New-York daily tribune., 1842-09-10
r HE T RIB u NE.
Cav. Davis ON Protection and ,he Land
Distribuiicn.

any
,,ict the State for the choice Of Members of Con.
rre,s under the new Apportionment. plan had
already been reported by q Committee, throwing
he whole excess of population on Boston, which
,;,b 10000 inhabtant, forms District; the rest
of the State is divided into niGe equal Districts
If ius, about 10000 each. The Governor COM
nnnica,ed to the Legislature brief Message, in
,bch he treats Of our great National Interests as
follows
Congress passed law to carry into effect this
,o,;cy so well devised to revive and infuse new
into the angushins of the people of
hi. Commonwealth but it raet in the hands of the
r,ocptiye with the fate of other measures which
ware designed to mitigate the public distress
The President could not urge in his Justification
Constitutional serupes for he had at the previous
session signed the Distribution Act, but his apollo
ov for defeating measure vital to the best inter-
eats of the great laboriDg community, is the ex-
pences Of the treasury, though the treasury could
scarcely need replenishing more than at the time
he approved the Distribution Act.
The Executive assumes virtually that ne bill
,royiding for duty of more than 90 per cent
sbalI become law, unless the revenue from the
lands i; restored to the treasury by the suspension
of the Distribution Act, and he has accomplished
hi. object. He has brought the revenue from the
lands back into the treasury, and it will be instru-
mental in renewing the scenes and working out the
results wkich have disheartened the laborer, and
retarded the prosperity of this country for many
voars mast. This revenue all have learnt from ex-
percnce, is exceedingly fuctuating We have
seen it deranging the whole system of financial
p,cy both by excess and deficiency. We have
seen it reach nearly twenty-five millions of dollars
in q wear and then fall to less than two millions;
s,us uusettling and deranging the whole system of
duties, and keeping the tariff question in constant
agitationby apparent necessity to raise or lower
duties. This unsteady basis of the financial poll
cy--this constant agitation of the question-this
uncertainty as TO what j. to come, keeps all whose
business rests directly or remotely upon the Tariff
for support in state of alarm which paralyzes
their energy, and is fatal to their prosperity
Sudden changes in the financial system are too
often followed by disastrous consequences, and
hence it is a matter of memenrous consideration
inat the system should rest upon a firm basis de-
nandng little change. No measure ever adopted
BY Congress promised more suspicious results to
labor than the law Of distribution, which removed
from the treasury the great disturbing cause which
created excesses and DEFICIENCIES, nor has any law
held out to the working man, and allotkers, such
promise of future state of things which we
might rely with confident assurance, there could
be little occasion for injurious change Ihe defeat
Of q measure SO auspicious to osr best interests,
SO we'll designed to remove the embarrass ments,
which have beset the whole country, and SO full
Of the promise of benefits to come, is therefore,
greatly to be deplored.
Those who are opposed to Tariff, discrimina-
ted so to protect industry, aud who are Ia favor
Of reducing the wages of labor, will no doubt be
opposed to distribution of the revenue from the
lands, for they perceive what has been long and
sodeeply felt by the friends of American industry,
that the sursst way to check manufacturing enter
prise and to obssruct the division of labor, is TO
keep The revenue laws in a state of iluctuation-
to make it uncertain whether he who has % per
cent. protection this year, will have more than
ten or fifteen the next. Nor are they blind to the
fact that the revenue from the lands will almost
necessarily be so irregular as to wotk out this re-
suit. If any njustee were dene to States or TO
the people by the distribution, we might find in
tina. circumstance motive to resist the policy
But whatever sums might be distributed, tacre Is
not State where the people would be relieved to
the extent of all il receives from direct taxation.
In our own Commonwealth we raise annually
great sums for free schools, for the support OF high
ways and the poor, and TO meet the multiplied eX-
igepces Of the times. So ii is elsewhere, and as
many of the States are burdened with debt, moro
seasonable and welcome relief from public bur-
sens could not be afforded 10 the whole people
Of the United States.
Ina country like ours, differing widely from the
old continent in this, that our land produces,
through the blessing of Heaven, enough OF the
substantial comforts of life for all, 1t Is matter OF
surprise that the measures which are best caicG!a-
led to promote division of labor, by which alone
these blessings can be 50 distributed as to make
all who have the capacity and the will to take care
Of themselves, comfortable and happy, far beyond
The enioyn.euts of other countries, should be SO
steadily and resolutely resisted.
But the people must not be discouraged by u
deIeat-they have the power TO set this matter
right; and steady, patient, resoluie perseverance
atthe ballot bsx will accomplish it. No TREND oil
the ea, interests of labor should slacken his eX-
ertons till the distributve policy is carried into
successful operation.
Notwithstanding the defeat of measure SO sa-
iaary and auspicious to the interests OF the peo-
pie, We find much consolation IN the tact tiiat lne
horizontal line of duties has been abanaonea, ana
mat the great principle of discrimination IN iuVof
0 American labor has been restored. ms we
owe to the patience and psrseverlng ehets! Vi
congress amid embarrassments such as haSs SCI
dom beset deliberative body. That the new re-
Venue law will exert a happy lntiuence III renew
ing the courage of the desPondent, and III iiius'hS
new lite and energy into business, Can scarcely au
mit Of doubt; but the work is no. done, nor
wilit be till the principle of distribution is as
serted and maintained. This may be done oy
such law as was enacted at the extra session
or the average amour, received from the sale o
public lands in ordinary years may be ascerta'ned
and that sum paid into the treasury while tha sur
plus shall be distributed. Uau the one or 'n'
ether is accomplished, there will be no lasting
Prosperity JOHN DAVIS.
GossciI Chamber, Sept, I, 1912.
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