These, however,
are cases in which nature rather gets ahead of civilization.
See the result of the lack of free trade in our country. The brick
manufacturers must be protected, so a heavy tariff was placed on the
foreign article. Our brick men, finding that they had a soft thing,
tried to solve that conundrum which the Israelites gave up: "How do you
make bricks without straw?" They made a patent brick, built the Howard
Museum in Washington, (was it a museum or a college?) the thing tumbled
down, and a Congressional committee sat among its ruins. Poor Gen.
HOWARD is in a muddle, and wishes, from the bottom of his heart, that we
had free trade in bricks.
Then, morally, see the high position of the free trader. Poor men who
must have tea or cigars or English or French manufactures, are never
driven to smuggling, where free trade prevails. The free trader would
even abolish the tariff of two dollars and a half, imposed on human
chattels who land at Castle Garden.
That's all I know about free trade. I thought I knew more. I'm afraid I
haven't illuminated the subject; however, I will turn my lantern next
week on protection.
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