The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-09-23
GLre GnteILiqentar
sOnETnING ron COZ. WILSON.
AttItude of the Democratic Party To
,Va.,fa tha rartR

Atutude of the Democratic Party To
wards the IariK
oe.Sbsr Atlantic Monthly.
The attitude Of the Democratic part
towards the present tariff system is still
another cause for the reluctance Of the
business public 10 trust it with the admin
istIation OF the Government. Outside o.
the states largely engaged in mAuufac
turing, the party is almost solid In Its op.
position to protection. In the West and
South II openly iayors free trade. III
national platform demands "a tariff for
revenue only,"-the old phraseology Of "a
tariff for revenue, affording incidental pro-
lection TO home industries" having been
changed to a square avowsl Of opposition
to the protective idea. Atarif Tor [eye-
nue. only means, oicOuIse, one with duties
so adjusted as to encourage importations.
Heavy importations imply q small home
production. The logical conclusion from
the tariff plank OF the Cincinnati plat
form Is, that the Democracy intends so FAR
toreduce duties as TO enable foreigners to
fill our markets with their goods, and un-
dersell American manufacturers. Such a
policy carried into practice would have
the same results as did the Democratic
tariff legislation OF 1s64,-it would close
hundreds Of manufacturing establish
ments, depopulats many prosperous
towns and villages in the New England
States, in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio,
Indiana, Illinois, and other manufactur-
ing sections Of the Union, and throw tens
OF thousands OF mechanics and opera
tiyes out Of employment
The existing Tariff law is undoubtedly
faulty in many respects 1t needs q
thorough, intelligent revision, or such
changes from year to year as will adapt
II 10 the new conditions OF trade and in.
dustry; but radical change, based on the
entire abandonment Of the protective
principle, would be disastrous In Its effects
on the business interests Of the entire
North. 1t would involve loss OF hun.
dreds OF millions Of invested capital, and
. Ieadjnstment Of labor which could be
effected only at the cost Of an immense
amount Of suffering. Even the most en-.
thusiastic iree-trade d0ctrnaire would
hesitate to inflIct all this immediate less
and misery upon the eoutry for the sake
of the theoretical probability Of future
benefits. He would at least consent TO
make only few changes first, and 10
study their effects before rushing on to
the full accomplishment OF his ideas. But
the Democratic party bluntly disposes Of
the whole question in i've words, and de
claIes its purpose 10 strike down the en-
tire system Of protective duties at one
blow.
We might dismiss the Democratic tariff
plank as mere political claptrap, not likely
10 be carried out in the legislation, were
It not for he great polnT Of DE South " u'e
Democratic party. That party survived the
War only because OF its expectation that
the Rebel States wonld come to its support
as soon as they got back into the Union,
aud II now exists as a national organiza.
ton only by the powerful alliance OF that
section. Withdraw from II the Electoral
votes and the Congressional delegations
Of the old Slave states, and the party |
would not survive two years in the North.
Inasmuch rs the South furnishes the De.
with It's vitality. tits only natural
that Southern ideas should control lie policy. |
The South has always been hostile 10 the |
Protective system. It's manufacturers are
and the bulk OF its agricul- |
tuIal staples seeks foreign markets.
A free exchange OF these staples for
the cheap goods Of Europe is regarded as
to Southern interests. A
tariff which enable Northern shops and
factories to control the Southern markets
has been streuously opposed ever since
South CaroliniR's attempt at notification
in 1882. Tho Southern members shape
the action OF Congress by means OF the
Democratic caucus, in which they largely
prepondeTaie over the Northern Demo-
Gratis. Why should they hesitate now to
do what was done in 1873? The Protec-
tive system Is peculiarly Republican in.
stitution. Inherited in It's main features
from the old Wing parry, it has been ex-
tended and strengthened during the
twenty years that the Republican party
has been in power. For political as well
as material reasons the South would gladly
destroy it.