The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1860-07-31
MEETIN OF THE Wild E
AW AXES ON THURSDAY NIGHT.
JUDGE TABOR ADDRESSES THE
TOWNSHIP CLUB ON POLITICAL
TOPICS ON SATURDAY NIGHT.
Manufactures.

EV Several times before we have al
luded to this subject in the Guardian,
and urged its Importance upon the atten-
ton of the people Of our county. We
now design to address word specially to
our townspeople. We conceive it to be
a subject of particular moment to them,
vital to their interests, interviewer closely
with their prosperity. This is certainly
true of those Of us whose fortunes are
permanently linked with the future of
our village. The inquiry, what is indie
pendence doing in the way of manufac-
lures, becomes very important one to
them, for the answer must indicate the
degree Of their prosperity. II our town
is to be simply the trading point of the
county, the place for our farmers to ex
change their grain for dry goods and
groceries. then its increase in population
and in business must be very slow. 1t
must simply keep pace with the rural
population, and that progress must be
very gradual one.
We have location Of much beauty
and many advantages, but these are not
sufficient to give our town large growth.
The mercantile, and the minor depart
ments of mechanical business, are pretty
well filed up. There is no room for a
material increase of our population, I'M
less new departments Of employment are
opened. And these have got to be open
ed, or else we must stand still Our OBJ
vious duty therefore is, TO make every
effort, offer every inducement, for the es.
adjustment of new branches of indus
try. One necessitates another, and by
getting one we are doing so much for
the procurement Of others. But we have
no right to expect that they will come
unasked, unsolicited, unencouraged. No
man is going to invest his means in a
community which exhibits no interest in
his project. No man is going to erect a
mandatory here unless he sees in the
community disposition to forward his
enterprise. He needs positive encour-
agement, not kind Of negative acqui-
escence. He wants to see disposition
to remove difficulties, not a feeling Of
entire apathy.
Independence is to-day. notwithstand-
ing all the vitality she has manifested,
more poorly supplied with manufactur-
ing establishments than any town OF her
size in this region. She has not even
machine shop or foundry. the result. as
we personally know, of lack of mani
festation of interest in such a project.
She manufactures nothing. scarcely, but
Leather, and of this not near enough for
home consumption. The success of
Messrs. CAMPBELL Il LooMIs's Tannery,
however, goes to show that it is not be-
cause the people are unwilling to en-
courage home productions. She manu-
features no agricultural implements, but
little furniture, scarcely any soap or can
dies, no starch, no wooden ware, sends
to surrounding counties for pottery, man
ufactures but small proportion of the
wagons and carriages purchased by the
citizens Of the county. has no woollen or
carpet manufactory-depends upon 9TH
ers for scores of articles which she her.
self ought to supply. The production
of the articles We have just indicated
would give employment TO hundreds of
men, and add thousands Of dollars to the
value Of real property in our yillsge.
A careful estimate shows that single
mandatory Of agricultural implements
at Rockford. Illinois. gives employment.
directly aud indirectly. to 9, 400 persons.
This establishment cost the people of
Rockford, in order to secure its location,
large donation of land and money, but
the benefits have repaid them thousand
fold. We are conversant with several |
similar instances, and they show the
wisdom Of liberal policy in reference
TO manufacturing projects.
OF one thing We are certain. A contin-
ued disregard Of this matter will over
throw the bright anticipalions we have
all entertained relative To the future Of
our town. If our property holders de-
sire to see their property increasing in
value, they must procure a constant &C
cession OF population. and that, as we
before remarked. will not come unless we
have more diversified industry than we
now have. Let them offer Inducements
10 Neutrality-suspicious. an association. ;fI
reed De. for the purpose. Let them seek
oni and correspond with those whom
lhey think can be influenced TO come |