The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1869-01-14


and in the political world. The ports of
that government were open to the free in
PRODUCTION of foreign manufactured arti
cles, but an export and import duty was
placed upon all manufactured articles of
production
Spain, in inviting surrounding nations
to this feast upon her vitals, reserved her
colonies from the government decreess,
but the English and French merchants
circumvented their generous and unso-
phisticated neighbors by establishing
mercantile houses in the ports of SPAIN
from which they transported their goods
duty free, to the Spanish colonies.
Under this anamolous state of affairs
the commercial cities soon exhibited scenes
OF remarkable life and activity. but the
interior, in the course OF time, began to
show signs of debility. Everywhere
throughout Spain, except at the principal
ports, the "sere and yellow Leaf" denoting
a financial autumn, was manifest There
was stagnation in the agricultural and
manufacturing districts; there was dearth
IN the land; and an intelligent writer trav.
! cling in Spain at this period, remarked
that every second man YVES wholly desti-
tute OF that article of apparel usually
worn nearest the body
The king, attributing the absorption of
the wealth of the country, to the mer-
chants in the great cities, instead of de-
fectivc legislation but FOR the counsels of
minister wiser than himself, would have
made forced contributions from the mer
chants to relieve the distress in the inte-
rior
The inhabitants of the Netherlands,
forced into free trade measures by an in
voluntary union with another power, lost
their supremacy as a manufacturing and
commercial people. The waters of their
ports, which were formerly ornamented
and enlivened by the sails of many ma
| tions are now but little disturbed by
these "fretful streams of commerce." Oc-
casionally ship, destined for some for
eign port, starts on its unblessed voyage,
freighted with the necessities of life. real
y needed at home, but destined for the
port of some more favored nation. The
educational statistics show the necessities
of the people. The wants of parents
require the labors of their children in the
field, and preclude their attendance at
school, on an average, after arriving at
the age of twelve years. The exports,
principally to England, consisting of beef,
butter, fruit, and other products of agri-
culture, aggregate one dollar to each in
habitant In the Netherlands, as in Spain,
under these legislative conditions, 'every-I
thing goes up the chimney except the
smoke"
The Dutch government, at one period, |
adopting the maxim of Hesiod, that '4laifl
is often more than the whole" cut down
the largest portion of the precious trees
or the Spice Islands, in order to increase
The value OF what remained. A estate
blunder' of equal magnitude was commit
ted when our government placed duty
on foreign WOOL Cut down the largest
portion of the wooden factories out
the market for wool, in order to increase
the value of that commodity! Our wool
growers most certainly sheared themselves
when they forced upon Congress such un-
fortunate legislation
At the time of the passage of that act
our markets were just beginning to re
ceive the attention of the growers of the
coarse and cheap South American woods,
and that repressive act of Congress,
turned the trade again to English mar
kets It virtually negatived the duty
upon cheap wooden goods Of foreign man
ufature, because the duty on cheap wooden
goods does not equal the duty the Amer
can manufacturer would have to paw on Il
the wool alone. The cheap, coarse wool,
GROWN in the South American States,
costing not more than ten to twelve cents
per pound at the port of Monte Viedo,
would not come in competition with the
fine wool of the United States. These
woods are of importance to nanufactur-
ing country, as they are the material out
of which cheap carpets, blankets, and 9th
er cheap fabrics are in whole or in part
made On the higher priced lands ofthe (
United States, that description of wool
cannot be grown except at loss n