The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-05-26

from IL, Is able 70 prove us distress. I'M
.doubtedly they all tell thetruth The sys
be regretted that we have not the informs-
ton which would have been hadif the former
Investigations of the commission OF internal
revenue had been kept up. But 1t seems ss
though bigrotry on his subject must at Iasl
give way The idez that government can
give what IL can not tske, has at least the
sanction of sacred tradition, tor any one who
attacksit Is met With suspicion and denuncia;
n.@The argument that we have immense
resources, with every form reproduction, sur
passing those of every other nations and
therefore that we ought TO pay more Ter
everything thar anybody else IN re world,
will ruin itself at last. IN the circumstances
est is the one upon which any error must
finally fall 1t Is not to be denied that the
agricultural interest of the country Is, at the
present time, crushed. The bonus given to
the creation of unnatural forms of industry
is taken from the legitimate sources OF our
national wealth. 1t cannot be denied thatiit
is in transportation that this, error comes
home to the agriculturist. The system Of
wasteful taxation comes in TO rob them, to
Ifrustrate their hopes, and snatch from their
hands that for which they have struggled.
In the country at large this system has edu-
Gated the people INTO some peculiar doctrines
OF political economy, which follow legiti-
mately from the protective system. The
most generally received notion in political
economy seems to be that the way to sue
lcessful production consists in knowing
NO. '1D""'''F 81 EMIT pHHeoDccrros. II 4 ~
The market is controlled by combinations
of the greatest interests. The old ~nesion
that it was the business Of gosernment 10
make work has been scouTed 70 death.
We now have the new che that 1t is not
the business of rstn 70 make all he
can. and he Ives in fear lest he
should create 100 much work. It is
not strange thst labor also has taken ND this
notion. and ;sppliedit to its own case. The
labor mark 81 is distracted by efforts 10 les
sen the hours of labor. and earn without
WORKING. Ii man can get all the things
he wsots by working only eight hours, let
him be happy. He ought to be happy, for
he IL an exceptional man. Another thing
seems to be born of the interference system.
This applies at present especially TO the
south. There is cotton and water power,
and it is immedistely inferred that manu-
factories ought to be introduced to use the
water power and manufacture the cotton.
Likewise, homi,ies are addressed to the
south to raise food there. so as to be
independent Of the west. Here we
nave the doctrine OF local Independence
brought downlto its lowest limit. The form
reproduction at any given place will be that
one which at shat place gives the best return
to labor and capital. II all the labor in
South Carolina can be best placed on the
produc ion Of cotton, then nothing bnt cot
ton will be produced there. and nothing else
ought to be- If they should starye because
they have not raised rice also. The only true
inference is that they, ought TO have inn
proved their means OF communication with
the rice-growing district L have Thought
proper tocaH attention to these false notions
arising rom the pernicious interfe
ence system. because they be5r on
the labor question and ON the
SoHth. Scarcely anything that body of
men is called upon to do requires more bal
ance of mind and intelligence than to per-
ceive and correct mistakes. Our misfortunes
come from our mistakes. The war LETT a
load of mistaken notions, difficult problems
and some disordered enthusiasts and deeply
NOTED prejudices. We have got to deal with
these, with no passion or pride to help us
through. The protective system was taken
up again, after long rest, for the
purpose of revenue, and applied blindly,
so that it has destroyed our shipping and
agriculture, crippled manufactures, and les
sened the production of capital. 1t has
grievously hindered our recuperstion, and
produced political and mercantile ISLANDERS
which make us blush for our national
regulations. The legal tender act has de-
livered us over to the miseries which always
follow an irredeemaDle currency. If, then,
falls upon US, we cannot look for
the cause elsewhere than in these mistakes.
The task of correcting them is tiresome
one TO US, but here we are with this task be-
fore us, and the most useful work We can
do, at any rate to-day, is to demolish these
arrors ''s