Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1884-05-09
InyyAe Ntnettatar.
STAUNTON. VA.
FRIDAY MORNING. MAY 9. 1884

of Tariff RefOrmer," says that this jour
nal is mistaken in regarding Mr.. fuckers
tariff-reform views as "free trade
theories,'' and that he merely desires to
Lessen taxes by tariff-reform. # this is
so we shall be glad to correct 1t. Is it SO,
and, if it is, is Mr.. Tucker on the best or
even right way to accomplish what he
and all of us desire? The question of
tariff Is an economic one and by all par
ties in the past and present has been so
treated that the result has been to make
the country great and prosperous. That
at least has been the net result. But it
has at the same time Eeen SO treated that
1t has acted as drain on the Southern
States. This because the existence OF
slavery paralGZed all development of those
States, save agricultural. With the close
OF the war came an emancipation OF the
slaves and just as strongly marked eman-
cipation of the Commonwealth which
had held them in slavery. The people of
that section are as actively alive to their
own interest as Americans of any other
section, and, released from slavery, those
of the Southern States that possessed
minerals industriously began the develop
ment OF them. Georgia, North Carolina,
Tennessee, West Virginia and Virginia,
are the most prolific Of the States named
in minerals, and they began progress IN
their development in the order giYen,
Georgia leading off. 1t is fact, however
much the equity Of protection may be
disputed, that it does benefit the State.
section or district IN which it can be
applied to the products from the resources
of that State or neighborhood. For
instance, sugar cane is grown in certain
section Of Louisiana and the protection
given to the sugar manufactured there
from has been Of i:.calculable benefit to
that section. A certain section Of Vir-
GINA produces ilon Of the best quality
and protection to that acts in way equally
as beneficial. The assertion that protec-
tion does not protect is one that by the
results On the wealth of the country has
been put beyond the field of discussion
The traditional blanket and wcllen suit
on which the Iaborer in iron is supposed
to exhaust his superior wages have passed
into the dim past, with similar myths of
illustration. The benefit of protection, to
those who enjoy it Or who have wealth the
development of which it may encourage
is ucquestioned, ard the Southern States
that are wheeling into the line of progress
were not the States to protest against if.
There was, however, and is to-day, an
uneasy feeling among the States at the
North, that have grown wealthy through
protection, at the appearance of new and
formidable competition in the field. To
them was presented the alternative of
moving their manufactures down South
to the fields Of cheap Minerals Or, which
amounts to the same thing, put their cap
ital there, and continue protection, or 10
withdraw protection from their competi-
tors, and thus having their own plants al
ready in operation continue the race with
that advantage ever the new corners. In
some localities at the North both alterna-
tives are favored. For instance in our own
State large nail factory. operators and
all, has been moved from Pennsylvania to
Iynchhurg. and millions of northern
capital are now being Invested in the iron
and coal region of Southwestern Virginia.
And for an instance Of the other alterna-
tive Mr.. Hewitt, distinguished New
York Democrat and manufacturer of iron,
has made an able speech in favor Ct free
ore. This was the attitude in which those
who had prospered by protection stood
ho ,,cfn
te1ing the race.
About this time entered Messrs. Car
Isle, Morrison, Tucker, Hurd and other
Democrats with a programme for the
Democratic party. One would have
thought that if the states of the South
entering the race CT progress could lock
anywhere for All appreciation of their
needs it would have been to The Democrat
io party. The programme of the new
leaders was to them surprise and disap-
polntment. Instead of declaring for the
protection which the new development Of
these states demanded under the new
state Of affairs, the new leaders PROFOUND
ed something they called "tariff-re-
form" Now reform Of the tariff would
be unobjectionable to every man in Amer
lea; there are some provisions in the tariff
that need now and have needed for years
reform. But the real proposition was not
in this line; it was On the principles OF
horizontal reform. That is to say that
where man suffers from having one leg
shorter than the other, his case is to be
cd nv her fol onfl
leg the same number of inches, leaving
precisely the same irregularities that gave
complaint before. We cannot see how
the most enthusiastic tariff reformer can
for d moment claim that general Ieduc
ton of twenty per cent. is reform of the
tariff. 1t may be reduction; but not
reform. But these gentlemen seem to be
ON the high road of experiment with re-
gard to practical results One of their first
propositions was to admit iron ore abso-
luteIy free. How does that strike the Ie5-
ident Of a district Astounding in iron ore
Their programme seems to us absolutely
without principle or expediency. II they
believe it unconstitutional to have protec-
tion they have not illustrated by their bill
which gives protection; which only differs
in amount from the Morrill, tariff. II the
principle of protection is wrong, they are
only less guilty In degree. 1t will not DO
for Mr.. fuckers advocates to deny the
doctrine of protection. unless they at the
same time are prepared to show that be is
not ia favor Of the Morrison bill. 1t is
such a bill as a free trader on principle
should not take and protectionist for
profit would not accept. None of the
distinguished gentlemen who patronize
: this bill can give any exact assurance as