Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 93, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 March 1910 — WISDOM OF TWO PATRIARCHS [ARTICLE]

WISDOM OF TWO PATRIARCHS

Mark Twain and John Bigelow Agree on the Tariff. The government that robs Its own people earns the future tt Is preparing for itself. „ In a letter declining an invitation to attend the annual dinner of the eham. her of commerce of New York, of which he la one of the few honorary members, the Hon. John Bigelow delivered himself of the following Impressive statement, which Is particularly Interesting in view of the devotion of the chamber not merely to protectionism, but recently to the policy of ship subsidy: I could not conscientiously accept an Invitation to address the merchants of the commercial metropolis of America (with many pretensions to be regarded as the commercial metropolis of the world) without saying something of the unrighteous tariff upon Imports by which its commerce is discouraged and thus a limited but always growing class is enriched by demoralizing no less than Impoverishing the rest of the nation. But such a deliverance would hardly be suitable on a festal occasion, where may be found some, I hope not many, who do not mind the unrighteousness of the tariff if it be only so revised as to be unrighteous enough to render it more instead of less profitable to themselves. Therefore I will try to shine, like Brutus, by my absence and content myself with offering you for a sentiment the closing paragraph of a letter from a friend, of whom may be said, and with even more justice perhaps, what Charles Lamb said of Milton, “He never comes too often or stays too long," a writer who has published ever so many volumes, but never a line that was read without pleasure. To whom could such an enopmium apply but to Samuel Langhorne Clemens—the name given him In his infancy, but which went info eclipse long ago for one which everybody prefers—Mark Twain? "Thank you," he wrote to me so recently as the 13th Instant, “for any hard word you can say about the tariff. I guess the government that robs its own people earns the future it is preparing for itself.” The sentiment 1 would propose if I dared to be present would be the words of Mark Twain, the statesman: “The government that robs its own people earns the future it is preparing for itself.” With renewed thanks, I remain gratefully yours, JOHN BIGELOW.