, 1870-05-02
Give Us This Day Our Daily Fig
Eruus


It is in no way surprising that . young, AFRO
giant. ignorant person, thrown unt;n1eIy iutt
Congress by some upheaEa1 Of the subterran.
cans, should feel that our government stands
people Of tho United S.a.cs, and that thoy
should look to it for daily food. Much is 10 ba
forgiven to the overwhelming sensa Of respon-
eihlity which disquiets the yoRag person in
such case. He feels us on his mind. he
feels that s1eeplcss vigilance is his duty, in
he lea1na SLOWLY, il at ali, that that people is
governed test which is governed least.
But, that men OF reputation rs grave aud e1-
perienced statesmen should 20 far mistake the
proper function Of government as to suppose
lint all good citizens should pray daily to the
dag our daily pig iron," is pitisb1e. There is
not schpol hoy in America wboBe instruction
should not enable him to correct so absurd q
misconceptiou OF the proper sphere Of gov
eminent Yet this il the browning grace Of
good craftsmanship in The eyes Of some Of our
OUT journalists Of widest reputation
We have sincere and ardent regard for
Horace Greeley. II we could for moment
permit ourselves to adopt his stslo and Ian
gurge wa should say be III the best and most
honest wrongheaded idiot in tho civilized
world. No man has wider and higher con-
ceptiou Of the capacities OF journalism than
Mi. Gree1ey. No other man IN all the caravan
Of time has ever so thoroughly saturated any
journal with his oWn personality, and made it
70 potent an engine, as Mr. Greeley has done
nth tho Tribune. AZ Journalist no adore
respectful admiration. Whit hc knows about
farming ne are content to take on trust with
out eren reading it. But az political econo-
mist the venerable HoodsmAn ia not q success
His whole theory Of political economy is d.
rected to requiring of government desperate
1far$t
much as our own to the consumer. This is to
be accomplished by forcing him to pay the dif-
ference, and trit1e over, into the pockets OF
for capitalists, And Mr. Greeley thinks the
whole power OF the government, IN all its
branches, should be energized in this direc-
ton. Congress should make foreign pig iron
cost as much as ours, or die in tho attempt. II
any lunatic should embark all his capital in IN
cnterprise to produce nstiye bar steel out of
costly cutlery, at ten times the cost OF import
ed bar steel, Greeley would demand that q
tarir Of ten times the cost Of the foreign aEti-
that tbe natiye 1unatic might be protected
from loss-
Some scientific farmer h4s recently demon
strated that fair article OF tea can be grown
in California, at cost of 740 or $50 q pound |
Greeleya theory w1l require Of US that a tariff
cient to '"proteci" this Californian in the !
growth OF tea, provided he cares to continue |
he business. tits me1eifu1 thing that home
production By Less scientific native farmers has
been successful in giving the American people
: very fair sqnash 1t low rates, or We Hhonld |
hare had Mr. Greeley demanding protection
IT two dollars and q half onsquashes, in order +!
hat ho might keep up his scientific farming |
Without loss.
Ne forget, however; for the moment. Pro
:cction ID not for farmers, 4 farmer who Is
opening up a new farm, and who finds it hard !
g make e3penses the first Few years, while his !
business IS in its infancy, does not expect |
protection and would not get It il he did. !
orotec;ion is for the Yankee capitalist, WHO is
starting new manufactors Of SONIC sort. The
arner, my friend, takes for his. share the !
privilege Of paWny for protcction--not of /
icing protected. Let him buy any article plo,
fuced By our Yankee friend, and he will fnd
shere the protection" comes in.
The whole duty Of Congressional nsn, ae-
,ording to tho theory Of Mr. Greeley and his
iisciples in Congress, is, to constantly jigger
nd adjust a protective tariff upon the conflict
ng and VARYING class interests Of capitalists
g6o hare bcon 80 unwise as to adopt pura1its |
equiring contribution from the public IN Or
1er to enable them to continue without 1osa-
,he duty Of statesman Is to aaca1tain tho