The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-12-30
The Tariff Question.

No more important question u now pre-
scented for decision by the Democrats OF
yiryinis than whether they shall divide on
the tariff question or not. As we said
yesterday, all the free-trade Republicans
and srce-trade Republican papers viii sup
port the Republican nominee Of 1884 for
President Of the United States, and sup
port him upon platform demanding
high tariff rs a protection to American in-
dustriee. These papers win do 80 because
they hold that there are other and more i'm
port,nt issues dividing the two great par
ties Of the country, or il might perhaps be
better 10 say that the tariff question Is not
one which divides the two parties at all.
seeing that there are frec-trade Republic
cans In abundance, and protectionist Dem
ocrats In no less abundance. The Char
lotfesvillc Chronicle has reached the con-
clusions stated In the following para
graphs:
1.-The Dispatch is right. The Demo-
cratic party cannot allow the tariff or any
other question 10 divide them, and thus run
VI
All other questions sink into nothingness
in comparison with that OF whether the
State is to he controlled by Malone and his
minions or by the best people,
.sAt the same time wc hold to the opin-
ion that the Democratic majority in Con.
gress should formulate iudicious tariff
with which to go before the people OF the
North. The tariff Is TO be the question in
al, ~ al, IN nd
making OF the issue in our hands, we
should win."
That is to say, II we understand ii. that
the Chronicle would have the northern
Democrats divide upon the tariff question,
but the Virginia Democrats to refuse to di-
vide upon It. We do not know that this
proposition Is practicable, seeing that II the
Chronicles suggestion be adopted. and the
northern voters be asked TO divide upon
the tariff question, the next Democratic
National Convention will be obliged to
formulate an utterance on the question OF
protection, and this utterance will either
agree with the Virginia platform Of 1883 or
else will not agree with 1t. III that plat
form shall be the same in substance as ours,
we shall have no trouble In Virginia on the
subject. But let us suppose that it should
be different; that it should Ito return his
words to him) contain Mr.. WATTERsoN's
impracticablc and Anticipated" creed
the creed OF the South Carolina nullifers
Of President JAcKsoN's day; what then?
1t is true the Democratic Conventions OF
1876 and 1880 declared for "a tariff for
revenue only; but it is not true that the
tariff question hal any influence on the re.
suit In Virginia. Nor did 1t in any south
ern State, we suppose. The Republican
party had made itself so odious to the peo-
pie of the South that every southern State
which voted for Tn.DEY in 1876 and HAN.
COCK In 1880 would have voted the same
way il the platforms OF the party in those
two years had declared for a tariff for pro-
lection only. This Is our belief at any rate.
But 1t is evident that there are many
Democrats in the southern States who are
now thinking Of making fight next year
in Iheir own section on the tariff question.
They denounce Democratic pTotectionists
as IL they were not Democrats at all; and
Mr.. WATTERsoN and some other "reyenue
reformers," so called, have advised all
such Democrats to join the Republican
party. The Chronicle opposes these ex-
tremists, and declares for the Democratic
party as it now stands so far as Virginia is
concerned, but appears to hold that the
northern Democrats might divide upon the
tariff question and still gain victory. On
this point we ask the Chronicle to take the
testimony of the New York World, which
was a year or two ago in full sympathy
with Mr.. WATTERsoN's crude notions, but
now no longe.' "sees through a glass
darky." The World says:
1T Is as well for the congressman who
want to make themselves conspicuous to
understand that Democracy is not in favor
Of free trade, and that any such folly as
allowing second-elass village lawyers. who
know nothing about business interests, to
fasten a false issue OF free trade on the
party would be its destruction.
"a real free-trade issue would not only
lose New York State, but would make
even this city doubtful, IL not Republican.
"New Jersey is counted as certain for
the Democracy. A free-trade issue would
make 1t absolutely certain for the Republi-
cans.
Indiana. Ohio, Connecticut. Califor-
mia, every debatable northern State, would
be more strongly than ever Republican if
the Democratic ship should run afoul OF
the snag Of free trade.
4" How absurd, then, FOR Mr.. Mills, OF
Texas, to talk glibly about free trade
How absurd for him to pirate about passing
q sweeping tariff bill in the House, al
though be does not erpect that 1t ,oiH pass
the Senate"
Now, isn't Mr.. MILLs's idea the same as
the Chronicles, except that she talks
glibly about free trade? That paper
seems to advise the Democrats In the
House OF Representatives to pass bill
which 1t well knows will not be passed by
the Senate. and then 90 to the country on 1t.
What would be the result OF that sort Of
strategy? The World tells in the extract
quoted above. And il is right. II the
Democrats propose tariff reducing the
caistoms-duties upon articles now "protect.
ed" and the Senate fails to pass that bill,
as Of course 1t will. the Republicans will
charge, and all the manufacturers and al
heir employees viii believe, that IL the bill
ad become law their factories would
have been closed and their means OF obtain
ing q livelihood gone forever. or at least
until the Republicans could undo the de
structive work Of the Democrats. In
word, the failure OF the Democratic bill
would leave the Democratic party abso
lutely deienceless. II the Democrats has
control OF the Senate, aud there were
Democratic President of the United States
and they could make the hill n lou Oh,