Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1884-03-28
FRIDAY MORNING, MAR. 2s. 1884.
A VIRGINIA RESOLUTION AND
ITS MEANING.


At its meeting in Alexandria last
Thursday the Democratic State Central
Committee adopted the following resolu-
ton unanimously:
Eesolred, That the Democratic State Committee
have observed with grave concern the division
threatening the Democratic party of the country
upon tetarif and feel at liberty to express their
opinion individually that the agitation of this qucs
ton at this period is uDwise. and should be dis
couraged. and that all Democrats should subor-
dinate all differences, in concentration upon the
one great issue of reform of the government and
its restoration to purity and true constitutional
principles.
This resolution, it will be observed, is
adopted as individuals and shows that
our State Committee are as Democrats
anxious for the welfare of the party and
are opposed to the agitation of the tariff
question, which has been sprung on that
party by the Morrison following in Con-
gress. Such action as this, by men of their
prominence makes resume of the causes
which made it necessary, interesting.
There have always been in the National
Democratic party just as there have been
in it's most formidable opponent, the Ma
tional Republican party. free traders in
theory; not only that but prominent ones
in the former, free traders like Hurd of
Ohio, Morrison Of Illinois. Tucker of Vir-
ginia, and in the latter ex-Secretary Carl
Schurz. ex.Secretary Evarts, Wells and
others. But neither organization ever
entertained the thought of making this
economic question test. In both it was
left to the congressional districts to de-
eide. 1t stood thus in 1880 when Han
cock was run on platform of ''tariff for
revenue only. The canvass Of his oppo-
nent. Garfield, dragged on unpromisingly
through July, August and september and
into the beginning of October. The pri-
vate correspondence of Dorsey. the cam
paign manager; of Marshall Jewell the
Chairman of the Republican National
Committee and of Garfield himself, since
published, shows that up to that time the
prospect was gloomy almost to the point
Of hopelessness Suddenly. an active cam
palgn was commenced in all the doubtful
States, in behalf of protection. Indiana
New Jersey, Connecticut and New York
were made the field for thorough can
vas, that in the last named State was made
by Gen. Grant, Conkling and other dlstin
guished Republicans. The great business
interests Of these States were thoroughly
alarmed. Indiana fell first and was fol-
lowed at the general election by the other
States. If that campaign settled nothing
else it put at rest this; that between tariff
for revenue only, and protection, the coun
thy was for protection. There was
something in the way it was put
to rest, that attracted the attention
of thoughtful men to it. It was
campaign in which two false issues had
been presented to the people by the Re
publican orators and been rejected; one
being the ''bIoody shirt'' or sectionalism.
and the other being the unsoundness of
the Democratic party on the currency.
These two issaes had been pressed for
three months of the campaign and been
finally discarded as unavailable for veto
ry.
The lesson was not wholly lost. Of the
Democratic State conventions that have
been held since Garfield's elections, eight
North Carolina. Ohio, Virginia, Penn
sylvania, New York, Connecticut, In
diana. and New Jersey, have declared for
protection, and of these eight. seven Rave
been carried by the Democrats; nine-Il-
linois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska.
Iowa, Kansas. Kentucky, Oregon, and
Texas, have declared for ''tarif reform.
and of these nine the Dsmocra have car
rled but two. The utteranees of these con-
ventions, while they did not show how
the Democracy stood numerically in the
United States with reference to protec-
ton, did clearly show that the people were
thinking Of it, and also of some common
ground on which both tariff-reform and
protection Democrats could meet. This
ground was furnished by the Democratic
State convention of Virginia in July.
1883. It adopted the abolition of the inter
nal Revenue and the distribution of that
tax in the form of protection. 1t was op
perfume, practical, and effective, so much
so that it soon bid fair to have place In
the national platform of '84.
At that time there unluckily appeared
on the stage band of theoretical tariff
reformers. For what they came, none
could divine. They could make no ire
form" even supposing they had strength
enough in the House. for the Senate
would defeat their bill they could not
educate the people up to their theories,
for it was but few months before the
Presidential election would take place. and
they could not commit the party to their
views because the opposition in it was too
powerful and had too good a leading. 1t
was strange gathering, a large portion
of them came from States which never
have voted and in all probability never
will vote for anything but a Republican
President. One was from Ohio where the
Republicans had just been defeated be-
cause they had lowered the tax on wool and
yet he was urging free wool. Some were
from Louisiana, State that is clamoring ]
for high protection on sugar. Some
from South Carolina, where high protec- |
ton on rice is wanted. One from Vir-
glnia mineral district to which protection |
is the breath Of Its nostrls. Politically |
and materially it was hard to understand |
the make up. The first result of the
Performers" was the Morrison bill |
putting coal, salt and iron ore on the free
list, and that was bill to be offered |
to Virginia, state in which Pennsyl- |
vaaia capitalists are now investing at
the rate of ST. 100000 a month The
popularity of this, lies in the fact
that while Virginia is to be crippled
in her development by such theorists, she