13

ever they may think about it, they are at
home feeding their bleating hocks, and pro-
tecting them from the wintry blasts; but the
agents of the large manufacturers and import
ers are here, bloating like lambs, with per-
suasive tongues and curious figures, in favor
Of free cooi, and disintorostcdly ondeavoring
TO protect the wool-growers from their igno-
rance and folly in not recognizing their
benevolence. At their own cost they are
here trying to prevail upon Congress to
pass law which, they say viii give the farm
er higher and more permanent price for his
wool than he has ever yet received " The
Troians feared the Greeks. even when they
made presents The Troians had reason to
fear tooodea horse. but here is quite as a.
farming an exhibition Of the leooiy horse.
1t IS not new thing, because the farmers
are on board the same ship, for the manufac-
turers and importers TO claim the stearage.-
But let us do justice to all, and 'call no man
master. y quaint old English writer on
this subject remarks that
"a fundamental mistake this Notwithstanding same
ness OF interest in other rcspccts 60 imagine sers aud
5Ves Of any commodity are not divided in one point,
me price to BE- paid for -that either Of thcm getting
The whole staff VI power into their own hands will not
beat the other with d most undghteouslyr 90
] object to placing the "staf of power"
in the hands of any class or any one interest.
1t ought always to take tig0 fe make q bar
gain.
Suppose the wool-grower. or his agent,
were TO retort upon the manufacturers with
similar line of argument, and state that the
duty of thirty per cent. on the manufactures
OF iron, hardware, cutlery, &c, is altogether
too much, or not needed at all While | be-
lieve it would not be quite false, | think it
would be rather ungracious but not more so
than the feeling manifest in some quarters to
sacrifice wool for the exclusive benefit of the
manufacturers, who seem disposed to
" Compound for sins they arc inclined to.
by damuing those they have mind TO-"
On Sheffield hardware, such as cutlery,
odge-tools, files and saws, some protection is
needed little longer, but for this, twenty per
cent is ample and upon all other kinds,
without discrimination. ten per cent, | feel
quite sure, is fully sufficient. Formerly
nearly all Of our hardware was made of
wrought iron now it is nearly all made of
cast OF malleablo iron. The superiority of
American hardware, such as house finishing
articles. saddlery, &c, is conspicuous and
generally conceded. Many OF the Birming-
ham factors are giving up exports to America.
Under these circumstances. | would not with
hold from American artisans that protection
without which their final and complete sue
cess might be even thought to be endangered.
But let all parties comply with the golden
rule, land as We would that men should do to
you, do ye also to them likewise"
Those Democratic orators and editors who
made the welkin ring about the cruel injust-
ice of the tariff of 1912. for only allowing
wool costing seven cents and under to be i'm
ported free Of duty, will not, trnst, now be
guilty of the inconsistency of striking a
heavier blow upon the farmer in the same di-
rection.
BY the bill, as last amended by the COM
mittee, see that all rags are to be admitted
free of duty. The importation of rags for
the year ending June 80, 1856 was 3S, ,727,-
OH pounds, costing Al ,239, l6s-a very ex-
traordinary increase within the past few years.
1t is under rather than over, to say that not
less than 25,0O0,OO pounds of this amount
may be estimated 70 have been icoolen rags
or old worn-out and torn-up wooden cloths
These are picked to pieces by machinery, af-
ter they reach this country, and when cleans
ed and the ibers separated, form what is
called shoddy, and this sells in market for
sixteen and sometimes even for thirty cents
per pound, coming into direct competition,
and displacing an equal amount of our wool.
There are several of our manufacturers who
devote their almost exclusive attention to this
business. The value of rags as imported
nearly equals the l4,737.393 pounds of for
eign wool imported the past year, which was
81 ,665,064. The process by which this ma
terial is used is, to mix with every one hum
dred pounds of shoddy seven pounds OF
fleece WOOL and thirteen pounds of cotton,
and this, when spun, answers the purpose for
Filling, either for woolen or cotton warps, and
various styles of cloth are produced stout
and firm in appearance, but wanting in dura-
bility.
In this style of cheap goods the English
led the way and few years ago, when
DeDsbury, and some other towns in England
had become famous for this peculiar manu-
facture, the English wool growers petitioned
Parliament for protection, and it was granted
Our position requires legislation quite as
much now. BY the act of Congress, August
5, 1884, to carry into effect the reciprocity
treaty with England we are compelled to adj
nit pelts and ,oool and all The rags, ''being the
growth of the Provinces" of British Ameri-
ca. This will prove about as large dose OF
free trade, pure and simple, as our farmers
ought to be subjected to. Not less than three
or four cents duty per pound on this article
/ VIII ut itqulANu " bc VI any neINlCt us pro-
lection.
The question of repeating the duty on SUI
gar l suppose is to be pressed upon us. The
prices of sugar are iearfully high, and there
seems to be panic for some instantaneous
remedy | am in favor of some remedy also
but not for an opiate that may afford relief for
a season, and fasten the complaint upon our
system for life. ! cannot approve Of the pol
icy which would give us cheap sugar this year
and dear sugar forever thereafter. ] would
like to know of gentlemen Upon what princi-
pie they can stand-unless they are for out
and-out free trade--when they propose to ex-
clude sugar from all protection whatever
True, it is an article of primary neoossity-ot
universal use-and ought we not the more to
encourage cheap and home SUPPLY
We held out inducements TO the sugar
planters in the South to make heavy invest
ments for the production of sugar If the
duty should be abandoned the whole business
would be abandoned, and subject those en-
gagged TO heavier penalties than even the se-
verify Of the seasons. For the past ten years
we have obtained upon an avarage not less
than one third Of our supply of sugar from
Louisiana, at prices Of from four to six and
eight cents, wide table b. Who does not
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