The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-03-05
HOME MANUFACTURES

hOME MANbFACEURES.
The wooden mills at Fredericksburg,
Charlottesville, and the auckland mills,
near Warrenton, have closed. Several
causes have conspired to this result. Pri-
mariy, the increase of dogs, causing the
local supply of wool to fail, is the real
cause to be assigned. The unpatriotc pref
erence shown by the people Of Virginia,
and of Richmond especially, for cloths man
ufactured abroad although inferior in
beauty and durability Of wear to their own
products, is another discouraging fact to
the manufacturers. VIM. Ira Smith, a
large dealer of this city, stated last spring
that the people here would not use the fine
goods from the fredericksburg mills, though
handsomer, better and cheaper than those
of French and English manufacture of the
same class. Mr.. John L. Tackett, the en-
terprising proprietor of the fredericksburg
mills, clothed, in great part, the army of
Northern Virginia, and has every claim to
consideration and encouragement which his
own services to the Southern people could
give, and the excellence of his goods could
impart. While his mills were running his
cloths found a ready sale in the Northern
market. A. I. Stewart, of New York,
and other Northern merchants took nearly
all his stock, and the reputation of his
mills among these customers is very high.
But the supply of Virginia wool has failed.
The people of the State have allowed
themselves to be buliled out of their most
profitable industry by what Extra Billy
Smith would call "Lo,C mean dogs." 1t
requires vast capital to stock a large mill
at the present high prices of wool, and
capital is scarce with US.
What can we do to help our neighbors
out of their present difficulty? We notice
few things which occur to us as proper
to be done.
First, and always, gre 10 the farmers a
stringent dog la,o.
Second. Let all Virginians giUs to tier
ocn mills the preference, ,ohen they offer
goods Of equal quality Nth those made ont
Of the State.
Third. Let the farmers in the State who
have wool to sell give their own mills the
preference, and take their pay in part of
the products of the mills to be sold to
their neighbors, if desirable.
Fourth. Let the property and machinery
used IN this branch Of industry be exempt
ed from all taxation long enough to cover
this period Of supension, and get q fair
start again.
These are the principles upon which we
propose to act, and we hope to see our fell
low-cltizens unite in this spirit to encour-
age branch of manufactures of vital i'm
portance to all of us. 1t is vain to expect
our State to thrive until we build up varied
industries. Or farmers scM be condemn
edto poverty and helpless discomfort until
they hare home market. All mea-
sures of relief will fail, lands will
grow less and less valuable, the
young men will run away more
and more from us till we furnish them
brighter opportunities and wider scope for
varied endowment, Simple pastoral life
IS a dream of the patriarch. Agriculture
alone rises scarcely above the primitive So
clety. But give to us that Eealthful dis
tnbution Of pursuits which God has in
dictated in the varied resources of this good
Iy State, and all the best possibilities of
civilization may be realized here. lie is
the true Virginian, who will labor jealous
ly and earnestly to promote her
interests, sacrificing all partizau pre-
JUDGES and personal ambitions for the
interests of the people. He as the eaena,
Of p"g'n'a, 'ohereoer from, wdo, from
cotoardtce or prejudice or seltfshness, re-
fuses to her the benefits Of that legislation
s0Rieh 'oi3 fill her borders ,oih pzepty, and
open to her ere'y path Of prosperity and
progress.
Let no man claim for himself love for
Virginia, who does not vote to protect the
rights Of her people to the quiet enjoyment
OF their property; or who will buy for
clgn-made cloth in preference to that
which FTglnlans have made from heeces
grown on her mountain sides and in her
own green valleys.
Such claims are arrogant pretensions
which the good State spurns with scorn.
She recognizes as her true IONS those who
sincerely seek her good. She prays for
d .li'eranco rom the vampire brood, who