Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1866-02-16
ON the Peoria Transcript.
Home Manufactures In the West.

We dislike the dog-iu- the m anger
policy of some of the papers and politi-
clans Of the West in the matter OF man
utactures, The great West, the land
we write eulogies to, and speak impas-
stoned words of praise i'm its behalf, has
all the facilities within itself to make it
prosperous and rich. Its agricultural
resources are great, beyond cavil.--
The commerce of the country has no
parallel, and manufactures are steadily
yet surely finding permanent foothold
within our borders. With these facts
before us, the papers and politicians
aoove referred to are continually crying
out against the prosperity of the Eastern
States, and neglect to give laid aud
comfort to home enterprises, or to say
cheering word In their behalf; and
If we are TO judge from the spirits they
exhibit, they are opposed to having
manufactures introduced among us,
but would prefer to be the dependency
of foreign nation for the goods we use.
In this matter there is short-sigbt-
edncss exhibited which Is uDpardona-
ble in men of Intelligence. They over
look the fact that it is better to emulate
New England and Pennsylvania indus
try than to be croaking at them the
lifelong year and make no attempt to
better the condition of the West. In
stead of invoking the aid of a tariff Of
free trade ii Is better we should build
manufactures, and work up our own
wool, cotton, hemp and flax Mt home
This would bring in population, and
add wealth to the country. 1t would
give employment to labor, and furnish
q home market for the products of our
soil, and would be far more banefcial
to the West than the free trade and tar
iH themes, on which the dabblers in
politics are attempting to raise them
selves into notice and position.
The immense water power ofthe West
and the vast beds of coal underlying
our soil possess the motive power toturn
the factory wheels, by which to run
the spindle and the loom. The stone.
brick and lumber with which to build
the fac,ories are abundant and cheap,
whilst the labor can be had in the de-
sired quantity to carry out the plans of
improvement to any extent. Would ii
not, then, be better for US to improve
these things, than To spend our time i'm
finding fault with those who take adj
vantage of their situation and accumu-
late wealth by so doing?
A large share of the wool of the North
west seeks an Eastern market, because
of the neglect OF the West. Our cotton
is sent East, and majority OF the flax
and hemp of the West seeks market
away from home. If there Is wisdom
and econemy in following out this dis
position OF our products, we must con
fess our inability to comprehend Il.
West of the Lakes there is an i'm
mense clip of wool each year. Scarce
ly 1.-THE of 1t Is worked up by our
manufacturers. The rest goes East to be
returned to us In clothes. The people
OF the West pay transportation both
ways and do not obtain better article
than can be had at home. The thous-
ands of sheep brought into our State
and those West of us, tells simply that
the object is TO make the West II wool
growing region. Wisdom, then, should
impel us to provide means to work up
this product, and thus cluster in the
country the manual force necessary to
perform the operations of converting
wool into cloth, aud other articles of
commerce. The same may be said of
our cotton, hemp and flax.
Tariff or no tariR, these Things can be
manufactured in the West at prices and
in quantities that will successfully com
pete with the East for the market, and
we believe it would be more to the cred
! 1t of our people to turn their attention
in that direction, than to spent their
time and breath i'm crying out agains,
those who have had the wisdom To ap.
ply their means to supplying the wants
of the people in the line of Manufacture
ing.