The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-11-28
The PaEspe In Chicago-.3.
" sEENWb V-'D.
CHICAGO, October 20.
To Horace Greeleg.

To Horace Greeley.
SAHIB: In my first letter on the Chi.
cago fire | showed that your dear home
policy demands from the people of fire
devasted Chicago SI6O0O,OO0 contlibu
tons TO be paid to the virtuous iron and
timber monopolists for the great crime
of allowing their city to burn down
while furious gale was blowing, rs if
they were skimming the very cream
from the milk of your immortal essays
OH home industry. The iron monopo-
lists say 10 tie Chicago people What
difference does it make to You to pay us
81 100000 eXactions fer iron, when it
is well known that if you had all been
horn in Africa or on the plains Of the
Gangcs either no such city could have
existed at all or if burned down it could
never have been rebuilt Besides, if Won
in Chicago are mulcted in 100000
and are the poorer for it, you know that
ne in Pennsylvania have it, and the
country at large will not lose"
Now, the City of Chicago will ex-
pend at least 81, ,000,0O in window glass,
wherein their fingers are cut and bed
TO the amount of about 100000 rs a
contribution TO home industry. They
must eNpend s4,000,000 in paint, var
nish, and putty, in which they are mule
ted at least S2,0O0,000, which in their
sore distress and poverty might have
been spared to other uses-to the pro-
curement of other necessities They
will have to expcnd at least $5,000,000
in nails, screws, door-locks, and mar
hles, in which they are mulcted $1,000,
coo more. They will have to pay 81,
900, 600 at least to replace the burned
stoves and kitchen ranges, which exacts
another 100000 for the benefit of home
industry-not counting anything extra
for bricks and tiles The shell of the
houses would then be complete and thus
far what we call home industry exacts
trCm the citizens of Chicago, for the
unheard of crime of allowing their city
to burn down, their pains and these pen.
alties
vi
what must he had, $11 100000
Timber-additiona expense
of what must be had, 100000
Window glass-adtiitionai
expense of what must be had 100000
Paint,varnish, and putty-ad
ditional expense of what
must lie hsd, 100000
Nails, screws, door locks and
marbles-additional expen-
Sc of what must be had. 100000
Stoves and kitchen ranges
additional expense of what
must be had, 100000
Total contribution by the
burnt-out City of Chicago
to home industry for the re-
building of their houses
alone, without furnishing
them, S21 100000
Thus, if at this present moment your
tariff were tariff for your needful rev.
enue only, instead of being protective
tariff, Chicago could rebuild her house
and stores for at least twenty one to
twenty five millions less than now she
can possibly do. Political economy can
no more deny this fact than it can deny
that first mortgages bring 10 per cent.
in Chicago, and may fetch even more
now.
Political economy cannot deny that
this fearful amount of over twenty mill
ions, at the Chicago rate of interest,
doubles itself in seven years; and if
Chicago has to 60 into debt on mort
cages during the next two years fer this
additional S25,000,000 to rebuild her
houses because the tariff requires this
sacrifice as contribution to the vota-
ries Of home industry, then will the tar
iff alone infct in thirty years more than
half as much injury as the fire itself has
done | regret, dear Sahib,to give this,
my settled opinion and conclusion, that
your so called industrial policy will be
the greatest drawback to the speedy re-
building of Chicago; that your tariff
will cost rebuilt Chicago as much as her
fire Ever your sincere pupil,
ADERsEY CURIoslBHoY.
Parsee Merchant, of Apollo street, Bonn
bay.