The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-06-29
Communicated.

LEXINGTON, VA, June 10Th, 1882
Mqj -Yost Dc Son.: U.
SIRs-I see in your issue of the 10th inst.
that there will be a series of tables prepared
in Washington in reference to the schedule of
wages paid to certain operatives, skilled and
unskilled, in England by the Bureau of Stats
tics at Washington. want you to- secure a
full copy of said tables and forward the same
to me at my expense. think l know
some little about the competition between this
country and Europe in regard to the manu-
facture OF any article. l have, my dear sirs,
closely studied the tariff question for the past
80 years. Having at one time been a practical
manufacturer OF wooden goods myself. should
know something in regard to the subject I'M
der discussion. | started small wooden mill
near this place in june 1851, and operated it
tolerably successfully for several years. In
thinking oyer this question L thought had a
letter from Richard s. Bro, of Richmond, Va,
Wholesale dealers in heavy cloths, in reply to
yards OF heavy goods ofmy own manufacture.
Their letter, bearing date Oct. 10th, 1852, is
still in my possession, and will be used by me
rs Il campaign document i'll the approaching
contest for Congress against the Democratic
nominee who take it will be the Hon j Ran
dolph Tucker. We, the Republicans, of this
district, expect to bring out candidate who
will be Mr.. fuckers peer intellectually, po-
itically, morally and socially, who told me
II lew days since that in the event he secured
the nomination as Mr. fuckers opponent, he
would meet him on the rostrum any and every
where, and fight him upon his free trade prin-
ciples. This gentltlnalLs ancestors have been
protective tariff men for the past halt century,
and his own political record is good. aude
to Capt. }. Henry Rives, collector OF internal
revenue ut Lynchburg, Va. Now. Major, if
my position is wrong, please call upon the
Hon. A. IL. Ii. Stuart, and tell him he is re-
sponsib.c for my error. He came to Licking
ton in Oct. 1914 during the Clay-Pqlk cam
paign. In conclusion OF one Of the most
powerful speeches it has ever been my pleas
urc to hear, he addressed the boys, many of
whom were present, in these words: "As you
are to be the future support and stay OF this
powerful nation in order to perpetuate and in
crease its prosperity you must advocate three
grand, cardinal principles, a National Bank,
Protection to home manufactures and protec-
ton to our commercial interests. First that
you can put a five dollar bill in your pocket
and travel from Maine to Texas without hay
ing to submit to the petty annoyance of a
shaye" in every little town where itmay be
necessary to- pay a bill. Second, that. you
must advocate a tariff on all articles manufac-
tured in, and imported from Europe, more es-
pecally upon such articles as we can manu-
facture AZ home, for we must protect our own
honest, hard working and intelligent mechan-
ic, for he cannot liye upon the mere pittance
dOled out by the manufacturers and capitalists
OF all Europe TO their poor mechanics; and
lastly, that we must protect our shipping in
tercst that we may, after producing grain, be
able to find a market for it in all European
ports, and by diversifying our interest wemay
be enabled to make this a still greater, more
powerful and prosperous people, Now, BOYS,
| desire to impress strongly upon your minds
the vital import of these principles and theiI
effects upon the future destiny of our repub-
lie" Now, Major, can assure the Hon. A.
IL. Ii. Stuart that there was one boy in his au-
dicnce who has never forgotten his teachings.
l could further say to the said honorable gen
tlenian that / have all due Difference and re-
spect for him as u high-toned and talented
gentleman. He had the ''honor of filling a
high position in Mr.. Fllmore's cabinet, and we
Virginians were all justly proud OF him, and
Of course he advocated the Wing principles,
else he would meyer occupied that position
Thirty EIGHT years have rolled around, and
stand just where he dismissed me in 1915. |
stood upon the Wing platform until it melted
from beneath my feet, but, thank God, whilst
| stood there, there was more substantial
one being built, and rs the last vestige of the
Wing platform was swept away, found my
self standing upon one more securely put to-
gether. The only melancholy feature about
it is that in order to make it thus secure it had
to he cemented by the blood of so many of the
noble youth of our land. l am proud to repeat
that | am standing oday where ''Sandy"
Stuart told me to stand SO many years ago, in
1874 on the Republican platform
Your Republican friend,
JOHN M. PATTERSON.