The Americans have not, in the matter of Protection, the
full courage of their opinions. They think they can foster schools of native art by placing an import duty of 30 per cent. upon all works of art imported from abroad,—a rate which to all
but the very rich is found to be prohibitory. They even, in order to secure the home monopoly, tax ancient pictures, which, it is contended, ought to pass free as "antiquities," rather than works of art. Mr. Marqsand, a collector, however, has remon- strated, and it has been solemnly decided by the Treasury that works of art, if 170 years old, may pass in duty-free. That is a sad falling away from principle. It is at least possible that an American collector might prefer a statue by Praxiteles to a statue by Story ; and then what is native art to do ? The native artists, no doubt, have few votes ; but they might erect a colossal statue of Hibernia suckling Mr. Parnell, and emitting electric flashes from her eyes, and having thus secured the Irish vote, they could soon convince the Treasury. As it is, their argument is irrefragable. If native ironworkers ought to be protected, so, a fortiori, ought native sculptors.
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