The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-05-15
Tne Tars1 IIubbub--A West Virgin
fans observations.
To the Editor of the Dispatch

me that NAV say WOru iioTe "" VI"
feet. for Il Is vital to the Commonwealth o.
Washington, now called Virginia ana west
virginia. but vet the same great nerolc
people, OF the same lineage and moral. re-
iicious, and social sentiment-one IN lh'e-
rest. in feeling, in honor, speaking eacn 10
the other, "My God shall be your uou,
tby people my people, thy destiny my
destiny.o II is Of vital interest, too, 10 the
cotton States and TO that great west
whose leading men, whose truly great men,
are for the most part OF our blood ana
lineage, and the inspiration OF whose peo-
ple Is taken from our own people. =,
will very briefly notice the principal
positions taken by that portion OF the
Democrats and Republicans fayoring tne
Morrison bill. as ii Is called, ana the argu-
ment advanced by them.
In the first place, IL Is not true that tne
present tariff has taken the carving trade
from American ships and ruined our mer-
chant marine.
The more profitable investment ana tne
better Weld from capital invested in rail-
roads, in banks, IN manufacturing ana
mining. in cultivating the soil, Is the true
cause. and not the present tariff AS long
as capital invested in these things pays bet
ter il will continue to be so invested, ana
every dollar invested in the carrying trade
will be dollar taken from them.
Again: Is II advisable to divert capitas
from investment in those thingS-ln otner
words, to divert capital from building up
the South and great West into the mercan-
tile marine? IL might be TO the Interest OF
commercial New England and New YORK
to the northern Atlantic Sttes-but
think greatly injurious to the South ana
West. Is il possible that a purpose - ap-
parent and result so inevitable has
escaped the perception OF such men as Nlr.
Hurd and others who are gifted and sin
cere, because all see the methods OF such
men as Hit and Belmont. Cox, DC. 1t is
plain enough. 1t is personal and purely
sectional.
Again: 1t is urged that high tariff pro-
duees low wages. QLet me ask: In Ger
many and France there is protective
tariff: in Great Britain free trade. Is not
the laboring-man as well to do in Germany
aud France rs in Great Britain?) n high
tariff produces low wages, says our modern
Democracy; and yet i, used TO be maxim
with true Democracy. and it is true. "that
the price OF labor and of eyerythingi is con-
troled by the supply and demand" This
Is a law that puts ut fault all the poetry OF
argument and the symbol OF the "iamb
and the lion" as well as OF the little child
and the aspin'S hole. And there Is another
truth the price of labor depends upon the
cost Of living. Ii by any cause the cost OF
living were reduced one half, the price OF
labor would come down in the same pro-
portion, and legislation could have no more
control over the result than the lasbes OF
XerXes on the waves OF the llellespOnt.
II we had an adj udlorem tariff the cost Of
manufactures, and therefore the price Of
labor, would be greatly reduced. But
that is now an impossibility, while it may
be entirely possible in another generation.
Why is it that European can live on
lower wages than an American? Because
his supplies in everything except food
costs less, and in part because OF his greater
economy. Why is it that Chinese or
Hindoo can live on lower wages than a
European? The reason is the same. Why
is it that labor at the South is cheaper than
at the North! The same reason. And to
come to my own door-why is it that the
coal of the Great Kanawha is driving the
coal of Pennsylvania from the market? a
better climate, cheaper living, and hence
cheaper labor. Why is it that at an early
day the great bulk OF the cotton and iron
manufactures, and we know not Just
now what else, will be produced in
the South and West: Cheaper food.
cheaper supplies, a better climate. and hence
cheaper larbor, answers. Why is it that
our cotton and other manufactures, though
rapidly developing, have lot developed
more rapidly? Dear machinery. And yet
not word said about taking the duty off
OF machinery. No, no. That would hurt
New England and the East; and those Sec
tiOns have lived so long on the sentiment
tally of great people, and prOfited so
much on their fleece, that it would be very
wrong to pull them from the tcat and let
us have little milk.
The truth is, the protective tariff has
done about all the harm it can do 10 the
South and West. and promises now to ope-
rate greatly to their advantage, and this is
the reason why we now hear a great cry
coming up from the East. particularly New
York, for free raw material. Having plum
dered the whole country for nearly a GEN.
fury by protective tariff, these sections
now propose to plumber and cripple
lut DOulu w tSJ DN ltttilZ III lItt vi
duty, from foreign lands, wool, wood,
sugar, iron, tobacco, and everything else
likely to give us an advantage over their
sections, and enable us to compete with
their looms and anvils, &c. In my
former letter classed this as a fraud. /
now repeat-a fraud. You can attempt to
hoodwink and cajole while planning q
fraud. 1t may be classed with the present
attempt coming from this same New Eng
land and New York and other commercial
and banking centres TO force upon the peo-
pie an unnecessary and uncalled-for bank
rupt law. the whole object OF which is to
put a throng OF wires in the hands OF the
creditor class, particularly the working
and mercantile classes OF the East, for the
patient and overloaded back OF the great
ass that bears the burden of this Govern
men-to wit, the South and the West.
/ have read with very great interest Mr..
Hurd's speech-a gentleman from Texas
1t is, IN some passages, very pretty; but 1t
Is pretty poetry. II reminds me of the re-
marks OF French general on the charge
at Balaklava -" 1t is splendid, but it is not
war;" And so is 1t with all that class OF
orators. L may say again, this is now
the most progressive and prosperous
country in the world in ali material
things. The development OF southern
and western manufactures and mining in
the last few years is wonderful, and gives
promise OF great results. Therefore let
us go slow in making changes.
Again 1t is urged that the present tariff
has stimulated Great Britain TO make rail-
roads and canals to the grain regions Of
India, the resuit OF which is vast amount
OF wheat from that country. This Is true;
but the only way now LETT us to counteract
1t, is for this Government to do the same
thing. There is no other way. Let us
improve our rivers and make railroads
on Government account; let us reach
our grain regions with cheap transport
tation; let us make ship canal
thrOueh ElOrida laf rs connacf tho Iolyoa