New-York daily tribune., 1843-10-20

Free Trade and Land Taxes.


The Democratic papers will not make them
selves the vehicles of such views as | wish to
express. therefore beg permission to state them
in your columns.
regard the Tariff as device to keep up the
profits of American capital much higher than If
foreign capital were allowed TO do our manufac-
turing and to keep down the rent of land lower
than if we exchanged raw produce for manuac-
tured goods Mr.. Van Bren's Tariff, scheme is
little better than that of the Wings in this re-
spect. Mr.. Calhoun's, though less protective,
and therefore in itself somewhat better, is still, as
scheme of taxation, calculated to enrich the
landholders at the public expense: it IS a device
to throw the taxation upon consumers, and, while
it raises their rents, is kept off the andholders,
on whom it would mostly fall if direct taxes were
resorted to.
Land, by the tenor of sovereign grants, is held
liable for all wants of the public. By natural
right, it belongs wholly to the public; and never
should have been granted or sold to individuals.
1t is, therefore, the proper source Of public reve-
nue.; and while it will yield enough, the public
has no right to take from individuals any part OF
their private property
The Democratic leaders, on the plea that the
people are not enough enlightened to know their
| rights and interests, refrain from making Free
| Trade and Direct Taxation g party question ;
though many of them deem this system the best.
They tell YOU "half loaf is better than no Bread
g the frying.pan better than the fire. and other
equally noble sentiments. Now, so far as my
knowledge of history goes, it shows that the pub
| lie has ever been prone to acquescc IN existing
conditions from this same fear OF falling from
the frying.pan or losing the half loaf; and all
advances toward freedom and right have been
made by men who loved to encounter these pc
| rils-to run some risk of losing their bread, their
butter, ETC. The fear of losing life is pardonable
cowardice, but this fear of losing lu1uries and
temporary ease is objectionable poltroonery. Yet,
for want Of thought, the public still yields to this
! motive, and allows itself to be led to !easy
battles and sure victories, negecting the great
principles that should be contended for: and the
result of this fighting is little besides scalps and
plunder-the former for Democracy" the latter
for its leaders
Though am thorough Democrat, that IS l'hold
that the dristoi-thc wlsest and braVcst-shoud
govern by intellectual forcc-the whole people be-
ing the party to make the physical declson,) still
deem it my duty to vote for the oligarchsts,
and against the people, while the latter are
SO untrue to themselves and to mankind.
therefore cannot vote for Mr.. Van Buren, MIR.
Calhoun, or any sclcstyled Democrat, who does
not openly pledge himself in favor of Free Trade
and Direct Taxes but shall, as hope many
others will, vote for the oligarchisc candidate, to
teach these heroes of the frying pan that manly
course is the more polite, as well as the more
honorable. Yours, J. n. FISHER.
u We do not think we need offer any COM
ments on the above. Our views differ so utterly
from those of the writer that we must leave the
reader to Judge how far his fundamental posi-
tons are sustained by any known or possible
facts. He asked hearing through our columns,
being denied it through those of the so called
{ Free Trade school, and we have cheerfuily ac-
corded it. ia.