Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-05-24

citizens deuy themselves every luxury. and de-
vote To the Government all their spare means,
either directly by subscribing 70 nations. loans.
or indirectly by mui-tering 70 the needs of those
who have suffered and are suffering by the war
The question then recurs. il this w0man's ant
importation movement one of econ tmyf We
think not No one will deuy that there are GER
tain articles which can De made at less cost in
foreign countries than in own. N-ny OF
these articles are necessities to large portion Of
our people. and luxuries 10 but few. Take a
SIX dress for ex snple. how few ladies there are
but can easily afford and by the conditions OF
society in which they placed. teel IL necessary
10 buy one IL lasts long time, requires no
Washing. and IN the end does more service than
would the same amount OF money expended IN
the purchase Of American prints. Linen j. per-
haps au example more pertinent 10 the point
No one will DENY that better linen is made in
England and Ireland than in this country, aud
that IL Is true economy to buy il instead OF such
stuff ne is made here. But. il is urged silks and
linens can be manufactured here as good AZ those
OF foreign Importation. II the manufacturers can
only receive the requisite encouragement. Pray
Whist encouragement do they wantg just as soon
as they eau produce an article which is of equal
value with that of foreign manufacture. aud can
AFFORD TO sell u ut the same or less price than
the latter with the neavy duty now imposed upon
IL. just so soon will they find = ready market Tor
their goods The fact is goods are manufac-
tured to the greatest extent where they eau be
m 'de the cheapest.
England to-day uses very many articles that
are made here. because we make them at less
cost than she can. and SO long continue To
do so. so long will she continue TO buy them OF
US and the ouly way for her to test the point is
to make them herself Silks are made with less
expense ~ France than in New England and SO
New England buys them of France Once all
our calicoes came from England; now we make
our Own. and the people wear them because hey
are cheaper than those Of English mhnuf.cture
For ourselves. we anticipate the day when We
shall sutstrip the world in manufactures of all
kinds; tut the time i not yet And till that day
comes, it will be poor economy for Us 70 refuse
to ouy OF other nations since their goods are
less costly and more valuable than ours. l. it
not clear. then, that economy does not neceSsa-
ry consist in retaining from the purchase of
imported artcle>g More than that. IL il not. in
some cases ut least. extravaganza TO refuse to
purchase them
But the pledge, we are reminded, reads i'm
ported articles of luxury" Very we'll Yet,
why the qualification by the use of the word
"impOrtedY' Why not say ARTICLES of luxury,
without regard to how or where they are madeI
This would be much more To the point We
luxury"-who shall decide what they are -
Among the signers TO the call for this meeting
and the pledge adopted by IL. notice names
that represent hundreds of thousands of dollars
Who shall dictate 10 them what articles Of
luxury? And can they in turn prescribe what
articles their less wealthy but equally patriotic
neehbor shall bu,? IL il TO be left to 1.-The pa
troic impulse OF the ladies to how far they
shall ec0nOmze. rather than trammel their con
sciences by any stringent pledge which thew
might not be able in the fullest sense to keep, .
said one of the speakers All. then why the
necessity of pledge at alY II the whole mat
ter resolve itself into question Of conscience
and of private judgment. whence the need OF
the paraphernala of public meeting and public
pledges
The fact is. the whole thing is an error from
first 20 last. though born OF most worthy motives
aud piiriotic impulses Our word for il, year
hence the folly Of i; will be II will die of
itself before that time. Meanwhile we shall look
for ~ more healthy and more extended practice
OF economy. which will be the more beneficial
because it will spring from the patriotism aud the
conscience of our noble American women. un-
tanned by the stimulus of public meetings and
public pledges Round Table Republican