Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-06-05

"ouiu Dc, and that man or press who would in
any way or manner encourage either equally
deserves the title OF Traitors 10 then countrys
cause and defenders OF the incading foe.
The Legislature OF Louisiana has recently
passed an act prohibiting the antiquated and de-
moraliziag practice of public executions. We
hoped that our Legislature, last Winter would
have adopted the same moral relorm-huI it was
pretermilted.
A few days ago, another act passed both
branches OF the Louisiana Legislature, by an
unanimous rote, authorizing juries in cases in
VoivinS capital punishment 10 qualify their ver-
dict, when extenuating circumstances occur, so as
to substitute perpetual Imprisonment for death.
The New Orleans Commercial Times says s.
This is, 10 very considerable extent, an ad.
mission of the fact, that the Jaw heretofore in
force has been unnecessarily severe, or perhaps
we ought to say, notsufficienlly graduated. in re-
gard to The various degrees OF that species of
crime which all, under The old Draco-li like law,
meted out death 10 The culprit."
While we are far from asserting to the unqua-
lifted abolition OF capital punishment which has
found so many distinguished and jealous advo-
cafes in all sections ofthe Union, we are inclined TO
believe that it might accord with more efficient
administration ofjuslice, TO allow TO an intelligent
and honest jury some such discretionary aulho-
rity as above specified. From The very nature Of
The case, jury would be better acquainted than
the paTdoning power with The facts Of The trial,
and might therefore be enabled 10 render more
even-handed justice
The manufacturers at their late Fair have
committed fatal bunder. In setting forth The
rich blessings of the Tariff, they have attempted
TO prove too much. For instance, they parade
as an example OF The effects OF The Tariff, the
beautiful and ingenious machine for manufacture
ing cards. with which to card cotton and wool.
A writer in the Union exposes this glazing error
Of The Tarilies, and advances conclusive rea-
sons why the price Of manufactures has been re.
duced in The face 0. high Tariffs. Hesays:
~ is knOrn that that rcyp machine ras inrentcd
By HtiAemOrc nearly fifty years ago, beto,e pro-
tcetirc Tar.f rcas erer thought of in his country.
Yet snch is the fact. The machine has undonbt-
edlv been very iulc improved since Whiltemore
invented il; but so long is il since it was invent
patent. 1t is one among the many other causes
which have tended 10 reduce The price OF manu-
faclu.ed fabrics in spite of Tariffs II has great
ly increased The facility OF making cards, and
thereby lessened their cost, aud consequently the
cost OF goods manufactured by them. 1t belongs
to that great class OF labor-sayins inventions. 10
which the steam engine, collon-sin, spinning
Jenny, and power-loom belong; and which have
been the main cause Of The cheap fabrics OF the
present day Those wonderful productions OF
invention have conferred upon mankind cheap
fabrics in spite OF the schemes OF monopolist ma
nuiacturers, in The shape of ialsely-called pro.
ieclive Tariffs, devised with view 10 keep up The
prices OF fabrics TO The consumer. ltisto Wati,
TO Whitney, TO Arkwright, 10 Crompton, to Har-
greaves, to WhiIlemore, and other illustrious in
ven,ors, that the world is now indebted for cheap
goods"
He then proceeds TO destroy The force of other
differences most unjusy drawn BY the Tariffites
His facts are so well presented and so fairly in
lerwoven into the argument, that they merit a
space in our columns. On the whole, We are in
clincd to think that the New York Herald is
more Than half right, when it declares that the
National Fair will contribute TO three great re-
suits alone:
"lst. To the benefit of the Baltimore Railroad
the Hotels of Washington, and the Boarding
houses.
ID. The dissolution of The prejudice of the
South agains, the Yankees, a prejudice created by
swndling wooden clocks, and tin pedlars, exclu.
sively.
Sd Increased proofs Of the necessity If redae.
ton 0fMe Tariff, and an increased resolution 10 do
IT,"
But TO the correspondent of the Union:
"Thc writer Tin the National IrtelIigencerl also
says lhata description ofiahrie, which in 1912 cost
S5 cents per ward, now sells Tor II cts; and he
would have the reader infer that the tariff paich
gircs a monopoly oftic market 10 The nufacturc,
and enables HIM 10 fir his orn price has been The
cause of this great change. Now any man oil
common sense will see at once, that this great
reduction OF price is 10 be mainly attributed
to The great labor saving inventions, which have
above referred 10, which have added a thousand.
fold TO the power Of producing The raw material
as we'll as the manufactured fabric. But
another cause operated 10 keep up the price in
1879. We were at war with England. Ofcourse
British fabrics were excluded from our market
and thus the manufactured had monopoly OF
our market so lar as he was able 10 supply it,
He had then by The operation of arar ,rhnt he nOl0
seeksio obtain by prohi5itory tariff ri-: tie con-
also in a state of war; Manufactures were 10
some extent suspended; The anizan and the me-
chanic having ei the workshop for the field OF
battle The general war which then prevailed
throughout Chris'endom caused suspension OF
manufactures and other productions while the
consumption was increased, thus creating great
er demand in proportion 10 the supply. Such
were the causes OF high prices in 1912; and the
causes first mentioned, viz: The great labor-saving
inventions Of The last and present centuries, are
the main causes Of low prices now.
"But iflhe American Tariff has produced such
an immense reduction of price, how happens it
that still greater reduction has taken place in
the markets of Europel The American Tariff
does not operate upon The manufactures OF Eu-
rope 10 reduce them in price. II il does, whatdo
our manufacturers calmly it2 Certainly, il such
is its operation in foreign countries il is the most
deadly foe to The interests Of our manufacturers
II ena bles their foreign rivals 10 compete with
them, not only in The markets of The world, but
in those of our own country. Such absurdi-
ties will hardly 60 down with an intelligent peo-
pie.
"But have not done with the tabrications OF
those manufacturing agents who have come here
10 convince Congress andlhe people that taxation
in The form OF Tariff is The most supreme of all
the blessings which they can enjoy. In passing
tHc Va WUlCH Tue dIc us
played, observed some very handsome Mar
settles quilts. The largest size had the following
words labelled upon Them: Cost in 1913, So in
1916, A. Those of smaller size were labelled
thus: Cost in l9l3, So; in 1916, 3 So Now,
know from my own experience, that the state
ment of the prices Of these articles N lS43 is To-
tally false. had occasion 10 purchase several
of those qnilts for my own use, in that very year.
and paid for the largest size 81 IS. and for the
smallest3 So These were Of precisely The same
description Of goods as those displayed at the
Fair The prices | have named, in 1913, were
the retail prices, as bought bulvefy few"
Nothing later (says The N. 0. Delta seems
10 have been received from Mexico at Havana.
We have not been able TO learn what effect the
first news OF war might have produced in the
market.
FRoM HAvAS4.-Since the above was in type