Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-11-10
FREE TRADE AND THE LATE ELEC-
TIONS


The return. from the two largest STATES 30 :" :
as federal numbers arc concerned, nave oeeh ie-
ce;vsd and az their result, we have 10 register a
decisive Wing gain in BOTH The Consression-
al election in Pennsylvania, and the Congresslon-
al and Gubernatorial elections in New YORK.
have terminated most disastiousy Tor The De
mocra,ic rariy. il We look 10 the men who nave
been elected, without regard 10 The PrincipfeS whic"
have been sustained. But we are no, wont 10
do this. Principles and not men, has ever oeen
our motto-and in any contest we care pul iluie
who is elected further than that he stands before
the people OF the Union as the exponent OF certain
great principles, which we sustain or condemn
IL affords us no pleasure that men calling ihenA-
selves Democrats receive the votes oil the
people, unless they advocate what We believe
TO be the great principles OF The Democratic par
". Nor does the fact that they bear the same
name with ourselves cause US any regret, when
we find that they are chosen 10 STAY al home, un-
less they are the advocates oil tho principles
which that name implies.
Looking TO The recent elections with these ieel-
ings, we find much on which we may congfatu'
late our readers, and The great Republican parry
OF the Union. Ii the last session OF Congress
1.-The first since the election Of Mr.. Polk) IS mark
ed by any distinguishing characteristic, II IS The
great principle OF Free Trade, on which The Ia
riff of 1876 was framed. And il any distinct ma
tional issue has been made up between The Wings
and the Democrats, 10 be decided by the whole
country, il is The revenue principle 10 be hereal-
ter adopted by The Government. The bill OF lie
last session is The manifesto OF our party. It's de-
slruclion and the substitution cl The protective
principle are the watch. words OF The Wings
On these principles, The great battle between the
Two great parties is 10 be fought, and lis issue
seals the fate OF the one or the other.
In the various Stale elections, various local
matters will have their weight, and by influen-
cling the popular mind in various localities, keep
us ignorant OF The sentiments OF The people on
matters OF national importance, and give SEEM
ing superiority 10 that which is found, in the end,
10 be the weaker side. This accounts for our ap-
parent defeat in The great States OF Pennsylva-
MIA and New York II only requires critical
examination of the returns 10 convince any one
OF this TACT We are sure our Wing brethren have
made this examination or we should have heard
a louder note of triumph from their bueee. They
must know that they have lost ground upon the
great national question OF the day, and that The
result of their apparent successes will be but dead
sea fruit, or The whole land would now be ringing
with the shout of their rejoicings But all is tame
and quiet, Our ears are not panied by any note
of triumph; and even Wing derision which was
absolutely 10 forget lis customary taunls while
viewing the ominous developments Of the recent
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS which Indicate, as plain
as human words could utter il, that The days =!
restrictions and monopolies are ended, and that the
reign OF free trade and revenue duties is not only
fixed upon the country, but gaining strength even
in the former strongholds Of protection.
Our readers are already aware that The only
member OF Congress from Pennsylvania who
voted for the Revenue Bill OF the last session
(Wilmol) is reelected, and that toe, over men,
Der OF his own party who advocated The Federal
Tariff OF 1872 Bul this is not all. For where
yer the Fee Trade principles were brought tor
ward as an issue and fully Observation-Disclosures
the Tariff bill OF the last session was placed pro-
minenly before the people, even OF manufacturing
PENNSYLVANIA, we find that Protection has lost
ground in the popular estimation In no district
which the Wings gained in The last election was
the Tariff OF AZ made question. Consequently
the losses of The Administration were not occa-
stoned by advocating the Free Trade doctrine-a
doctrine which the Federalsts so confidently PIE
dicted would drive us from power-and that too
IN account of the iron Of Pennsylvania. But this
10 not all. Free Trade candidates started in six
Districts. In four districts they were victorious
In the other Two they gained largely on their oppc,
nents This fact is clearly statedb by The Washing
ION correspondent of,he Daily Keystone. Wewist
we could, in this connection, give his whole ar
,icle; but we are compelled 10 make single ex
tract only-and that we recommend 10 The atten
i've rerusal of all our readers, for it speaks The
tru,h-a cheering truth OF the Pennsylvania cleo
lions:
"Bur how was the Democratic Tariff of lS4f
treated by the people of Pennsylvania Where
eyer il was made an issue-ils principles were
fairly and fully discussed-it was VICTORIOUS
Col. Florence IN the first district, who boldly went
in for il, cut down his opponents majority seven
or eight hundred votes In The third district
Brown was elected as an out-and-out Tariff OF
'46 man by a handsome majorily-a strong ma
nufacturins distIic! by the way. In the Chester
dis,r;c, Ru,tsr came within one hundred votes
Of heating his opponent in Wing county that
piyes FIVE and six hundred majority In
The Bedford district, Job Mann is elected as
a Tariff OF '46 man by handsome majority.
WIN. Strong, in the ninth district, is also in favor
of giving the Tariff OF 46 tair trial; and last,
tho no, BY any means least, comes gallant David
Wilmot, endorsed over again BY his constituents,
by handsome vote, for his manly and independ-
emf course. Notwithstanding a i2 Democrat run
aeains, him. Thus we have 46 Tariff men,
ont of 6 districts, in which il was made an issue,
and one Of the two in which il was defeated
was strong Wing, and the other was Native by
several hundred clear majority. This gives us
FOUR!!! able and eloquent Representatives
in the lower House in favor OF The Tariff OF 46,
instead of one, as last winter. And yet Pennsyl-
yania. the Wings tell US, and some Democrats,
who know nothing about any body's interests but
their own, ami care less, would try 10 make The
people of other States believe is in favor OF the
Tariff OF AZ The last election has satisfied us
that PENNSYLVANIA, from this lime forth, is Ia
riff of 46 State. The People have said it, not
by their votes, but by that ominous silence which
always precedes the Storm They have visited
on those weak men, who being led themselves
endeavored 10 drag their constituents with them,
The worst OF all contempt-silcnt contempt, and
when the thunder of deceived people breaks
upon their startled years, the whole Union will
hear it borne along with il upon the air, will be
these NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. is still what she al
ways was, and always will be-truly Republic
cam"
We make no comment on the above. FOR none
is needed TO show that our principles are gaining
ground in the Keystone State.
Looking 10 New York, the returns are still
more gratifying. Although We have TO mourn
the defea, OF Silas Wright, an able, enlight-
ened and patriotic statesman, whose services are
temporarily lost 10 The party; YET, even in This
defeat, The principles OF free trade have shown
ihemselve, worthy Of the support OF The people
of the Empire State. The Tariff OF 1912 there
as III Pennsylvania so far from causing the defe al
OF the Democrats, has saved us from an entire
rout. To show this we give the ANALYSIS OF the