44 o THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



in the clearest. And yet it is quite clear that it would be utterly 

 impossible to apply that principle in a state of society such as 

 that in which we live, without a due consideration of the interests 

 which have grown up under the protection of former laws. 

 While contending for the justice of the abstract principle, we 

 may at the same time admit the necessity of applying it partially ; 

 and I think the proper object is first of all to lay the foundation 

 of good laws, to provide the way for gradual improvements, 

 which may thus be introduced without giving a shock to existing 

 interests. If you do give a shock to these interests, you create 

 prejudices against the principles themselves, and only aggravate 

 the distress. This is the principle on which we attempted to pro- 

 ceed in the preparation of the tariff." 



Our present conditions correspond almost exactly to this state- 

 ment ; and the logic of events is bringing almost all economic stu- 

 dents, many legislators, and also nearly all the intelligent leaders 

 in the manufacturing and mechanic arts to the same conclusion to 

 which Sir Robert Peel was brought by the logic of events when 

 he took office in 1840 ; especially by the very disastrous condition 

 to which Great Britain had been brought under an obstructive 

 tariff policy the effect of which culminated at that date. 



One may also refer to one of the greatest speeches that Daniel 

 Webster ever made — a speech which he delivered at Faneuil 

 Hall in October, 1820, at a meeting which had been called to resist 

 an increase of duties above the very moderate revenue tariff of 

 1816, which was then in force — a meeting such as ought to be 

 held now to protest against a worse measure. This meeting was 

 called by men whose names are familiar to every Boston man — 

 by William Gray, James Perkins, Nathan Appleton, Abbott Law- 

 rence, Joseph Sewell, George Bond, Thomas Wigglesworth, Will- 

 iam Sturgis, and by many others whose names have been house- 

 hold words among the merchants and manufacturers of Massa- 

 chusetts for generations. In dealing with the high tariff measure, 

 which was then being forced upon Massachusetts against her will, 

 Webster said : 



" To individuals this policy is as injurious as it is to govern- 

 ment. A system of artificial government protection leads the 

 people to too much reliance upon government. If left to their 

 own choice of pursuits, they depend on their own skill and their 

 own industry ; but if government essentially affects their occupa- 

 tions by its systems of bounties and preferences, it is natural that 

 when in distress they should call on the government for relief. 

 Hence, a perpetual contest follows, carried on between the differ- 

 ent interests of society. Agriculturists taxed to-day to sustain 

 manufactures — commerce taxed to-morrow to sustain agriculture 

 —and then impositions perhaps on both manufactures and agri- 



