The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1881-11-16
PUBLIC OPINION .
Protection and Free Trade an the gOnen
-The war Tax System.

Protection and Free Trade an the SO0el
/ -The War Tax system.
The speech of Senator VOORHEES, at th
Atlanta Fair has attracted attention, SIS vel
it might, and the comments Southern news
papers upon his utterances concerning Pro
lection are of especial interest. The Atlanta
Post-ApDe0l drops this remark:
s'The tariff part of Mr. Voorhees, speech
at the opening Of our Exposition is catching
the mischief from the Democratic press !"
Where upon the Chattanooga Times, 8
live and energetic journal, says:
''Our observation is that the Democratic
papers that amount to anything have treated
Mr. Voorhees, facts and figures on tariff with
signal respect. Such extreme Free Traders
as the New York Sun and Missouri Repu6l-
can are not at all disposed to be rough cn
Voorhees, and Hendricks for following the
manifest drift of public sentiment on Pro
lection"
The Atlanta Constitution, which veers
from Free Trade under the change of wind,
processes desire to revise the tariff, but de-
sires that Congress shall not allow COM
mission of experts to point out its defects It
says:
s'Wlth respect to the revision of the tariff,
we are at one with every honest Prot ectionist
In the land; but we object to the commission
OF so called experts because we have no de-
sire to see this vital matter taken charge OF
by the monopolists and their TOOLS The
tariff was not framed by experts. 1t Is thrown
together without regard to system and with
out regard TO justice and it needs no extra
ordinary wisdom to discover wherein it can
be revised SO SIS to lessen the burden of taxa
ton which the people now have to bear
A decidedly remarkable expression is that
Of the Richmond Dispatch, one of the most
solid, steady and influential of Southern
journals, end we think not friendly to 2 ro-
lection heretofore. It now says that ssthes
live men who manage the growing indust ries
of the South understand fully the fact that
what made such industries prosperous in the
North cannot fail to have the same effect in
the South; hence, they want our protective
tariff to continue, and laugh to scorn the old
Free Trade notions that used to prevail in
our sections" This is putting the case
strongly, and from such authority we hear
the statement with attention Elsewhere,
that paper, commenting upon the fact that |
Colonel Robert Beverley, Of Fauquier Coun-
y, Va, gentleman largely interested in ag-
ficulture' had warmly approved Senator
Voorhees, utterances, says:
From what We have been able to observe |
)ut few men in the South now hold to Free
lrade doctrines. 3. Colonel Beverley
arms on large scale. and with great sue
less, and, when he speaks in the vigorous
way he does about the folly OF the Free Trade
policy Of the South to-day he doubtless gives
ltterance to the opinions of every man in
lis calling who 'lses his head IN the conduct
# his business"
All the Southern journals, however, do
ot express themselves after this fashion.
The Savannah Morning Post argues decided
7 IN favor Of the removal Of the war taxes,
ut asserts that the Southern industries are
1dependent OF the tariff, and that the first
reat need Of the South is tariff for reYe-
ne. ''That, = it says, would place her on
er merits with the rest Of the Union, and ,
7moVe from favored sections the adyanta- s
es that class legislation has given them. . /
he Louisville Courier Journal finds letter !
Mr.. David A. Wells in an Iowa newspa- /
er, in which that gentleman appeals to the j
lrmers and cotton planters not to be seduced :
7 the rhetoric of Senator Voorhees,, and \
yes many instances to prove how the tariff 9
22stroyes their substance. Upon this text t
g Coua.ser-Journaz says, among other 5
lngs:
THE whole tariff system is one circle of n
lpos1tion and wrongs. It imposes unnec- :
sary burdens on the week and the helpless.
is founded on injustice, and most go down Y
hen intelligently and seriously discussed. fl
very farmer should read the letter of Mr.. S
ellis. The cotton-tle question is only one N
many. 1t stands simply as representa- :
e Of the whole rotten system y
The Baltimore San sees in the proposition &c
remove the internal taxes an insidious de-
,e OF the manufacturers, andsssays: 81
1T is very true that some of the internal e.
7enue taxes might be modified, or abolished
ogether, with advantage to the public; tut p,
, Protectionists want all Of them swept -
IN the statute book, so that the whole rev. =
1e OF the Government may be drawn from p
stoms duties. They prefer the retention tn
q system that taxes the many for the ben 70
OF few, 70 the introduction of differ "a
system that would break down monopo- - !,
and SET free other indurtries to the bene- cn
of the whole people" M
Concerning the internal tax question, the IL
" York INDEPENDENT says: crt
It is not good sense to draw from the peo- adj
each year more than hundred million ser
lars in excers Of the amount needed to de- -,
7 all the current expenses Of the Gov =.