The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-06-21
Democratic Platform.


Tho ouip,per Exponent lays down the
law a. follows:
eve want no more wishy-washy plat
forms. We want no silent men; no eick-
ering with protecttonists, nationa,-p"hN
men, or monopolists. Let there De an
opcn declaration Of principles,Democrat,C;
principles; opposition 70 rai.roau anu a.. All
other monopolies; In favor OF taIln 10,
revenue only, and Of speedy recurring OF
national-bank currency. ii tnere are any
such /. platform. let them get out OF II. We
can do without them, for we will gain more
by honesty than we will lose."
surely the Exponent is Joking. There
are not ten thousand Democrats In Virginia,
we suppose, who desire to retire the pre-
sent national-bank currency. Nor are there
ffty thousand who agree with the E1po-
nent as to the desirability Of making tarin
for revenue only test Of fidelity or sound
ness. In fact, a campaign carried on In
behalf OF such creed as our friend pro-
poses for the acceptance Of all good Demo
Gratis would result in defeat worse than
that which in 1873 buried out OF sight Tor
ever the Greenback lunatics OF Virginia.
There were in round numbers 213,Oo0
votes cast in Virginia last November. VI
these let us concedc that only eghly
thousand were negroes. Now, the III
moment knows that the negroes VIII
vote for any party upon any PLATFORM
provided that party antagonizes the DEM
ocratic party. SO we may set down
ali the negroes rs protectionists so lorx
as the opponents Of the Democratic party
are protectionists. Next, it is liberal
allowance to concede that one hall ol the
Conservatives OF Virginia are earnestly op-
posed TO protective tariff. Ihe Adtion,
speaking OF bill recently defeated by only
few votes in the British House OF Lords
bin to allow man to marry his deceased
wife's sister-says that although there
are in England very few men who desire
TO marry their wives sisters, yet the bill
came very near passing because one man
who wishes to marry his wife's sister works
more for the bill than twenty men work
against it who are merely opposed TO IL on
general principles. So as to tarln ior
protection. A thousand men who believe
in the doctrine of protection, and desire
tariff which will protect their own inter-
ests, will exert themselves more, and con-
tribute more money, more time, ana
more talk to the cause they be-
lieve in than will ten thousand men
to the support Of mere negation. Rich
mond manufactures thirty-odd millions OF
dollars worth OF articles annually. She
thus supports thousands OF mechanics ana
artisans. who in turn buy the products OF
the farmers labor. II Richmond contain
ed a population Of million souls and
manufactured hundreds OF millions OF dol
lars worth Of articles annually, she would
make all Virginia rich and prosperous.
Where, then, is the orator who can per-
suade even the farmers to oppose with any
earnestness a tariff for protection?
But we intended only TO show the hope
lessness OF the EgponentS cause. Look at
these figures:
For protective tariff $4,000 negroes
and &C, 800 whites (half OF the whites who
voted in 1881, or lac, 800 votes in all.
Against protective tariff: G6,j00 white
Democrats.
Majority for a protective tariff, $4,000
votes.
How does the Exponent like the pros
pect? Is it really in earnest when it pro-
poses to make opposition to the present
70 a.
tariff the hne upon which the voters Of
Virginia shall divide? Would it read out
of the Democratic party ROBERT Z. WITH
ERs, c. W. BUTTON, A. ii. ii. STUART, Hun
TER MARSHALL, A. S. BUFORD, JOIN OFT,
and all the other Old-Line Wings Of Nir-
ginia who have not been converted to the
doctrine of the Democratic party on the
subject Of tariff for protection? Would
it refuse to nominate any old-line protec-
tiye-tariff Wings for Congress and confine
such nominations entirely to Democrats
who believe in ga tariff for revenue
only? Mr.. RANDALL, OF pennsylvania,
Mr.. HEWITT, OF Alabama, Mr.. UPsoN, Of
Texas, and presumably several Virginia
congressman, would have to be left at
home il The ErpOnenfS programme is 70 be
followed. We are not willing to believe
that our old friend is ready to go to such
an extreme in the advocacy Of his pet doc
trines; for as he well knows all that the
Virginia Democratic advocates OF a pro-
tectve tariff ask is, that they shall not be
compelled to make this party test.