Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-01-24
RUTLAND HERALD.
MONDAY, JANUARY 81, 1866,
American Manufactures.

A recent number of French journal,
Ia view of the low tariff imposed by our
legislators upon articles of foreign manu-
.acture, no doubt, concludes that the
United States will not for long time
he able to compete with France in the
manufacture of fine fabrics, and pays US
the following complement:
America is country essentially ag'
-icultural and her produce Is most ad-
vantageously disposed of by being sent
to Europe in general, and France in par
aicular, for consumption as food or for
manufacturing fabrics. America does
not. or will not attempt to compete with
as as "A manufacturing country, Unlike
England and Germany, she is not to be
seared as a rival in industrial opera
lions; she will continue, as at present
20 send us her raw produce, and TO take
from us in return our manufactured
goods, our articles Of luxury and ele-
gance, and our wines,
But, Notwithstanding the sophistry Of
the journalist who penned the above
paragraph, we believe there are men in
France who disagree with him, and who
are willing to concede all due honor to
the United States in her onward march
o. progress in manufacture Of fine
.abrics and other goods. The silk man.
ulacturers Of Lyons have manfuliy con-
.essed that silk dress goods are made
IN New Jersey and Pennsylvania that
are stronge. and better than those we
weave for the general markets and they
have reason to know the truth Of their
assertion; for the manufacture of silk
goods in this country, though yet in its
NANCY, and not half prosecuted owing
10 the non-protection afforded it by our
tariff, has made q vast difference in the
sales of the Lyons manufacturers to
American merchants within few years
past
For want Of adequate protection, as
IS alleged in q letter published in the
New York Tribune from Paterson, n. j.,
where are fifteen factories for the pro-
duction of silk goods, the manufactur-
ing interests of that State are learfully
parayzed. Nearly all the large factories
are standing idle, representing a capital
ofnotIess than $1,000 600, and emplying
TWO thousand hands, who are now in the
depth of a severe winter, entirely unem-
ployed.
Until Congress sees fit to place such q
duty upon foreign manufactures as will
protect our own mechanics from their
competition in our markets, we must
look for and expect just such misery as
IS depicted by the Tribune correspand
ent at Patterson. That American me-
chanics are as ingenious as European
Few Europeans we think doubt, but
with the high wages which must be
paid them for their services in order to
enable them to procure the necessities,
not to speak of the luxuries oflife, their
employers are unable to compete with
the manufacturers Of foreign fabrics,
who employ help for less than one,hall
the price paid to our own artisans.
We want such tariff as will make
up the difference between the wages here
and in Europe, between the cost of liv-
ing here aud there, between the burden
Of taxes here and there, and between the
interest on money here and there. Let
Congress give us this protection and we
frmly believe that American genius will
suffer nothing in comparison with that
OF any nation on the face of the earth,