Weekly Chillicothe crisis., 1883-05-10

Nn'Nhsp IAVlteH'
The indications are that the demo
cratic party is preparing to fight its
next great and decisive battle on the
tariff question Its recent local sue
cesseS hrve inspired it with new hope,
and it now looks TO the labor element
for balance OF power to insure its
triumph in its next great struggle for
the supremacy.
In recent interview with n Chicago
reporter, Congressman Townshcnd, of
Illinois, said
"Hc thought that the only vital issue
between the parties in the coming
presidential contest was the tariff, The
democratic party, in his opinion,
would not fail TO put plank in its
platform boldly declaring for tariff rev.
rnue only, and encroaching very near
" to frce.trado doctrine. When rc-
minded that certain prominent rcpubi-
cans had declared that it would be u
good thing for their partyi il the demo-
cratS took this position, Mr.. Towns
hend said that republicans cherished
the idea that laboring men could he
made TO understand that frCe-trade
meant reduced wages. But they make
the mistake, said he, in thinking that
they can bring the laboring men to
this belief. He then went ON TO say:
When we had the subject of the tariff
before us last winter, representatives
of labor organizations were before us,
sOne with sworn atlidayits to the eff
feet that the condition OF the factory
hands in such strongholds of prOtcc-
ton as Lynn, Mass, bOrdcrcd on dcS-
titution, and that high protection laws
only made the condition of the labol-
ing classes almost insuilcrablc. The
laboring men are no longer infatuated
with the theory that high protective
tariff is the source of high wages.
There is good deal of talk about the
south becoming great protection sec
tion, because she is building up manu-
features. There are some iron and
steel mills in Alabama, but take the
position of the south to-day on this
question, and there is no more feeling
in favor of protection than there was
during Henry Clay's day. The whole
question that the people want settled
is whether we are to have tariff laws
that shall protect few mcn at the cX
pensc of the people Of the whole coun-
try.
If the democracy force the tariff is
sue to the front and make the fight on
that, there is no doubt as to the result.
1t will split both the old parties across
the grain, Leaders and followers will
exchange places in the respective ranks,
while the great and growing anti-mo-
nopoly sentiment of the country will
not be satisfied without war is declared
upon the whole confederacy of monop-
oly-the railroad, telegraph, land and
banking, as well as the manufacturing
wing. The tariff may be the lock on
which the two old petritied parties will
split and crumble, but their elemen-
tary constituents when once set free,
with eyes opened to the dangers and
abuses which everywhere surround
them, will demand that the axe be laid
at the root of the tree. Slashing at one
branch will not satisfy them. The tree
of monopoly must be removed root and
branch. So long as there is life in the
root branches will sprout. The tariff
is but one branch-true it is main
one, but its death alone, will only add
strength and support to weaker ones.
The entire Upas must be rooted out
and burned up, and its pestilential at
mosphere purified by the fires of its
own destruction,