New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-05-27
THE INTERESTS OF DUB STATE.

THE INTERESTS OF DUB STATE.
Are not the Democracy Of Louisiana
too much blinded by their hostility to the
Republican party to see clearly the dan
gers which threaten the great and pecu-
liar interests of the State?
They have openly announced their pur-
pose to vote for any opponent to any Re-
publican candidate for the presidency.
We do not care to expatiate upon the
undoubted evidences that Louisiana has
not the strength in Congress to protect
her interests, or to secure her fair share OF
national appropriations.
There can be no doubt that the national
Democratic party is in principle opposed
to either internal Improvements at the
cost of the federal government, or to the
protection of any industrial interest by
the imposition of duties on competing
article of foreign production.
Democratic representatives vote for
either the one or the other of these meas
ures as it may promote the local interest
which they represent, but as they do not
acknowledge the principle of general pro-
lection, it follows that such representa-
ton would vote against any measure for
the protection of any interest in which
his constituents we're not interested. This
tends to an irregular revenue system with
what we may call accidental protection,
rather than direct or even incidental pro-
lection.
We ask those interested in the peculiar
products as in the industrial and COM
mercial necessities of Louisiana, if they
had not better be on their guard, lest they
commit the destinies of this State to q
party whose traditional and sincere prin-
ciples are adverse to the construction of
railroads, the restoration of levees, or the
protection Of sugar?
We assume the Republican party to be
in favor of the two great features of the
American system-national Improvements
and protection to America industry.
We do this for two reasons:
1. The Republican party has absorbed
the Wing party, which was never required
to renounce and never did renouuce the
principles of Clay, Seward, Bell and
Greeley. The first platform of the Repub-
lican party affirmed that the federal gov
eminent ought to render immediate and
effectual aid to Pacific railroad; and also
that federal appropriations for the i'm
provements of rivers and harbors Of .
national character.
The second reason may be found in the
Republican legislation of the past four
teen years, throughout which the doctrine
Of improvements and protection will be
found in full and practical execution.
We need not suppose any conspiracy
among the national Democrats to defeat
these two great interests, but we must
quote the charge of the founder of the
American system as to the Democratic
policy in the day when that system was
struggling into existence:
The stratagem which has been adopted
by the foes of the system 1.-THE free trade
Democracy to destroy it requires the ex-
ercise of constant vigilance and frmnees
to prevent tue accomplishment of the OBJ
ject. They have resolved to "divide and
conquer" The friends Of the system
- In, nf
tionary ancestors, United We stand, d.
vided We fall" They should allow no
alteration in any part of the system as it
now exists which does not aim at render
ing more eficscious the system OF pr0tec
tio1, on which the whole is founded.
We are very far from saying that an in
tax on every article of foreign
production is essential to the maintenance
of this city; on the contrary, the admis-
sion of many articles of raw material or
of cheap subsistence has been used in
England as a measure of protection to
home interests, but experience has shown
that there is class of industries essential |
to national safety and to national indie |
pendence, which have been built up and
fostered into perfection and into economy
by the applied doctrine Of protection.
We may now cite the expectation of
American cotton to England and the |
manufacture of steel rails at Chicago at |
under $50 ton. These and other evil
dences of the American system are relied |
upon by the friends of the system as evil
dences of its effects.
The free trade and anti-internal i'm.
provement men, under the guise Of re-
are now striving to get control
Of the government upon the plea of su-
perior and exclusive integrity. This &C
they would be called on to
administer the government according to
their principles. They have never dis
avowed their hostility to the doctrines at
present so vital to Louisiana. When
they shall have filled all the Offices, we
can not expect any appropriations for
railroads, rivers and harbors, or that any
protection will be thrown around the
eeble interests liable to be Frustrated by
he breath of neglect.
1t is in our opinion proper that the peo-
de of Louisiana should demand and en-