Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-11-28
THE ENQUIRER.
RICHMOND, VA.
wednesday Morning, November &c. 1915
rur n.orrcT,vg SYSTEM rorTERING.

THE PROTECTIVE SYSTEM ToTTERiNG.
Some most eloquent and lhriliinS speeche
were made at The great meeting OF the LeaSn
in Manchester England. They are reported II
full in The League" and show that The spirit Q
freedom is abroad and cannot be checked oy IN
strong .rm nj Government. Messrs. Golden an
Rriob, arc The jealous and powerful champions Q
Free Trade, and their plain thinking ana pau
,alk;ng se,med 10 have made deep impression
upon The listening thousands. They did not re
ioice =, he famine which hung over lrelan'
and threatened 10 extend its desolalion TO incl
ou.o is,nd-bul hey resolved 10 seize the occasion
10 draw good oul ofevil and 10 speak 10 the Govern
ment in tone ofthunder, oi!hc wrongs OF Cypress
I'd humanity and of,he remedy, which wise FRO
violence had placed in their hands, 10 rid themselve
now and forever OF the tyrannical and desolatint
corn.aws. With what power ofsarcasm did lhel
taunt the Premier Peel, for bis vaclllaiins an
,imorons conducl-wilh what energy OF Joy dlt
they no;n, 10 him, staggering under public SEMI
ment and compelled 10 give reluctant consen
to their long sought for Ieliei-the throwing lh'
ports wide open TO foreign grain; and Tins moi as
temporary policy, or 10 meet The present eN'sen
cies alone-hu: The doors once opened, never
again 10 be closed. That the minister VIII DC
forced 10 Weld, all seem 10 admt-the lfIcKery o.
The asIidjps scale" will be wiped away, and Free
Trade will dispense its blessings not only upon
the starving millions Of Great Britain, bul lis
genial and peace-making influence will be iel'
throughout the civilized world.
To show that the Free Traders have The Co
vernment in their power, we make a Short ex'
tract from the League" The organ OF The anti
corn law party Al the head OF lis columns, IN
elarjng capitals, stands forth the following omi-
nous sentence, condemning the fatal operation OF
Sir Robert Peel's famous sliding scale:
nOssrRvg! Samples OF good Wheat were sold
in Mark Lane on Friday at 74s. per quarter
.,The duly on Foreign Wheat is los. per Or.
"The national expenditure for bread is NOW
al the rate OF 20 millions year, or foar hund'ed
thousand pounds weekly MORE than during the
whole OF last Winter and Spring"
We annex a few passages demonstrating The
ab,nrd !allacios OF the "sliding scale, and The
policy which the Premier will be forced 10 adopt,
Of doing away with all temporizing remedies,
and, at once and forever, abolshing an duties up
on foreign grain
"How can he expect TO succeed better in '46 than
in 1912. in constructing patent selfacting Corn
Law He canno, take more time for deiberatlon;
he cannot 90 10 work with better intention OF
succeeding; and he has derived no new aids from
The experience Of the intervening years. E1pe-
renee has not given him new securities against
failure but rather demonstrated lis certainty. lie
lid his very best then TO make seli-actinS Corn
Law; he put all his strength into the task; he
went on large and comprehensive views; ne Hat
cred himself that he had succeeded 10 nicely in
,eepipe out corn when il is not wanted, and letting
il in when j, is wanted and the result is a pro-
tibitorv Gatp of lGs. quarter, with scarcity Off
.iallv declared over halt Europe, and gaunl Ia
nine menacing one-lhird OF the empire. His
lock has every possible eScellence-only il won't
%, without somebody 10 keep pushing The hands.
/ is most beautiful sliding scale-onIy il doesn't
Tide; The index marks SiI!esn when il ought 10
,e al zero Is il conceivable that,his farce should
,e announced for repetition} Is such bu!esque
~ Government and legislation endurable Can
nv statesman, with saesman's character 10
ose, risk second such failure as that Of The
Corn Law OF 1922
sIn writing thus confidently ofwhat Sir Robert
Peel will and will not do, we assume something
over and above Sir Robert Pees sense OF public
iuty and intelligence Of national exigences: it is
or the British people to make good the a>sump
ion. We assume that thu have already deter
niued wha, Sir Robert Peel, or any other Minis
er who may hold Office, SHALL DO. And we warn
hem lha, they must be thus determined. Believe
not that 81. Robert Peel either will or can do the
light thing without perfect assurance Of The
most earnest hearty, and resolnle popular support
Il is Just possible that monopoly may submit 10
be snuffed out quietly; but il were most pcrious
% count on this We expect it will lake ire
mendous wrench to tear up this Upas, ROOT and
branch and il we do not make root and branch
work OF tiff living slip be left, 10 be planted
and grow again-we shall have bitter cause 10 re-
penl it. No doubt in the world, Sir Robert Peel
would like 10 be rid Of il, and would gladly be the
Minis,er to perform The office. The Premier has
avowed himself not indifferent 10 'posihumous
fame;' and never rid more enviable poshumous
fame gloriiy the name and memory OF states
man, Than that which history will award 10 the
emancipation OF British commerce and industry.
But, if Sir Robert Peel likes posthumous fame,
he also likes ease. Make a easy 10 him. Make
il impossible TO him to shrink or quail. Force
mister Of the British empire. The opportunity
which the needs OF The hour offer 10 him and to
US, for victory that will last while England
lasts, is indeed precious, but it may be lost. Only
by action and ellort-resolute, prompt, and con-
cenira,ed-can this great occasion be improved
into full and final success"
P. SIN Mondays New York Express we
find Report OF Lecture by the Rev. MIR. Spen-
GER of England, upon the impolicy and mischief
Of the English corn laws As sermane 10 This
subject, we quole the following passages which
will suit other regions than that Of England:
at was the speakers opinion, that governments
ought not TO interfere with matters which The pro-
lection system does interfere with; they step oui
OF their sphere, said he, when they DO so; but
when people get into power they are APT TO think
they are entitled 10 dictate 10 this one and that one
The lei alone Policy he continued, is the very
best policy that ever was introduced The only
class of people, said the speaker, who cry out lor
protection in my country, are The Wheat growers
The manufacturers have long since ceased to ask
for it; they saw let us compete freely with al
competitors The Corn Law was not popular
when passed. and never has been since. II wa.
passed al The lannon's mouth and al the point o
the bayonet 1t was passed while the House o
Commons was surrounded with soldiers, ant
while several riots were in progress in London
Manchester and elsewhere. Placards were post
cd through the cities with significant phrases il
large capitals such as NO Corn LAWS M
STARVATION LAWS &c. There were two very
wrong things done in 1915 The property law wal
taken of, and the Corn Law passed. Wha,evc
may be said, popular opinion is after all most pc
tent 1t is popular opinion that rules the Com
- In 0rie uyh1 r,,1o thS Mi MIC
try and we all know, that whatever the Minis
try think advisable the Queen assen,s 10"
THE OBJECT OF BRITISH MILITARY PREPA
RATIONS.
The panic-makers in this country, upon th'
rnr,or nj n aval and military ACTIVITY in ENGLAND