The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-08-30
@THE LEGISLATURE OF TAILoRs.n

land) Argus, the following keen SATIRE (wth the
above title) on the philosophy of the system which
Mr.. Clay and his followers would term, par ercet-
ience, ''ihe American system"
Those Of our readers who acquainted with
British politics will readily discover Sir Robert Peel
depicted in the character of Eel. friend suggests,
however, that the Dukes of Richmond and Of Buck
ingham may not SO easily be recognised, by the
generality Of readers under the titles respectively,
Of Good,oood and Stoic. These latter are the names
Of the country residences of those gentlemen, who
are strenuous supporters of the corn-aws which it
is the object of this satire to ridicule.
From the Glasgow Argus.
We have been requested to insert the following,
which we do with much pleasure. The fable bears
its own moral, and will no doubt be instructive:
"In certain country, (the namcof which need
not be mentioned there was great popularity in
the mode of government. That peculiarly was,
that no man could sit in either house Of Parliament,
(of which, as in ours, there were two,) who was
not tailor To be tailor, doing great stroke of
business, was to be eligible, not only for seat in
the legislature but for all the principal offices of
state; and, IN fact the law was so framed, that II
any of talent, not tailor, was anxious TO pro-
cure admission into Parliament, he was compelled
to do his conscience wrong, and hire taior's shop
for day, that he might swear, at the moment OF
his election, that he did really and truly belong to
that eminent fraternity The consequences Of this
state Of things may be easily anticipated. People
seeing that the tailors made the law, looked up to
the taiors with becoming respect; and the monarchs
of the country, being in the power Of the tailors
from generation to generation conferred honors, dig
mites, and emoluments upon them. The tailors,
having so much power and consideration, naturally
endcavored to turn both their own advantage, and
made a law, enacting that coats and breeches, and
~ r. a
certain large price. They also enacted other laws
for the protection and sole advantage of tailors Ii
made greater offence trespass upon tailor's
premises, than upon those Of any other man;
higher crime to take away tnor's goose or any
other bird belonging to him, than to steal the fowls
Of any other description of trader; and, indeed, the
taors went far with their geese, that they would
not allow any ono to interfere with them, or use
them, although the geese might go in at the doors
and destroy the substance of unotlending men. But
these, though great hardships to the community,
were felt as nothing by them, compared to the cruel
ty of making all sorts of garments excessive
y and unnecessarily dear; great portions of the COM
munty, unable to pay this price, and prevented by
law from sending to the taors of other countries
who had no such powers and privileges, were
obliged TO wear very coarse and insufficient ramcnt;
and many went without it altogether, and persisted
from the inclemency of the weather. This state Of
things became at last terrible evil, and the people
murmured greatly at the injustice OF the tailors.
|
the multitudes experienced for the want of cover
ing-how many old men and old women shivcred in
the wlntry blasts, and how many little children
were nipped in the bud who might have lived to old
| age if clothes had been cheap and easily to be
procured as they ought to have been. They ac-
cused those who complained Of such evils as men
of no knowledge of the true principles of government
! --as men OF no rcctitude--who wished to overturn
the monarchy, bring about revolution, destroy
religion, and render us dependent upon foreign ma
tons for our brceches They refused loudly TO
lower the price Of their commodities and maintain
ed, with many specious but foolish arguments, that
had it not been for the great price of coats and
other garments, the nation would not have attained
any rank or emnence among the powers of the
earth, and would have been conquered and overrun
by the people of neighboring states. These false
and ridiculous doctrines were widely spread, and
so zealously ncucated by the iailors and by people
connected with them, that many well meaning men
were convinced that the taors spoke the truth, and
paid willingly the extortonate sums demanded by
them, The cry of the naked multitudes was heard
| occasionally; but when the weather grew warmer
It was hushed, and the tailors fancicd that it was moi
the warm weather, but their arguments, that had
stilled the multitude, and consoled themselves
during the hot and quiet days with the hope that
all opposition had died away. In these times there
arose man Of the name of Eel-a very far-spokcn
Intelligent sort OF man--who, though not borr
among the ailors, had bought himself into their fra
ternty by his wealth, and acquired great asccndency
amongst them by his plausible character. This mai
Eel had great TACT unS prudence, and sort o.
PLAIN busness-lke eloqucnce, that had great weigh
with all the mediocre minds who did not like m,
labor OF thinking for themselves and who were very
well satisfied that SO respectable person should
think for them. Now, Eel had the misfortune o
connecting himself IN early life with the ailors il
consequence of The facilities afforded by their cor
poraton OF advancing his ambitious views Of powe
and influence over his fcow-men; and although In,
older he grew, the more sensible he became that IN,
talors had not acted Justly TO the community ant
had, by their sel6shness, inflicted many evils upor
The whole nation, themselves included, he had no
the courage to renouncc his allegiance to them
wow, the nature of the man was acute, or, NOR
properly speaking, cunning; and when the tailor
chose him for their leader there arose great strug
gle IN his mind upon the coats and breeches cues
uon. The more he thought upon the matter, an,
the more he listened to the voice Of reason Justice
ana common sense, the more convinced he becam,
that the tailors were wrong, and that the peop,
were right. He was, to do him Justice. hnxiou,
enough that the monopoly Of the tailors should b.
put an end to, and that the people should be cheap,
1clothed; but, at the same time, he was anxious no
to annoy and vex his friends, who had brought hin
into so responsible position nor 10 DESTROY m,
great party OF the tailors out OF the country II
this perplexity, scheme was devised by him an,
others, that, when the thermometer Yves ten degree
below freezing point, the poor people might send fo
clothes TO neghborng States, and not be Obliged /,
buy from the high-prced tailors Of their-own coun
try, This scheme, however, was not found /,
work wen; Tor, when the shivering people sen
Tor their clothes, the thermometer not unfreo,ent
~ rose TO 20 or 30 degrees above the ffeez
ing point before the order could be executed
ana when at last the clothes came, they were refuse,
admission into the country, unless such duty wer
paid upon them as made them as dear as the HON,
manufacture. This scheme, therefore, did not las
long, and great agitation sprang up from one end
the country to the other against the ailors At last
holy league and alliance was formed the object
which was to put the tailors upon the same leSe
WIN shoemakers and other artisans, and with IN,
farmers and owners Of land, and generally all thos