You believe that it is a tax machine, like a duty or a toll at the end of a bridge?
Not at all.

It is an essentially civilizing, fraternizing and equalizing institution.

What would you have?
It is the fashion.

It is necessary to put or affect to put feeling or sentimentality everywhere, even in the cure of all troubles.
But it must be admitted that the Custom House organization has a singular way of going to work to realize these philanthropic aspirations.
It puts on foot an army of collectors, assistant collectors, inspectors, assistant inspectors, cashiers, accountants, receivers, clerks, supernumeraries, tide-waiters, and all this in order to exercise on the industry of the people that negative action which is summed up in the word _to prevent_.
Observe that I do not say _to tax_, but really _to prevent_.
And _to prevent_, not acts reproved by morality, or opposed to public order, but transactions which are innocent, and which they have even admitted are favorable to the peace and harmony of nations.
However, humanity is so flexible and supple that, in one way or another, it always overcomes these attempts at prevention.
It is for the purpose of increasing labor.

If people are kept from getting their food from abroad they produce it at home.