Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1857-10-07
THE RAFTsMANos JouaNAL.
LETTER FROM HON. DAVID wILMoT.

From the PhilsEe,p phtg North An,e,tcaW
We have been furnished with the annexed
copy of very interesting letter, addressed by
the Hon. David Wilmot, to our esteemed fel-
low citizen, David S. Brown, Esq. Mr.. s.
is not politician, and never has been. His
position at the head of one of the very largest
domestic jobbing houses in the country, has
given him an interest in the prosperity of A.
merican manufactures equal to that which he
necessarily has in the trade and commerce of
Philadelphia. To such men the policy of tar
ifs for protection, as well for revenue, is of
course great study, and it is in this way only
that Mr.. Brown is connected with politics.
The letter Mr.. Wilmot has addressed to him is
upon that topic, just now an absorbing one,
and it is truly a pertinent missive.
The calamitous visitation under which the
mercantile and manufacturing interests of our
city are now suffering is the result of false
and ruinous tariff policy. Mr.. Wilmot has
| been freely charged with being Free Trader.
| However his previous course may have been,
there can no longer be any doubt after his
clear and decisive letter, that he is true to the
industry of Pennsylvania. As the State cleo
tion is close at hand, and the freemen of the
Commonwealth owe it to themselves to give
| decided expression of opinion at the ballot
boxes respecting that anti-American policy of
Free Trade, which perpetualIy drains the conn
try OF its specie to pay for enormous foreign
imports, Mr.. Wimot's position is OF much i'm
portance. We ask for his letter an attentive
perusal.
DAVID S. BRowN-Dear Sir [ am deeply
| panied by the news that reaches me from your
| city. This sudden financial revulsion threat
| ems to carry down hundreds of your worthy
! and enterprising merchants and business men,
| bringing distress to their homes OF comfort
and atituence; and what by many is felt as Il
| greater calamity, commercial dishonor and loss
! of credit. Its most disastrous and painful eff
! fectS, however, will fall upon the thousands of
| honest and industrious workngmen, unexpect-
edly thrown out OF employment and deprived
| OF the means of support for their families.
1t is truly calamity calculated to excite the
sympathy of the most selfish and insensible.
L do not profess to be able to fathom ali the
| causes, proXlmate and remote, of a disaster
such as is now upon us, Doubtless excessive
ImpOrtatlons, overtrdding, extravagent habits
OF living, and fluctuations in the currency have
had much to do with it.
You will recollect that, on our visit to the
Gloucester mills, we had some conversation u
pom the subject OF the tariff policy of the coun-
| try IN connection with its influence upon A.
| merican enterprise and labor. The events OF
the last few days have given to that subject an
| interest 1t did not then seem to possess. That
| the tariff policy of the government has much
| to do with the TevulSionS that periodically CON
vulse this country, is doubtless true, intimate
! ly connected as that policy must ever be with
all our financial and industrial interests The
very considerable reduction made in the tariff
| at the last session of Congress, must have had
Il disastrous influence in bringing upon MS the
! present state OF things, as it greatly stimula-
! ted InpoI tatIons, Causing heavier drafts upon
| the country for its precious metals.
| 1t is a great misfortune that our tariff policy
| cannot be wholly removed from the party CON
| tiicts of the country and placed upon perna-
aeHt and reasonable basis. Aside from parti-
| san prejudice, there is not, | imagine, a very
| wide difference of opinion upon this subject
among intelligent and rcfccting men.
| The policy of imposing pr0ki5ilOTy duties,
| of actually destroying the revenue upon a
| large share of the articles OF commerce, for
| the purpose of protection, would hardly find
an advocate at this day. Fair incidental pro-
! lection, without gross violation OF the reven-
ue principle, is all that is asked or required
| for our manufacturing interests, and this should
| be checrfu!ly and promptly extended. No one
| contemplates the policy of free trade and re-
sort 10 direct taxation a means of rafsi, o
| revenue 10 meet the ordinary Expenses OF the
| GovcrLment-certan it is that | never con-
| templated such 4 policy. have always looked
| to our policy as settled in this respect--that
| the ordinary revenue is to b. provided by
| duties upon foreign impOrtatiOnS, and have
ever favored the policy of such Determinations
as would afford adequate and ample protection
| TO American interests and American labor.
| We have an immense revenue to raise. AL
ready the expenditures Of our Government
reach the enormous sum of about sixty mil
lions of dollars, and it is rapidly increasing
| under the profiigate and demoralizing expen-
dItures of Democratic Administrations. In
raising this vast sum there is ample room, by
| judcious and proper determinations, to afford
| to our great industrial interest ample protec-
| tiOn and to American labor Just and ade-
| quate reward. have never Intentionally vio-
| lated this sound American policy, and would
! cheerfully unite to-day, with the reasonable
| and JudicTouS men of the country, in placing
| our tariff policy on basis that would secure
to American enterprise and labor a fair and
| just measure of protection.
The great struggle in which we are now en-
gagged. and in which my feelings are so deeply
embarked, is a struggle to maintain the digni-
| ty and rights Of free labor against the dcgrad-
| ing competition of the labor Of the slave and
L am equally in favor of protecting our Amer
lean labor against ruinous competition with
| the cheap labor Of the ol,. world.
confidently trust that You will weather this
storm, and that years of prosperity will attend
you In the noble enterprise you have thus far
successfully sustained.
very respectfully, your obedieDt servant
and friend. d. WuMor,