Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1870-05-25
Free Trade.

On the questl0HS OF tarl
for protection, tariff for reve-
nue. purposes only, and free
trade, the democracy have al
ways espoused and upheld the
cause of the many--the people
as against the monopohsts--
the manufacturing nabobs of
the country, and their co'adja-
tors ; and while battling in that
behalf, the grand old party
has been successful, in many q
bitter and hotly contested cam
vas. These old issues, that
many believed were finally dis
posed Of, are again presenting
themselves aud demanding at
tention, and, indeed, they bid
fair to again become, ere long,
the issues upon which political
battles will be fought and vic
tories won,
Before che late war, the free
traders and those who approx,
mated to that theory and
favored II tariff for revenue
purposes only, were in the
ascendcncy and controlled the
government in the interests Of
The people. But during the
progress of the war, through
the excitement and frenzy, in
cident to the struggle, the
people lost sight Of the import,
ance Of the question, thus fur
nishinS those desiring protec-
ton, an opportunity to carry
out their schemes unchallengod
an opportunity they were
not slow to embrace and im-
prove, by causing to he enacted
into a law, Il high protective
tariff, winch in very many
instances amounted to a prohi-
bition. This was done under
the specious plea Of raising a
revenue to carry on the war,
"to save the life Of the nation"
After the close Of the war, it
was claimed, the tariff must be
kept up, in order to raise mon
ey to pay the interest on the
public debt, and ''preselve the
faith Of the nation, inviolate." "
Thus, under one preteXt, and
another, the sWindling tariff
law has been permitted to re-
main upon the statute book to
bear down upon and oppress
the people for the benefit Of a
few.
But now, that the terrible
war has ended, and the passions
and prejudices engendered
thereby, have somewhat subsi-
ded, the people are beginning
to view matters calmly and
dispassionately, and are look.
ing to their own interests and
welfare and they find that all
this time, while they have been
hunting for wool, they them,
selves have been most outrage
ously and completely shorn, by
the shylocks and monopolists
of the East, We always knew
that this awakening, on the
part Of the duped, and sorely
oppressed people, must come
sooner or later; and we are not
surprised that they are now
talking the matter up among
themselves, and seeking to
"take a new departure" by
dispensing with the present
onerous and unjust tariff on
imports, and establishing abso-
lutte free trade with the whole
world. A large majority of
the people of the North, South
and West are opposed to pro-
lection in any form and are in
favor of free trade, or Of a tar
if for revenue purposes only.
The East, alone, demands pro-
lection. In the contest, on this
question, that is approaching,
and, indeed, is now upon us,
if the people of the sections,
we have named, as being favor
able to free trade, are but true
to themselves and their inter-
ests, the result cannot be doubt
fnl.
This doctrine, of free trade,
is eminently democratic doc
trine and belongs, exclusively,
to the democratic party, which,
from time immemorial, has
been its champion and advo-