New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-08-02
DODGING A VITAL Question:

DODGING A VITAL Question:
General Hancock talks az fuently about the
Constitution as his friend the late Andrew
Johnson used to when "swinging round the
"crcle.n He devotes a large part of his letter
of acceptance to such profound wisdom as
this 81 The Constitution forms the basis OF
at The Government of the United States" lie
says that neither the General nor the state
Governments should trench upon the Jurisdlc-
ton of the other. truism we have heard
before. He laws down old, well-worn maXlms
as though they were newly-discOvcred truths
The powers granted by the Constitution to
the Legislative, Executive and Judicial De-
apartments define and limit the authority of
the General Government he says, which no.
body will deny. He has space enough in his
letter for such phrases as these, but he has
not a word to say about matter OF
the utmost importance to large
portion of the American people. The Cincn-
natl platform declares III favor OF " free
| " ships" and "a tariff for revenue only"
| Hundreds Of thousands of wOrkingmen whose
interests are directly at stake in this matter
| have been waiting to hear what General
! Hancock thinks of these declarations. He
!
and gardens of Governors Island, kept in
| order by liberal Government for the pleasure
Of himself and his brother officers, with SOL
| der, in handsome uniforms to do bis bidding,
and band to drive duh care away with the
! latest opera airs he doubtless forgot that
! there were grlmy, haTd-handed mechanics ana
! operatives toiling in workshops, shlp-yaTds
| and factories 10 whom this tariff question is
Il IL. hole fD~f 1sar.a
selves and their families. Perhaps he does not
! know what a revenue tariff is. man who
has been a soldier all his life cannot be ex-
pected to have very clear ideas on matters OF
| legislation and political economy, or perhaps
/ the Democratic politicians told him he had
better dodge the question, because the less
! said about it here in the East the better for
! the party.
Wen, the workingmen do not intend that
! the question shall be lodged in this canvass.
! They will interpret General HancOcks silence
rs an acquiescence in the Cincinnati platform.
| Their logic will be simple and direct. If he
does not believe in a tariff for revenue
only" they will say, " he would have said
so in his letter." They know very well
what that little phrase " for revenue only
signifies. 1t means that the protective system
established by the Republican party, upon
which all our vast manufacturing interests
rest. is to be abolished, and heavy
irnportation of foreign goods encOnr-
AGED by low duties. The more importatiOns
the more revenue. The more goods imported
the less will there be for American workmen
to make. With less work for them to do will
come lower wages. scarcity Of employment,
hard times and poverty. All this is as plain
as that two and two make four.
The mechanics in the ship-yards of Maine,
PENNSYLVANIA and Delaware know that free
"sbips" mean ships bought in England, Scot
land and Norway to engage In our cOastwise
and foreign trade under our flag in cOmpeti-
ton with our home-built craft. For every
such foreign ship given an American register
they know there will be one less for them
10 build. The "free ships" policy of the
Democratic party would close every important
shp-yard In the country within a year.
The workers of Pennsylvania, Ohio,
Indiana and Missouri know that for
every ton of foreign iron laid down
mon our docks there is one ton less for
them to make. They understand perfectly
well that a tariff designed to stimulate impor-
tations of iron would ruin the iron industry
in this country and reduce them to poverty.
| So IL is with the silk weavers and leather
manufacturers of New-Jersey, the spinners
and weavers of Massachusetts,, the hardware
| and tool makers of Connecticut, and with all
the members of that great army of artisans
Of whom General Garfield speaks in his letter
of acceptance, "whose intelligence and
"skill," he says, powerfully contribute to
the safety and glory of the Nation" They
all know that their welfare. depends upon the
continuance of the present wise system of
moderate protection to home industries.
Here is an army which General Hancock can
not command. The former rebels Of the South
will rally at his call, and with them will come
| the rabble of the great cities and the ignO-
rant. bgoted parhsans, who vote the Demo-
cratic ticket without caring what the prin-
ciples and purposes of the party are but the
intelligent workngmen will not vote for a
marty that proposes to take the bread out of
their mouths, or for candidate who has not
a word to say in their behalf. They will
support the party that has built up their in
dustries by fostering legislation. and the can
didate who is himself a workiDgman. and
whose record on the tariff, made by the votes
and speeches of seventeen years IN Congress and
emphasized by his letter Of acceptance, is
plain and consistent in its advocacy of the
claims of American labor.
| THOMAS HUGHES. Q. c.