Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1871-02-09

nopolize, the manufacturing business
for this country, and break down our
manufacturing interests; and when
they got clear of our competition would
have every opportunity to advance the
price of their goods which they would
not likely fail to do; when we would
not only have goods at the old prices,
but would have to purchase them in a
foreign market.
Under our system of incidental pro-
lection, manufacturing in this country.
has become extensive, and is rapidly
increasing, and already affords a relia-
Bile home market for large portion of
our surplus products of the soil. This
market will continue and increase as
long as a proper division of labor is
maintained, and our mechanical and
manufacturing industries remain pros
porous. Our foreign market for bread
stufis and farm products has never been
reliable, and oft times worth nothing
at all. We could never have any GER
tain dependence on foreign market
for bread -stuffs, beef or pork, except at
exceedingly low rates, or when failure
occurred in one or more of the principle
grain growing states of Europe. Now
suppose that the seven million of people
in the United States who are engaged
in, and dependent on, the manufacture
ing industries of the country for a liv-
ing, were by some unwise policy of the
Government thrown out of that kind
of employment, and were compelled to
become agriculturalists, and invest all
their capital in farming. Would either
of the parties be benefited by the
changes Certainly not the farmer; for
he would in that event loose his best
customers for the purchase of his sur
plus products to the extent of seven
millions of population; while his sur
plus would in the same ratio be aug
mented. For the seven millions thus
transferred from the work shops to. the
farm, would cease to be purchasers OF
agricultural products, but would Them
selves be producers and sellers, and
would largely increase the surplus pro-
ducts of the farm. We would then be
a nation of agriculturalists, without a
home market for our surplus products,
and no reliable foreign market; while
%e would be dependent upon foreign
countries for very large amount of
the necessaries of life. Can any one
fancy that this would be a desirable
state of things? Yet it is just what
would occur if we failed to encourage
and protect American labor, and Amer
lean interests, SO as not tOsecurea prop
'er division of labor in the country.
A people rich in all the elements of
domestic production and general pros
perity, tied down virtually to one
branch of business, and forced to look
to foreign countries for one half of the
actual necessaries of life, with no relia-
.bls foreign market for their surplus
products, could not fail to be regarded
with either pity or contempt, by the
enlightened portion of the civilized
world. But it may be claimed that it
is not the design, to transfer the man.
ufacturing and mechanical interests of
the country to the workshops of Eu-
rope, and the seven millions Of me-
chanics, manufacturers and dependents
wholly to the pursuit of agriculture. -
Perhaps not, entirely; but that would
be largely the result, if the theory of
the free trader were carried out to its
legitimate results. For the greater part
of our mechanical and manufacturing
industries would be destroyed. And
that is what the English Free Trade
League, with its branches in this coun-i
try, are ardently laboring for. That it
would be to the interest of Great
Britain to break down the manufacture
ing industries of this country, and
make us a strictly agricultural people,
there can be no, doubt; and that she
has the most ardent supporters of this
theory on this side of the Atlantic,
among the importers of foreign goods
is equally clear. i,s,s,l .!i.erlsl.,l
! A decided effort is being made by the
Free Traders to convince the agricultu-
rists that in some way their interests
are antagonistic to that ofthe manufac-
turer, and that by Withholding protec-
,tion to the latter, the former would be
greatly benefited by the competition of
foreign goods This is a very narrow
minded view of the case, and one which
has not, to any great extent, the SYM
pathies of intelligent farmers. Thetrue
theory for the Government to conform
itself to in this country is, that the in
terests of, the farmer, mechanic and
manufacturer are identical. But the
length of this article admonishes me
that the proposition just stated must be
reserved fora future chapter. al43
.-tf.l .llssII vI I9isii3U' FARMER.
..ssa. Mutilated Currency.
The postmaster of Hillsboro, 8. c.,
was recently sued in the United States
Court by a person who presented two
1 dollar bill, United States currency, con-
siderabIy mutilated in payment for