The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1880-10-21
Gen. Hancock and the Tariff.

Gen. Hancock, on the question of-the tariff,
is remarkable for two things. First, the
particular time of its appearance, and sec
ond. the conflict of sentiment as expressed
by Gen. Hancock, in this letter. and that
given out through the platform OF the Gin
accepted and endorsed.
Senator Randolph's letter is dated on the
18th, and Gen. Honcock answers on the
18th, the day of the Indiana and Ohio cleo
tions. but not given to the public until the
10th. The presumption is very strong that
the political managers had something to do
with the dates of the letters in question.
and that they were both written after the
western disasters had overtaken the Demo-
cratic household. If the writing Of the let
tiers had corresponded with the dates, hav-
| ing reference to all important question as
| they do. they would have appeared imme-
diately after the correspondence had been
completed. But instead OF this, three days
intervene between the dates OF the
letters and their publication, and the
result Of the Indiana and Ohio cleo
ton. also. is made known between the pc
RODS mentioned. 1t is very evident there
fore that the letter of Gov Randolph and
that of Gen. Hancock were the result of the
sweeping victory of the Republicans in the
West, which was, in a certain degree,
achieved by reason of this very subject up
| nh In 1affa
not supposed that the tariff agitation in
the State of Indiana could operate to inilu-
ence the popular mind, as it had never be-
fore been made an issue in that State. But
manufactures have rapidly sprung up there ;
all kinds of industries are in a healthy con-
dition. and consequently the people who
are being benefited by this prosperous
state of things, were not anxious for
change of policy that would occasion bust
ness distrust, and disturb the agencies
which were working out so much advan-
tage to the people. The revolution was
sudden and unexpected, and startled Gov.
Randolph, as we'll as Gen. Hancock. So
completely did they appear to have been
dumb-founded. that they lost sight of the
Convention which nominated Gen. Han
cock and presented platform which the
nominee accepted, as embodying the prin-
ciples he had always held dear and essential
to the wise operation and administration
of government. One of the pro minent
declarations of that platform is for tariff
for revenue only'' as the creed of the De-
mocracy, which conflicts directly with the
declarations of the letter publ shed to-day,
and places Gen. Hancock in a very humiliat-
ing position before the country. 1t estab-
| fishes either that he has no conviction upon
the subject matter of the tariff, or if he has,
| that he is willing to surrender them to meet
the pressing emergencies thrust upon him
by current political events. 1t is very evil
dent that Gen. Hancock was as much
stunned and bewildered by the result in
| Indiana as he was elated at the apparent
defeat of the Republicans in Maine. In
each case the abnormal excitement lead him
into serious blunder, and exposed a weak
ness which even his political opponents had
never attributed to him. In the Maine case
he was seduced, by the exstatic state OF his
mind, to congratulate Republican Green
back candidate for Governor upon his sup
posed success, just because he was opposed
by the Republican party. Here was ON
plete remuneration of the principles enun-
ciated in the platform upon which he
stands, as it respects the currency question.
lie the tariff letter he is made to do tn
same thing declare ia favor Of policy
which his party has ever opposed and which
he himself in his letter of acceptance. pro-
nounces against.
We experience no pleasure i'll noticing
these evidences of the utter want OF convlc-
ton upon the part of one occupying the po-
sition Gen. Hancock does. No other feeling
is inspired for his intellectual force than
pity, that a gentleman with such high aspl-
ratiops and pretensions should expose him
self to the ridicule of the country by such
bald inconsistencies and transparent weak
ness.
The tariff letter will have just the adj
verse effect to that which it was designed it
should have. The solid interests involved
in the industries affected by tart laws, are
run by solid men, both intellectually and
oecuniarily. and it will not be difficult
matter for them to fathom the motives at
the bottom OF this extraordinary flop on
the part of Gen. Hancock. Not only their
support will be withheld from him, but he
will lose their respect, and thus stimulate
their opposition to his election for che two
fold reasons that his party is wrong on the
tariff question. and he is untrustw orthy be-
cause of his vascllation and time-serving
disposition. Presidents ought to be made
out of better and more reliable timber.
1t was designed that this letter should
have an effect upon New Jersey, where the
tariff issue is creating revolution in public
sentiment, and drifting the entire indus
trial influence to the Republican party
But it came too late and carries with it too
much of insincerity, to have any other than
an adverse influence to that expected. The
electoral vote of New Jersey will be cast
for Garfield and Arthur by at least 1000
majority. and no eleventh hour confessions
upon such vital question as the tariff will
change the current already set in, as evil
denced by the vote in Newark, where
Democratic majority of last year OF 1880
! was followed last week by a Republican
majority of 3.5OO-a difference of 5000 in
| favor of the Republicans,
The Influences Operating.
An important fact is lost sight of by our
Democratic friends in making their calcula-
tions about the electoral vote. They fail to
consider the condition of the country in
1880, and what it was i'm 1875. In 1876 eve
ry department of business was Frustrated !;
thousan Is of tramps were traversing the
land, forced to do so for want of employ
ment, capital was distrustful and every
thing gloomy and discouraging. For all
this the Republicans were held respon sible
as they were in power in the government.