The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1875-09-16
Home Manufactures.

The Giles County Grange held
Its regular meeting here on last
Wednesday. We have no means of
ascertaining the sayings and doings
of this body, but have learned in
cidentally, that among other good
work done by them, was that of dis
cussing the question of a plow fac
tory, a wagon factory, immigration,
and good roads. We think that all
these questions are of abiding, vital
interest to Giles county, and every
citizen of Giles county. We would
hope that the conviction of their ur-
gent necessity had taken deep hold
on every grange in the county, and
that, from them, like leaven it
would spread, until it should enlist
the whole population of Giles in be-
half of these greatly needed re-
forms.
Who can estimate the value to a
community, of manufactures -
those home consumers of our
products? Why send our grain,
for instance, north, to be manufac-
tured into flour, and returned to us,
We paying the transportation both
ways, and a heavy advance on the
manufactured article? Why subject
our cotton to the same bac-kand-
forth handling, with the like ex-
pense? Why denude our forests of
their brawny growth of ash, and oak
and walnut, to be shipped-cut and
uncut-to distant points, there to
be dressed and turned by foreign
lathes, only to be sent back and
sold, with a heavy tariff, TO the
men who felled and sawed the tim
Der? Shall we forever remain as
"hewers of wood and drawers of wa
ter to foreign masters? To be
sure a portion Of our most enter
prising citizens are making some
resistance to this perpetual paying
of tribute to others. As a commu-
nifty, we are offering some feeble
protest against this subserviency
and dependence upon our northern
brethren. Cannot Maj. Orr, for in
stance, or Mr.. McKissack, afford to
pay you remunerative figures for
your cotton, make it into the fabrics
you need, and lay them down at
your doors as cheap as Lowell, or
Harrisburg? Can Rainey, or Dish
aghn, or Williamson, can EzelPs or
any other merchant mill in Giles,
pay satisfactory prices for your
grain, and furnish you the staff of
life, cheaper than distant mills?
Can not McLain & Webb and others
shape and dress your lumber, and
transform the crude material into
gins, carts and wagons, as well and
as cheaply as Louisville and Gin
cinnat? Witness the twenty-six
car loads (216,OOO feet) of choice
walnut, shipped to Cincinnati fac
tories, from our very doors, by the
firm of A. C. Thompson q Bro, of
Buford's Station, and this since
August 1st This is all right in
these energetic gentlemen. We
commend their enterprise, but if
we had the factories here in Giles,
not one foot of this choice walnut
would be sent abroad. Why, reader,
this very lumber will most likely be
brought back to Pulaski next
spring by our own Oakes d Co., in
the shape of bureaus, bedsteads,
wardrobes and whatrots, and sold
to Messrs. Thompson & Co., and
to the man who felled the trees,
and perhaps to our Buford Station
correspondent himself.
If this is to be the case, genera
tion after generation, and if we are
to be lifelong pensioners, why not
just sell out in fee simple at once,
be fed and clothed and cared for BY
our northern guardians? Why not
formally stipulate to give up houses
and lands, homes and farms, and all,
and as helpless wards, trustfuliy
consign ourselves to the mereiful
keeping OF those, our fostcr-fathers?
Why not?