The Portland daily press., 1871-10-07
IoAILY PRESS,
ND.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER Z, 1871.
A Grsa. EsIIacy.

n GsfRas Ehhaes'
The last free Trader finds in the census |
returns an argument for the repeal of the tar
III. The decrease OF population in Maine and
New Hampshire is the text from which II
breaches thus:
only TWO States in the Union show de-
crease of population since 1860, and those are |
rot States at the soulh where the raVaees OF |
civil war have been greatest, but New lamp
shire and Maine. The population OF New
Hampshire. 326.O73 in 1860, is now only 31S.-
300. and the population of Maine, 62S, ,279 in
1850. is now 626,9l5. In each OF these States
large manufacturing interests exist, aud the
agricultural population, if benefited any,
Where by better home market' for their
products, as protectionists pretend. would
nave been so benefited now had those results
followed the tariff of 1861. Nor have these
States suffered from the ravages OF war: as
compared with Virginia and Tennessee, SO
long the theatre OF violent contest, they ought
10 snow Tar greater relative increase. Yet
Virginia and tennessee have increased. VIII e
Name ard New Hampshire have dimished in
population. This does not indicate that any
oehent has resulted to industries in those
States from the tariffs imposed since 1860, or
that any improvement in the "home market
has rendered farming there more profitable.
If we examine the table of population by
towns, it at once appears that this general
decrease OF population has been IN spite
OF an Increase in some manufacturing
towns, and because of a verp general
ana rapid loss of population in agricultural
districts. Thus, in New Hampshire, there is
decrease in the great majority OF towns, and
SO large decrease as to more than balance
a considerable increase in such towas as
Keene, Milford Manchester, Nashua and
Milton, and smaller increase in about twenty
her towns more trless interested in manu-
IactufeS. Ine net result, as shown by the
census, then, is that ten years of protection
have permitted a moderate increase i'll the
Chief manufacturing towns but have caused
rapid depopulaton of the agricultural dis
tric,s, which the imaginary improvement OF
the "nome market" has by no means checked.
In consequence, the State as whole, has
suffered.
La Maine, the industry most seriously al
fected has been that OF sibp-building, and the
consequent injury TO agriculture, numbering,
and other industries dependant upon IL, is
clearly shown by the census returns. No
figures need be quoted here to illustrate the
well-knOwn prosLrati0n OF that great branch
of industry for which this State has especial
advantages, nor is it neediul to do more than
mention the actual decrease of population, i'll
Stale so munificentIy endowed by nature,
TO show that the system OF Protection has
been blight and a curse to Name.
Now this is absurd. This is still mainly
an agricultural State. The agricultural inter-
est nearly outweighs all others taken together.
Ii it is finally settled that the population has
declined few hundred-and the census au-
thorties have changed ground on this point
so often that one knows not what conclusion
to reach-we must look for an explanation
chiefly to the fact that while improved ma
chinery and the better condition offarms has
relieved some thousands whose services used
to be requiredin agricultural labor, manufac-
lures have not yet been built up to a suffi-
cient extent to give employment to all of the
surplus. In considering the effect of repeal
o the tariff, therefore, we must consider first
what its effect would be on agriculture. Now
We have repeatedly conceded in these col.
umns that the doctrine of free trade is proba-
bly, theoretically correct. 1t may be that even
in the United States the adoption of free
trade principles would be best for the people
as whole. But certain classes would be
unfayorably affected, of course, and of these
none more than the Maine farmers. Whoev-
er would be benefited by free trade they Ger
talnly would not. The relief from the tax on
such articles as they buy would be poor COM
pensation for bringing the agricultural pro-
ducts of Canada into competition with theil
own. We have not the slightest doubt thai
the repeal OF the tariff would drive thousands.
of farmers out of the State during the next
ten years.
The suggestion of the lumber interest by the
Free Trader is a singular one If it should
interview our Maine lumbermen on this point
it would find that they count the indirect loss
they suffer through the decline of shpbuild-
ing very small when compared with their in
creased profits due to the exclusion of lumber
from the Provinces. As for shipbuilding it
must be conceded that the effect of the tariff
is ruinous so far as that is concerned.
As patriots it may be that we ought to be
free-traders, as cosmopolitan phlanthropists
it is certain that we ought. But as citizens
OF Maine, merely, the question presents to us
very different aspect.