Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-06-24
The Critic Criticized--Free Labor Move.
ment---" Dottings and Inklings."


EDtToR FREEMAN The g. Dottings and Ink
lings' of Luice of Dinglemere," are from
" the pom of ready writer" fluent racy, SEN
sble and cheerful. One cannot help feeling
d little aattered by the commentator she bestowed
upon the doings of some of the "sterner sex"
few weeks since, including my own humble
efforts in the Free Labor Movement, in connec-
ton with the cause of down-trodden humanity.
She says {" We have for a long time doubted
the ability of Slavery to stand alone were the
outside props taken away" am sure her
good sens, will allow me to inquire-if Slavery
is dependant upon outside props for its support,
are they not responsible who voluntarily furnish
those props?
; Taking the " Dinglemere" family as an
average, we cannot suppose the members of it
consume less than fifty dollars worth of cotton
, goods annually, of which not less than six dol
lars goes to the Stakeholder for the raw mate
rial, provided no care has been taken to provide
Free cotton. An able-b1died slave is estimated
to make about seven bales of cotton annually,
which at fifty dollars per bale, give three hun
dred and fifty dollars, or about one dollar per
day, as the product Of this labor; so that it
will appear that the Slave toiled one week un-
der fear of the LASH for the purpose of supply
ing that family with cotton, while the master
pocketed the CASH; that important " outside
prop" without which Slavery could no more
exist than plant could live without moisture.
Tho American women of '76, rather than use
an article that had been taxed for the benefit of
of foreign dictator, relinquished the comfort
of drinking tea. Let the American women of
'5S relnqush the use Of an article (slave grown
cotton) taxed, as it is, in groans, and tears, and
blood of the slave, for the benefit of domes-
tic dictator-would not the long-desired, blood
less revolution in the condition of the bondman
be greatly fastened by such resolution on the
q part of the females? While politicians are at
? tempting GO to grind out solution to the vexed
question between the upper and neither mill
:. stones of political agitation" if their 80 better
8 halves" their mothers, and daughters, and Sis
ters were to resolve to make Free Kansas of
their own domicls, how much debating, and
+ voting, and swindling, might be saved.
p No impossibiities are aimed at The ques-
IS ton is a simple one. Will the Anti-Slavery
p people of Vermont, especially the religious por
4 ton of them, choose between employing Slave
: Labor or Free Labor, in obtaining a supply of
v cotton? Off yonder, in the Southwest, lies the
land that yields the cotton-thcre are two COM
y panies of planters waiting our dictation there
arc the Shareholders with their immense wealth,
N Gin human aesh,) ready to give us taunts for
a. our dependence upon them; and there are the
q less wealthy planters, who do not hold Slaves
q ready to 20 to work with their own hands for
10 our accommodation. Which class Of planters
n shall zoe patroniSe?
ID How many of the yeomanry of Vermont who
have refused to uote to sustain the Stakeholder,
are prepared to withhold their money patronage
n The cash which they have designed to expend in
Of the purchase of cotton goods-will they pay it
h. to the agent Of the Stakeholder, or will they
n place it in the hands of some trustworthy bust
,st nessman for Anti Slavery commercial purposes
IN Aha " say some here is the pinch
or where can we find men that we can trust with
to our money!" Well, if we are so deficient in
ct honest men as that question implies, had we not
no better hold our Anti-Slavery breath till we have
ed raised some, and call home our Congressional
delegation to assist us? But hope better
things of Vermonters. have no doubt there
are many, among our business men, in the prime
of life, who only want their attention turned
to this subject, to see that they can no more in
'' nocently give their money patronage, than they
Oh can vote Pro-Slavery, and who will then devise
III plan upon which they can supply themselves
- with Free-gro,on cotton goods, doing SO much
to sustain the class, they say that Shareholders
~ should transform themselves into what is, non
oh Shareholders.
'f' Practical men have shown us that the valley.
n0 of Champlain and Connecticut may be connect
ed by railroad, although at first glance the
''' Green Mountains seem to offer an insuperablt
ny obstruction Are these greater obstacles in the
90 way of connecting the Anti-Slavery cotton con-
III sumers of Vermont with the Anti-Slavery cotton
Vi growers of Texas than have been overcome fol
~ mere commercial purposes? 4" Tel ii not in
=. GATH" publish not in the streets of Ne,t
40 England, lest the daughters of Shareholders re-
Joice, and say, Aha! when money is to be made
then mountains are mole-hiAs before Vermonters
but tohen a moral principle is to be carried into
- practice, then mOle-iiAs magnify themselves into
:, !. mountains before them,
w have few names of persons in this vicinity
:. who have pledged themselves to contribute, &C
~ cording to their means, towards fund to b.
~ (not given away uselessly buD appropriated t.
tho purposeot supplying themselves with cottor
-. and other goods the product of Free Labor, il
D. tho most economical way that can be devised
~ and shall be glad to receive suggestions from
w any practical Abolitionist. on the subject.
= have, for some years past, been in the habit o
- supplying myself with free-grown cotton good
~ through highly respectable merchant in New
Nv York, who had placed sufficient capital in tn
g., Undertaking to do large business but he wa
.,a so poorly sustained in it that he has lately EN-
ployed his money IN another business, and
have since then procured goods of this charac
for ter, for my own family, from Geo. W. Taylor
N, W. Corner of 4th and Cherry Streets, Phil
~ adelphia; but should much prefer havin
them from a cotton-mil in Vermont that ma
- be employed in this business.
NJ know that some persons admit they canno
NA' hn consistent Aholition;,t, ,rL:lo Al
ov- ""'0 '"'y "io w
UNFAIRLY consuming slave-grown productions