Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-09-29
OHIO POLITICS.
A Mistaken Issue.

We have given but little space in
our columns to the political struggle
now going on in Ohio, nor have we
exercised very profusely those pro-
phetic powers, always claimed by
the press, in divining its result.
When Republican differs with Re
publican and Democrat with DEM
Ocrat as much as Democrat with Re
publican, it is no use specializing
upon the event of it all before the
termination arrives.
1t is rather our present purpose
to show that if the objective point
of the Ohio Democracy is the appli-
cation of a sound and lasting rem
edy to the depression in business
which is now affecting the whole
country, the issue they have chosen
to stake their political resources
upon is not the best that could have |
been adopted. If it was taken up |
with any other motive, such as
availability for party purposes, the
selection was, as we think, still more
injudiciOus; but in this point of
view we do not at present intend to
discuss it. No temporary cOnsidera-
ton of party tactics ought to be al
lowed for one moment to dis
tract our attention from the main
point, which is the establishment of
the commercial and industrial pros
perity of the nation. If the De
mOcracy can do that, its permanent
predOminance is insured beyond all
peraGventure if not, any partial
and local success obtained by issues
which are beside the main question
will ESQ transient as to be unworthy
a moments consideration.
The Ohio Democracy have staked
all on the currency question we,
on the other hand, contend that the
wisest legislation in this direction
will be futile, unless the burden of
our present prohibitOry tariff be re-
moved from our Over-weigbted COM
merce, so as to allow OF some move
ment in our trade centres. The best
devised currency is useless unless it
circulates, which only activity in
trade can enable it to do, and the
worst currency is soon replaced by
a better wherever there is an ac-
tive interchange of commodities.
Let not our readers be alarmed;
we are not going to discuss the green
back or the silver dollar our posi-
ton is that these topics, important
as they are, have been discussed too
much to the exclusion of weightier
matters, so as to blind mems eyes to
the paramount importance of abOl-
ishing the oppressive prohibitions
which for sixteen years have COM
promised the very existence of our
commerce.
The master heresy of commercial
legislature throughout the world in
the present day is that international
commerce is a game, like poker or
faro, in which one party must win
and the other lose, and that the
winnings of the winner are exactly
prOpOrtiOned to the lOsings of the
loser that one scale must fall in or
der that the other may rise. 1t
would be much nearer the truth to
say that no trade which is not adj
VantageOus to both parties can be
long conducive to the prosperity of
either; and that so completely have
steam navigation and railroads and
telegraph lines rendered the business
of the world a unity, that a decline
in the prosperity Of any one nation
produces depression in the whole
circle exactly proportional to the
extent of that one nations CONNER
cial transactions, inappreciable if
they are small, incalculable if they
are extensive. This is easily enough
seen in smaller transactions. Thus,
Pitman & Lewis trade with J. J.
Crusman the former sells clothing
to the latter, the latter sells groceries
to the former; money is the Osten-
sible purchasing agent, but virtual
Iy groceries are exchanged for cloth
ing and clothing for groceries. Now,
these relations being established,
does Crusman desire that Pitman
& Lewis may become poor? Do
Pitman & Lewis desire Crusman's
ruin? Far from it. In the one case
Crusman gets less profitable custO-
mer, in the other Pitman and Lewis
lose one altOgether-the richer Crus-
man is, the more clothing he can
buy, the finer, and therefore the
more profitable to Pitman & Lewis.
And again, as the clothing business
becomes prosperous, Crusman will
sell more and better groceries to
them, finer wines and more album
dant whiskey; that is, suppOsing
them to be given to such indulgen-
ceS.
But in political matters we are
guilty of the very folly we should
laugh at in private life. The com
mOdities which our customers would
be glad to exchange for our surplus
produce to our advantage are Tigidly
excluded from our markets by enor-
nous prohibitOry duties, and, eX-
Guiding imports, we find to our sur
prise that we have shut up at home
what we could otherwise export.
The whole world seems to be in a
conspiracy at this time to keep up
the present depression in business.
America is refusing to receive man.
ufactured goods from Europe and
80 cutting away the demand for her
raw material (cOtton), which is the
prhHlaa mobile. of her commerce.
France and Germany by mutual
prohibitions are continuing the war
IN commerce which the disaster of
a.