The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-11-06
THE WILEY vIRGIN1AN
STANTON, VIRGINIA.
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 8. ls7s
The esth Rule this Country.

In the regular monthly letter and trade
report from New York, prepared for Martin
eau g. Smiths AarsdAare Trade Journal, of
Birmingham, End HAND and published in the
issue of July alSs appeared The following
statements:
81 cannot conceive why your people and
those OF other countries, whose interest 1t is
to have Free Trade with us, will, in spite Of
all the evidences, continue to believe that
our tariff will soon be revised in the interest
of Free Trade. I do not intend to argue
which Is right-Free Trade, Protection, re-
ciprocity, or what not--but do affirm that
our country, and especially the Vest, is
coming to believe more firmly than ever that
1t is to Its interest to have Protection. It Is
an unquestioned fact that our educated men
are Free Trade in their opinions. Our col
lege textbooks Of political economy are Of
this view. OF course this gives to our ltera-
ture Free Trade tinge, Foreigners, when
they visit our country, meet in social inter-
course large number Of Free Traders, and
it Is natural from this you should believe that
we we're drifting toward Free Trade, but
such is not the fact. The Vest is going to
rule this country. It is reaching out for an
increase liz manufacturing establishments,
and every mill, or factory, or furnace erected
becomes a Protectionist propaganda. As
most Of the little manufacturing establish
ments In the West have stockholders among
the farmers, these become Protectionists,
and in this way this doctrine has hold up
on our people it never had BEFORE
The tendency Of political power for years
past, has no doubt been to the West. But
it does not follow that this is to increase. 1t
certainly will not, il the South is true to it.
self. The liberalizing Of public sentiment,
and an honest effort on the part of the South
and North to abate the sectional feeling
that has too long operated to their mutual
injury, would soon demonstrate the fact that
the East and the South possess the elements
upon which political power is predicated, land
the means of material advancement such as
the country has not witnessed during this
generation. The intelligence of the East,
possessing as it does the wealth and the en-
terprise necessary to utilize the resources Of
the South, controlled by the intelligence OF
this section, has only to be assured OF polit-
ical sympathy to effect a restoration il the
industrial development and progress Of the
two sections. Eastern money has con-
structed the railroads of the West, and built
up their cities and country. No sooner are
the benefits OF Eastern liberality and enter
prise realized, than the power that has been
thus created, lis turned against them, and po-
iitical theories encouraged and promulgated
designed to tear away the very safeguards OF
values, and place the material interests Of
the country st the mercy Of a rotten, demon
alizing and ruinous financial system.
The Southern and Eastern Atlantic States
ought to be drawn together by toneness OF
political and business sympathy. 1t is natu-
raj. from geographical relations and produc-
tions that they should be, and all that inter.
venes to arrest the influx of eastern capital
to develop Southern resources is the section
al attitude tof the Democratic party in the
South. With that modified, and national
sympathy cultivated-the intelligence of the
Two sections CO operating for mutual ad-
vantage-the tariff laws maintained to en-
courage manufacturing endeavors, and the
financial system Of the government recog-
nized as the fixed policy Of the country,
the East and the South would go forward to
to increased political importance, directing
and controlling the commercial and manu-
featuring interests of the nation and shaping
American industries and destiny.