The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-07-18
FROM the New York Journal of Commerce, July 18th
A Western Protectionist.


markable pamphlet, printed at Detroit,
Michigan, and purpOrting to come from
Western protectiOnist. 1t is signed +.
b. Ward, and addressed to the g farmers,
mechanics, laborers, and all voters of the
Western and Northwestern States" 1t
Is written with not a little ability, and Is
filled with the most startling assertions.
AS an argument in favor of a protective
tariff, it amounts to very little; but as an
historical document, if its statementsare
reliable, tits most important contribu-
ton to current literature. ..l M
The author describes the "great Wes-
tern States" as possessing unsurpassed
natural resources, q fine climate, and an
active, intelligent, honest, and patriotic
people. He recapitulates the products
of that fertile section, the "grdie, wool
wheat, corn pork, and beef,n but insists
that after the people have closed up the
year, and paid their bills and their taxes,
they have but little money left to put
at interest or as an accumulated fund"
He acknowledges the general wonder"
which exists in the minds of these ac-
tive, intelligent, honest, and patriotic
people, at this uncomfortable impecu-
mostly in the depth of the winter
months. AS light is supposed to come
from the East, they are represented as
turning in that direction, and inquiring
"why it is that farmers in Massachu-
sets, Connectie ut, and Old England can
pay two hundred dollarsan acre for poor
land, and at the end of each year put in
the savings bank handsome Deposit
No answer has hitherto come to this
inquiry; and "the mechanic or laborer
living in the West is at loss to know
why he cannot clothe, educate, and sup
port his growing family, and lay up mo-
ney, just as well as his friend in New
England, who gets no better pay per day
than himself.n
The allusion to the happy condition
of the farmers in "Old England
whose cumulative facilities are SO much
enved by the poor w estern landowners,
evidently suggests the next point in his
illustration, and the author proceeds to
compare his section to the Green Isle,
the relation of the West to the East be-
ing paralleled, in his Judgment, by that
of Ireland to England. The Western
States are the poor Ireland of America,
because they are purely agricultural. !"
lie classes the people OF the North
| west with Ireland, Spain, Portugal and
| Turkey, on the one hand, and bids the
reader contrast them with England,
france, New England, Plttsbufg, Phll-
adelphla ana other manufacturing cities
and countries" on the other hand.
A sad picture, surely! There is much
more OF the same sort, but this Will
serve as specimen of the whole. The
contrast, IN some particulars, is easily
drawn. In TACT, we have OFTEN seen 1t
somewhat vlvidIy done with Tree hand
and rich depth OF colorlng by the
| poor western man. himself. we
nave looked on somewhat admirlngly,
hltherto, when tnese contrasting
sketches were attempted IN the nght OF
q Western sunset, but we never once
| imagined that the object OF the artist
was 10 excite the pity OF the rlcn oid
fellows on New England nils Tor their
poor relatives IN the purely agrlcultu-
raj districts" on the other side OF the
Alleghanles., On the contrary, we IN,
ferred from the tone OF these contrasts"
elated with the supposed advantages OF
his condition. we have known some
thing OF the New England farmers
home, and have seen the tlliage OF the
west. Inc patent courage with winch
laborer at the East compeis the rough,
thin SOIL to give MN his daily bread,
Wnlle ne Is Douhd 10 ltpy netie Whlch
outy iorDiGs MN 10 sever, goes not pre-
vent MN from ackhoWledgihgt hat were
he Tree ne Woulo soon strike OUT lor
new nome, where ne ihlght tlli some less
reluctant HeId.. but we never before
neard that western iarmerenvled any
landowner III Cohhectlcut or Massachu-
sets, or wondered why ne was not
as well OH as tne a9rlculturists OF ga
England ana France. Ii TINS IS really
the pltlabie condltlon or the tiller OF
Western SOIL, IL Is somewhat strange that
we never heard of an emigration East
ward, creating fierce demand for town
lots in some antique New England viii
lage; or of fresh settlement of Hoo
siers on the old Saxon soil in Northum-
berland. Only to think of farmer in
some rich Ohio or Michigan valley sigh
ing to grow rich and lay up money in
"savings bank F" out of the profits of
"poor land in New England at two hum
dred dollars per acre! " If such an in
come could be realized out of the granite
hillsides, hardy New Highlander could
do it; but it is impossible, even for the
sharpest Yankee of the race. A cram
berry swamp or a Boston market garden
might yield such a return but the ave-
rage New England farm will not sup
port the laborer and return six per cent.
interest OH the cost of 500 per acre.
We have said that the pamphlet, as an
argument for protective tariff, is fail.
q 4 t. tr, lao