The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-04-05
CIear the Tracki

II is duty incumbent on us-and We
always discharge 1t with alacrity-to give
good counsel to both political parties. Every
body knows they need it, and our efforts in
this line ought to meet with the constant
sympathy of every patriot.
Our readers know that we entertain
q sincere admiration for our two ven
erablo contemporaries of the Republican
persuasion, the philosopher of the Tribune
and the poet Of the Post. But there has come
TO be lack of breadth and variety in the
treatment Of national topics In these two
papers, which we can only regard with sen.
timents of regret. We 50 fully appreciate
the excellent motives that actuate them that
we desire TO temper our criticism with the
utmost forbcarance; but the truth remains
that it ia the tendency of daily publications,
as il is their greatest weakness, TO more and
more reflect. with the lapse of time, the pc.
culiarites of their conductors. But this
natural egoIism is not interesting. Nothing
tires like monotony-monotony of idea,
monotony of view, of style, of expression.
type Breadth, variety. multiform knowledge,
manifold power of thought, are indispensa.
bic in leading newspaper This is 50 pal
pable that nobody will controvert ii and it
is not by any means difficult of realization.
But such result can only be cfitctually accom-
plished by holding the glogfcation Of the
individual in subordnation to the cause ;
by the unfolding of ideas through the dill.
gent industry of varied talent. 1t cannot be
achieved by the one-sidcd c%positions of q
single mind.
A convenient and complete illustration of
our theme is furnished by the discussions of
the two newspapers to which we have re.
ferred on the tariff. Th1se two journals are
the antipodes of one another on this question.
Neither seems competent to rise to u full
comprehension of the subject, Each con-
tents itself with its own chronic squint on
this topic, tho same ms they have severally
levellcd at it during the last half century.
And the result is tedious monotony and the
orizing nonsense. Ever since our war loaded
upon the nation its mountain of debt, the
question of tariff on imports has been sim.
ply question of details, The application of
the doctrines Of free trade, or any such approx.
imation to them as was possible of old when
our national expenditures were light is now
out of the question. A tariff imposed by
free traders themselves, in the pres.
ent condition of the national indebt.
ment must necessarily be of highly
protective character 1t takes an aver,
age duty of about forty per cent, on
three hundred millions OF imports to meet
the absolute necessities Of the Government,
nided by the full strength of our internal
revenue sytcm. Under these circumstances
what folly 1t is to insist on the strict ap.
piicaton of dogmatlc views and abstract
principles to the case, There being a diver.
Ety OF opinion among men otherwise agree.
ing on leading principles of administration,
Il 10 the Office of comprehensive journalism
10 come to the consideration OF this subject
In conciliatory temper, and not in a spirit
Of truculent dogmatism. It being extremely
plain that any schedule of duties proposed
by well-iniomed and well.meaping men can