Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-12-29
PROTECT HOME INDUSTRIES.

We publish in another column a very
frank and well written communication
from "a Farmer" in reply to an article
heretofore published in the CHRONICLE,
in which we plead for protection to home
industries. We very cheerfully give place
to our correspondent, both because the
spirit of his article is commendable and be-
cause we desire to notice some of his
points.
The theory of protection to home indus
tries rests upon the basis of mutual interest.
1t is not right for our correspondent to look
at this question solely in his oOn interest.
1t may be true that our home manufac
lures in their infancy, ask him to pay
little more for their wares than is demand
ed by the large and wealthy establishments
in New York, but his philosophy is very
poor one, if it teaches him to look only to
the single transaction of buying keg of
nails or wagon or a door frame, to de-
termine his interest in the premises. Our
nail factory that demands few cents a key
more from him for his nails, employs a
mouths to feed; it owns shops, machinery
and land that add to the taxable
value of our property and thereby
reduce the tax of every property
owner in the county; and develop new en-
prises that in turn bring new capital and
additional population that add value to
every acre of our correspondents land and
every pound or bushel OF his products.
Now isn't it poor policy in him to consider
q the few cents he saves OH the nails that
hold together his fences and barns as gain,
and lose sight entirely of the best means
for increasing the value of the acres the
fence encloses, or the stock and grains
the barn shelters Would it not
be wiser in him to say will
buy my nails and my door frames
at Knoxville now, although they cost me
q little more, for 1 will thereby enable my
home friends to sell me cheaper and better
nails and frames hereafter when they are
fairly established, and at the same time
make Knoxville prospecting city-a bet
ter market for all my farm products, and
add to the value of every dollars worth of
property own in Knox county? This is
reasoning as applicable to the merchant as
to the farmer. The true policy for us all
to act upon, is, not only to look to our OtUr1
present interest, but to consider our
mutual, permanent interest. 1t may be a
trihe less profitable or more troublesome
for the merchant to offer homemade ar
Ill 10 1,o, lint
so far as possible we believe it to be TO his
real interest to urge upon his customers
such wares, and to feel that every dollars
worth he sells is furthering the interest of
his community.
We base these remarks, of course, upon
the idea that the articles manufactured are
well made and that the difference in price
demanded between home and foreign
wares is reasonable one. We think our
correspondent is right in saying that peo-
pie generally buy the best and cheapest
article. 1t would not be reasonable to eX-
pect Knox county farmer to buy bad
nails or clumsy made wagons at high
prices, when he can buy a better ar
tiele at cheaper rates, simply to encourage
home industries; for it is poor policy to en-
courage those who cannot with reasonable
help care for themselves. We argue upon
the basis that the local industries to be en-
couraged are meritorious and likely to sue
coed with reasonable aid.
We invite the attention of our manu-
facturers to the prices given by our CORES
pondent and trust they will be able to
correct him on his figures. We feel
confident from what We know of
our Knoxville manufacturers that all they
ask is reasonable encouragement, and
if they have this, we believe that, in a
few years, they will demonstrate to our
people that the protection extended was a
iudiciOus investment OH the part of con-
e...-.>gS, for we hope to see the day when
Ie eZtent and character of our home in
ou>lTies will add very materially to every
rood IF ground and every dollars worth of
property in Knox and adjoining counties
There is reason in all things. We do
not ask unreasonable protection to the
manufacturer, but we do think that if the
merchant and consumer will stop to reflect
they will see that within reasonable limits
it is their duty to patronize home indus
tries. A reasonable difference in prices
paid in favor of local manufacturers is
the best investment local consumers car
make.
THE PRESIDENT AND COLLECTOR MURPHY
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