Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1875-03-18
EDITOR OF THE HERALD


In your
last weeks paper read '.local" emit led
allow to ruin town." in which you
argue that sound policy and fair
dealing require us to buy at home at
whatever cost.
This is the whig doctrine of encourage
meht to home industry, of which, under
the name of 1.-The American SYSTEM
Henry Clay was the great champion,
backed by Webster. Choate and all the
New-England politicians. In our day we
have seen the mantle OF Clay descend up
on such men as Maynard and Morton and
"Pig-iron" Kelley Now, if you ale a
convert to the doctrines with which these
men have piled the country for the last
twelve or fifteen years, then your argu-
ment is consistent with your faith; but If
you believe, as all great political econo-
mists, from Adam Smith down to
Jno. Bright and Stuar. Mil that-all
things else being equal-thdt nation
,Dill be the most prosperous that to left free
to buy acfere it csn buy upon the best
terms, aud sell achere It eau sell upon the
best terms, then your .local" needs some
explanation.
If any we'll Informed, honest democrat,
should be asked to name the causes of the
present depressed condition of our coun-
try, chief among them he would name our
prohibitory tariff. That tariff compeis the
farmers to pay five dollars, where, under
free trade, he would pay about three
THIS impoveiishes the farmer, and he
being the chief customer of the manu-
facturer, his poverty reacts, and now we
see one half the mills, furnaces and ma
chine-shops in the land closed up, or
lunning half time. The protectionists-
and l rejoice to see it-are, by like action
eaten up by the dogs IF their own breed
ing, the robber-dogs of Protection. Now
just here ! would like you to rise and ex-
plain how policy that is running the
nation will build up a community? or to
change The form of the question, if, AS all
Demo clats have heretofore taught and
believed, that a nation prospers most that
buys where it can buy upon the best terms
miniature nation, to pursue the sa me
course? l hope you can explain this
satisfactorily, for am "strait-out," and
never yet could understand how mar
could be Democrat and yet hold to anti
democratic doctrines. Your argument is
so precisely the arguments of "Pig-iron"
Kelley when he pirates about the ''eendus-
tries OF the country" that, it 1 did not
know you, 1 would suspect you of pIaiga-
riSm.
1t has been said and fear with much
truth, that. in these days. it is difficult to
locate Democrat. but really would like
to locate my own county papers, I would
like to know whether their editors are
folio wers of Boutwell, and Morton and
"Pig-iron' Kelley, or whether they hold
to the faith of Jefferson and Benton and
Grundy. There is my friend Harry 0
The Democrat" owe him multitude
of thanks for dubbing his paper THE
Demoerat". it has saved me much cudg-
cling ct brains; it was considerate in him.
like the artist who painted a horse, and
wrote under it This is horse. Harry
calls all the Saints to witness that he is a
a Democrat eff the straitest sect, and vet
he is warmly in favor of initiating a de-
preciated irredeemahe paper currency
Shade of Tom Benton! it needs no Evo-
Gators to call thee from the tomb. what
would Benton and jackson think of u
Democrat
And now comes along our worthy
member of Congress, the Hon. j. L.
Harris. Doubtless be is hard-money,
free-trade Democrat, and discourses our
farmers most sweetiy on the benefits Of
free-trace and sound currency, and then
votes for imitation and puts tea and coffee
on the free list! How JnO. Bright
would stare at ereetrader who,in England
or the U. States. would make. tea and
coffee free. We lost about 10 millions of
revenue ny that job, and to make up the
deficiency. Mr.. Harris yankee coad tutors
give us an increased tax on tobacco; and
that is the half-loaf which Judge Harris
thinks better than no loaf at all. Possibly
Judge Harris plumcs himself upon his
unavaiIing opposition to the additional tax
ought to be grateful therefor. Truly we
would be thankful for small fayors if we
could condone his offence so easily, and
feel grateful for his futile efforts to get the
horse out of the ditch, into which he
had deliberately pushed him.
Mr.. Editor, owe you an apology; sat
down to ask you question, and now
begin to feel as if l would like to ''run a
muck" But it Is difficult for Virginian
to possess his soul in patience when he
sees his mother State struggling so bravely
with her misfortunes.snd that struggle be-
coming we'll nigh hopeless, more through
misguided friends than open enemies.
Gruudy.
Our article designed to call attention to
policy which we believed would be ben
eficlal to the community does not hear the
construction which Grundy seems to have
given it. There is quite difference be-
tween advocating the policy of encourag-
ing our home mechanics and home mer-
chants in purchasing of themin preference
to merchants and mechanics OF the Eas-
tern cities, and advocating the policy of
placing tariff on every article manufac-
tured outside of our community and thus
compelling people to buy of parties who
live among us. Self interest is the con-
trolling motive That which may now ap-
pear to be most conducive to our personal
prosperity may prove to be of the opposite
character. New England may be able to
manufacture shoes cheaper than we can.