The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1878-02-01

time, 80 far as that duties on coarse
woods should be raised. md those on
fine wools lowered.
1t seems to us, however, that the fash
ion for coarse goods and worstcd coat
ings that has prevailed for the past ten
years has been the potential tlscrim-
mat ing agent against fine wool man-
ufactures, rather than the present
tariff, and il fine wool manufacturers
would possess their hearts with pa-
thence but short timc longer. now
that fashion has declared fine WOOL
goods to be style. they will be rs
much benefited and protected 10y the
present tariff as any branch OF our in
dustries, even carpet manufactures.
They should demand it To prevent The
utter prostration of our industries by the
unloading upon our fine wool markets
of vast foreign dcpots of fine wool
goods, that have been waiting for q long
time just such an opportunity rs large
reduction of our tariff, added to the
change of style mentioned, will afford.
The experience of The world has taught
us that no country where higher rates
of wages prevail, or which has less cap
ital or less skill than others, can nation
alizc tile higher branches of industry,
without its'being arbitrarily protected
| from the competition of its chcaper-pro-
ducing neighbors. All leading nations
have sustained protective legislation so
long as these branches of industry re-
quircd advantages desired from that
policy.
The statistical and historical records
of modern Europe show conclusivcly
"a m rtt ~,
which several European nations have
attained, were primarily owing to their
extensive manufactures; and that the
ilourishing state Ofthcir manufactures
especially those Of Great Britain, has al
| together been due to the fostering care
and uniform protection which that
government has afforded them for near
! ~ five centuries. Her so called Free
Trade Policy" is most distinctly pro-
tective, tn many ul their industries. We
say $50 called" because we believe
t,reat Britain no more means the Ito
plan doctrine Of universal equal cX-
changes, than she did by making the cX-
portation of the second sheep felony,
penalty death, before the adoption Of
her "iactory SYSTEM" of manufactures
18th of Elizabeth oh. 3; Smiths Wealth
of Nations, vol. ii, p. l2l or by her
prohibitory laws against the expOrta-
ton of machinery or skilled labor, after
the inventions ofWatt ,Arkwright, Cart
wright and others, until her manulac-
| turing interest overshadowed that of
every other country, and from it, mag
nitudc required for its support oppor-
tunitics in all the markets of the world.
Since 1916, England's policy has been
to induce every other nation of the
world TO open their ports. But until
1860, because some other countries had
u greater silk manufacture, protective
tariff was retained upon her own: which
when removed brought disaster npon
that industry Tariff Policy of Eng
land and United States contrasted, by L.
b. Biglow] ], and protection is now de-
manded for il London World. Great
Britain imported in 1916, eight hundred
million dollars of articles for food, and
seven hundred million dollars for raw
material to be used in manufacture. To
pay these annual debts, what enormous
sales of manufactured goods must be
made in foreign markets. Does indie
pendent America, with her six thousand
millions of dollars of annual produc-
tions, covet such dependence upon the
caprice of foreign markets!
We believe n better system is that
under which she has made such a mag
niflccnt growth, and such n surprising
exhibit Of textile fabrics at the Cehten-
NAL Exhibition of 1876 (Bulletin of
National Wool Manufacturer, lS77)-
the protective system that is cstab-
fishing manufactures in the midst of
the great grain. cotton and wool pro-
ducing areas, that rs it progresses will
give employment 10 surplus populations,
and increase consumers of all products
in the vicinity of their production, aud
save transportation expense.
The American system conicmplatcs
the education of the masses, the artizan
and the artist alike. The great improve
ments in machinery, and advancement,
of our industries, the past century, nrc
lis growth. II makes ii possible for la
borcrs TO become inventors and propre-
tors. The English and French system
educatcs enough to direct the ignorant
masses; we educate all. One third of
the adult population Of France and one
quarter of that of England cannot read
or write. Less than onc-four hundrcdths
of the native population of Massachu-
sets ARE in the same unfortunate condi-
ton.
| In Massachusetts the native pauper
element is only thrcc-Onc thonsandths,
while in England il is nearly one
tenth, or thirty-two times greater. And
their women and children are in the
workshops or some other productive in
dustry. Our women are training future
generations of American citizcnS; our
children are at school.
Remove all protection TO American in
duetry, and our women and children
will be driven to the same resources as
those of England, for free trade 10
them means the low wages of England
and the depressed condition of her work
ing classes. 1t means more: il means
for the next half decade absolute par
alysis of the higher industries of our
country, the multiplication of ''tramps"
aud paupers, the destruction of the
sheep and wool interests of our com
mOnwcalth from Maine TO Texas, from
Vermont to Colorado, from Michigan TO
California, that is Just now struggling
to preserve to herself from the fearful
destruction of the long continued ami
repeated drouths II moicty of her TO-
600, 900 of sheep, her share of the trans
fer Of the pastoral sheep husbandry OF
the world 10 our shores from the wool
growing centers, by the influence OF
the tariff of 1868. II monarchies are
disposed TO foster the industries and
protect the interests of their favored
classes, how much more should n gov
eminent ,emanaiing from The people and
for the people, and for the best interests
of humanity within the compass of her
control, promote their manufacturing
interest, "The Wealth of Natioms,h
which includes the production of food
TO sustain the operatives-corn, meat,
and milk, alike with the production oil
raw material, cotton, wool. silk and
manipulations of The looms. Yet we
are constrained 10 say, and as American
citizens are mortified to be compelled 10
say, that the vacillaling policy of onr
government has greatly impeded the