Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1869-12-03
Vernon, Manufacture.

Editor Ere, Press & Times:
Our Legislature this fall very properly agi-
taxed the subiec; Of encouragement TO mauufac
| lures. it'll the spirit that dictated this sgta-
ton, none can quarrel. But the conclusion which
the assembled wisdom reached Is, [ believe. open
to objection. Let ne occupy little space il
| your paper, to point out what | regard as the
! error Of that venerable body.
The plan finally adopted was to exempt, for a
certain number Of years, capital invested in the
buildings and machinery Of manufacturing es-
Adjustments This measure is well so far as it
goes. But it stops short of the actual disease
/ The legislative bid j. too low. Now we can en-
courage home manufactures only 80 far as We
discourage foreign competition. This we must
do as the locomotive discouraged thecOW-hy run
ming her of the track. The true way to invite
NeTmunters TO manufacture is 10 compel them
The medicine will be bitter but effective and
promp, To do its work. Let Us then impose a
heavy tax on all manufactured articles which DO
not bear the stamp Of Vermont industry. And
the tax should be 50 heavy as to amount to Alb
solute prohibition. By this expedient we shall
develop Vermont resources, create Vermont
market, ei.l :ii the Vernon, Treasury We
shall drive away the good Of Massachusetts and
Rhode Island capitalists from our Stale We
shall secure Vermont Independence Of neigh
boring States We sh4il bring 20 speedy ruin
the VAST manufacturing establishments Of our
neighlors. IN short We shall At once set cat on
grand career of prosperity.
| wish 10 anticipate any objection which may
be made o this scheme, by pronouncing every
man vino does not heartily encourage ii, a tool
Of Massachusetts gold. The bloated capitalists
Of tina, State will doubtless attempt to subsdze
the Independent press Of Vermont with their
ill-go;ten gains, and to dclude or people with
the promise Of cheap fabrics Now the way,
and ,he only way. to expose the hired enemies
among cur own citizens Is TO denounce eli who /
oppose he piaH herein proposed. This method
will be Elective, and for its justice we have the I
exampl- Of Horace Greeley and the Tribune
The United States Constitution, it is true,
forbids such a measure a. the one have pro- /
posed. But then we have the eminent authority I
of Hamilton for protection - and he was too .
logical statesman TO insist that the general /
government hss the power to levy protective
duties, and yet to reject the conclusion that /
the States possess the same power as between
each other. If the United States may" protect -
its citizens against the competition of Europe.
why may not Vermont protect - her citizens
against the competition of Massachusetts?
The effect of such a measure will be unpleas-
ant for time. 1t will render many Of the
articles of domestic comfort vastly more costly
than at present But our citizens will cheer
fully bear these privations for the satisfaction of
using only the products Of home industry, and
for the proud feeling of Independence. More
over it must be remembered that manufacturing
like the acquiring Of truths an end in itself
1t is much better to fabricate ones own goods,
than to buy of ones neighbor at quarter the
cost. That is an established principle in poiti-
cal economy. Noius