The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1877-03-29
The True Southern Policy.

Inc Irue southern f0lley
The Washington correspondent OF the Gin
cinnati Commercial discloses one of the reas
ons why President Hayes desired Gen. Gar
field to remain in the House. He says
Next to the Southern policy of the Admin
lstration it is the wish of the President tt
establish policy in ,egard to the compli
Gated question OF the protection Of home in
dustries, and on this subject the views o
Gen. Garfield are in entire harmony will
his own. Gen. Garfield has for fourteen
years represented a strong iron district, ant
has never advocated free trade. He favors
protection of American industries, and whel
this feature of the Presidents policy comes
! before the House he will be found an earn
| est advocate OF the doctrines which will bt
| in the Interest OF home industries; not al
| extreme high tariff, but a rate S Efficient tt
! protect American manufactures from ruin
GUS foreign competition
1t is in such policy that the South is the
more deeply interested. 1t is apparent tc
the most superficial thinking that the tr,it
| and lasting prosperity OF the South must
come from manufacturing. As it is, all thai
! is produced-all the money that is made. il
the South, leaves us to purchase manufac
tured articles. Our labor element is kept
| idle, mere consumers, all the time while
the products OF the South feed
the population OF other sections. The
labor system, that existed before the war.
having been broken up, there cannot be
that concentration OF it, nov that it is free to
go and come as it pleases. For the South
to be really independent. and measure its
prosperity by the inherent wealth it pos
sesseS, all Its resources must be utilized.
We have the water power, the timber, the
coal, the iron, the cotton, the wool, the labor
and all the elements that enter into the va
rious manufactures, in abundance, to 90
largely INTO formation OF Industries which
heretofore have been confined to the eastern
States. We have these, with the al itionai
advantage of a genial climate, that will al
low OF more continuous operations, with less
cost and less obstruction, than in any por-
ton of the United States.
The policy Of the Republican party is to
encourage labor. Its administrative pGinci-
Piles favor internal Improvements and manu-
features, wherein labor feeds itself and those
dependent upon it. 1t is through suca a
policy, and that principally, that the South
must be built up. 1t is policy, too, that
could not have been carried out by demo-
cratic administration. The history and
theory OF that party are opposed to it. Its
leading men, those who would have shaped
its legislation, would have antagonized it.
tribute largely to its own development by
cooperating with the administration OF
President Hayes, in fostering home indus
tries, stimulating public improvements, and
thus opening up the wastes Of the country,
giving activity.to dead wealth, !. :ana employ
ment to idle labor. se.~s
Paftizan spirit may, for while, inter
vene to prevent full acceptance Of the
overtures of peace and concilation-the
people may be held back by the politicians,
who fear in the operation OF the Presidents
ideas, the dissolution OF the democratic party
South, bat the great mass OF the consttu-
ent element will soon perceive that there
is something more important to accomplish
than the temporary advantage of local place
hunting to the few, while the many ale SUI
ferifg b. reason OF PROSTATE industry and
unprod Give wealth. With Il wise national
administrative policy, the wonderful resour-
ces OF the South will be developed, the pros
pertF OF the country revived and expand
ed beyond anything in previous times, and
political power achieved through instrument
5aliGies lar removed from the blnef,il in
llueaces Of sectional ans! race lines IL parti-
IAN politics. There is surely something more
to Stimulate the ambition AMI tbs. hopes OF
the people in considerations that advance
the good OF all classes OF community, than
in the contracted policy which finds its re-
suits in the elevation Of the few to local Of
fees, at the expense OF the many. Give
the people employment, encourage public
enterprise, and politics will be the last thing
that will absorb the time and attention OF
the masses of the country