Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-05-18

moderate prosperity in continual jeopardy,
and their average accumulation of profit,
must remain lean and scant forever. Tn,
same would be true of people confined Il
manufactures exclusively. Ia any season O
scarcity, when other nations are without {
surplus of breadstuffs, the dependent peopl,
are exposed to starvation. A community
relying upon one branch of manufactures
though surrounded by grain and cattle
producing country, is subject to severe huc
tuations; but when these branches arr
largely multiplied, the unprosperous manu-
features form only the exception and not tn,
rule.
HOMEMADE ARTIcLEs BEST AND CHEAPEST
A liberal interfusion of manufactured
among all agricultural communities thus ap
pears to me desirable for several reasons
First, it begets wider knowledge of genera
subjects, especially of the practical sciences
and forms more intelligent people. Sec
ond, 1t increases the wealth and independence
| OF farmers by the avoidance of the immense
cost OF shipments to and from foreign lands
Fair trade-very different from free trade
consists in an exchange of products costing
an equal amount of labor II these are ali
produced in the same locality, all the facts
are known and no advantages can be long
concealed, and the result is fair trade
When the farmer of Illinois sends wheat to
England in exchange for Sheffield cutlery,
London watches, or Nottingham laces, he
can form no just estimate of the actual value
OF what he receives and does not know
whether he is cheated or not but if he can
exchange his wheat for such commodities
made in his own neighborhood he will know
all about it. When be buys an Illinois pillow
or an Illinois wagon or Illinois watch he al
ways gets prime article at fair price.
The knack of machinery and the profits of
trade are no secret at home. The profits on
foreign articles are unknown except that
they are known to be generally much greater
than upon those of domestic origin. Hence
dealers have an interest in handling foreign
to the exclusion of American goods. and the
greater profits thus derived enable them to
literally patronize the press, as well as
to subsidIze peripatetic philosophers of
free trade. particular style of foreign
goods is more easily monopolized than those
made at our own doors, and if found salable
cannot at once and so easily be duplicated by
neighboring competitors. a domestic article,
however, if found salable, will at once be
multiplied, and can be ordered by any mum
Der of dealers in such quantities as to cause
reduction of prices by destructive com
petition. American articles of staple kind,
produced in large quantities, like cut nails,
prints, delains, cotton cloth. white lead,
shoes, and boots, are usually sold at bare
commission, and often without any profit at
all, whether at wholesale or retail. Many
dealers in imported goods keep and sell lines
Of staple American goods at cost as bats to
catch customers for the trade in more profit
able commodities.
Purchasers have fashionable partiality
for goods of foreign make and style, and have
not yet found out that American iron, cotton
and wooIens are tougher, stronger, and more
durable than such as are usually imported
This prejudice and ignorance has to be con-
ciliated by reduction of price, and a supe-
rior American article is often sold for less
than an inferior foreign article of the same
sort readily commands. 1t is true that the
relative merits of American manufactures,
as compared with some others, appear to be
better understood in some places abroad, and
British manufacturers have been lately often
detected in using the stamp and brand of
American manufacturers in order to fraud
ulently dispose of their own goods in far-Off
markets. Very likely our manufacturers
have undervalued the artistic training and
culture of their workmen but it is a vital
point which cannot longer be safely neg
lected. 1t is not the role of America to fol-
low, but to lead.