New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-08-16

| /. Z.
retributve Justice In suoh system too oy tne use
NJ these foles that our people become bankrnp' ana
ormiaaa, and gve Use 70 the neoesity OF courts ana
tails and oil tbs paraphernalia OF government; ana
IA but right thai they should pay the Hons snare tne
cost whils the poor and humble ana VINO u'o
Of tbese things born and die In peaoefui OBJ
.curty scarcely knowing that We have law or court
,.If Won please TO publish this, the writer Will BIO
bappy TO read any comment you may choose to mako
IN a. LAKE
'f'' Comments bv The Tribune.
7. One question, which greatly perplexes or
binary financiers, does not seem to trouble
"Lake" at all. 1t is-"Suppose you levy such
cor such rate Of duty, can you collect az
Diamonds, jewelry, laces, they would like TO
tax heavily; but they are of 80 little bulk In
proportion to their value that to collect high
duty on them is simply impossible. III heavily
taxed, they will slip in unnoted. in false
bottomed trunk, in q lady's reticule. or sewed
into her garments, and pay nothing whatever.
SO the practical statesman taxes them no more
than he hopes to be able in most cases to col
lcct, and resigns himself to the necessity OF
hearing bar-room demagogues denouDce him
"a an aristOcrat and q mOnOpOlist, who taxes
the poor farmers log-chain twice or thrice as
much as the rich dandy's gold guard-chaln. This
is one of the Inconvenience OF his position,
which he braves as he best may.
III. "Lake" groups Intoxicating drinks per-
| fumes, tobacco, false hair, false everything"
under the head of injurious vice :" zoe might
not dissent from what he means by this; bat
that is not conclusive. Those who delight in
the articles he thus stigmatizes have votes
nay, they have good many votes is he sure
that they will agree to tax their cherished
luxuries two hundred per cent. in order to
exempt our delights from any tax at all Z Is
he sure that they would permit us to so further
in this direction than we have gone already 7
We are not
iii. "Lake" instances "plain clothing" as one
thing he would have absolutely free" In
| other words, he would have our clothing
(Which does not cost less than $500,0O0,0W per
annum) made abroad so far as foreigners will
supply our markets fraction cheaper than our
own clothiers tailOrs and milliners, will do it.
The first effect of this would be reduction
| by one-half of the wages or earnings OF the
million or 80 of our countrymen now engaged
| in some department or other of cloth or clothes
making. American Labor in every field would
| feel the shock and share the depression Friend
"Lake,n we can't go it. The revulsiOn would
disastrously affect every productive interest.
SO with our Iron industry, in all it's infinite
notifications If you want to tax "wanton
folly" begin with that which would strip
American Labor Of its well-planned defenses
and leave it naked to its enemies.
| Nv. Our need of Protection rests immOvably
| on the facts that we are young people, with
very much to erect and create which older ma
tons already possess; that Labor is and should
be much dearer in this country than in Europe,
which cheapers on that continent whatever re-
auires no considerable area for its production.
Europe is thus enabled to undersell in OuI
great seaports our producers of like articles
unless the latter are shielded by a Tariff
That we now have; and the whole country is
blessed by it. Our farmers have convenient
and ample markets for products that they
could not sell at all were our factories and
workshops in Europe; even their Grain and
Meat command prices which would be unat-
tainable without capacious and eager Home
Market In spite of heavy taxation, the coun-
try is growing and prospecting, with work for
all who can and will do it. Why not "Let
"well alODep