The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-01-03
Democratic Craftsmanship.

the party. Mr.. Abram S. Hewitt, would
practical free trade recognized-in order
to reduce the actual costs of all manlHac-
lures alike to the lowest possible point of
expenditures. Il mean, y says he, fuel,
all food products, all materials to which
no process Of manufacture has been ap-
piled, all metallic ores, and all waste pro-
ducts which are fit only to be manufac-
tured." This sweeping catalogue would
of course include iron ore and wool. The
result would be that the cheap labor ores
of Spain, Cuba, Africa, Algiers, &C..
would enter into the manufacture OF the
iron made i'll this country, and our own
ores would lie buried in the mountains
where nature placed them. We would
thus furnish a market for foreign ores,
because of the cost of labor in foreign
countries, while the ores of our own country
and the labor employed to mine them,
would remain idle The field Of labor en-
deayors would be restricted to the work
shops, and the wages there paid would be
regulated by the rates fixed in foreign
countries. We would be compelled to
compete in this respect with foreign
wages, or go out of the manufacturing
business entirely. 1t is not difficult to ar
que out the result. The United States
would cease to be manufacturing coun-
try-the labor employed in the mines and
workshops would overflow and stagnate
other channels of industry, our mines be-
come no more valuable than waste lands
consumers be converted into producers.
and diversified employm ent and reciprocal
interchange of the results Of diversified
labor, cease to exist.
The same argument that applies to iron
ores, has equal force as to wool. Instead
of wool-growing being profitable branch
of farming. it would cease 10 he remu-
nerative. Sheep would only belvaluable
for the quality Of meat they produce, for
the manufactures which turn out wooden
goods, could not compete with similar es-
adjustments in Europe, under free trade
policy.
Nh. Mills. of Texas, is another Demo
cratic statesman who has been air ing his
views to the reporters, on the tariff ques-
ton. He says there are $1,000 people en-
gagged in manufacturing and other indus
tries sustained by the protective tariff
laws. "These people say they cannot live
without protection. l don't believe it
! but will grant the fact for the sake OF
the argument. Suppose these forty thous.
and people are compelled to lose money and
possibly stop their mills, is it not better
than to compel fifty millions to pay q tax
to keep them alive % Mr.. Mills says, too
that he has given the tariff question a
great deal of study and the result is the
conclusion above stated. He seems to
| have overlooked the fact that the forty
! thousand capitalists engaged in manu-
features give employment probably to
three millions workmen, in the various
branches of industries engaged in. That
these workmen become cash paying con-
sumers. and that home market is thus
created for the products of the farmer.
That this interchange Of labor results
creates and retains wealth at home, en-
hances helvalue Of lands, utilities the raw
material, which otherwise would be worth
less, and gives diversified wealth to the
country, establishing it's independence
in its material relations as well as its po-
litical.
1t requires no strained argument to
convince the people that the government
tai policy which converts dead wealth
into active values gives employment to
labor that would otherwise be idle; creates
a home market for home products by i'll
terchanging the results of labor, stimu
lates effort and development, and in this
way enriches community, is that which is
truly American and is best adapted to
promote the happiness and prosperity of
our own people.
Both Messrs. Hewitt and Mills are
Democratic members Of the Ways and
Means Committee. whose duty it is to
frame the revenue measures of the gov
eminent. Their views, on the subject Of
the tariff are those which the party they
represent endorses, and would practically
enforce had it the power. 1t is possible
that these very gentlemen will not insist
on having their peculiar notions incorpor-
ated into legislation this session of Con-
gress. They may have sagacity enough to
know that should such a measure as they
indicate ought to be adopted, be pro-
posed, it would arouse q sentiment OF
resentment throughout the country
that would be fatal to Democratic hopes.
But let their party once get control
Of the government in it's several de-
partments, and then we might with conf
dence look for Democratic policy to be in
augurated, in harmony with the senti-
ment expressed by these two prominent
members of the most important Congress
sional. Committee.
Are the people prepared for this Are
they ready to see practically enforced the
views of Messrs. Hewitt and Mills, and
indeed of all the leading and controlling
minds in that party? If not, there is but
one course for them to adopt and that is to
unite with the Republicans in maintaining
the American policy of protection to
home industries, thus stimulating the
growth and wealth Of onr own country.
and assuring the means of contentment
and happiness to our own people.
Gen. Malone was in New York last
week. Of course the reporters gave him
close attention, but extracted from him
very little He did remark. in the course
of conversation. that AL through the
South the people were INDECENT from habit.
The only way to break them of this habit
is to import Northern labor. Men in the
North are trained to labor For assert
ing what every one knows to be true, some
of the Democratic papers in this State are
denouncing Gen. Malone for slandering
the Southern people. What he said we
have quoted above. Is there any SANDER
in word or syllable of it No intelli-
gent man will dispute that the Southern
people are INDECENT from habit-habit in
fiicted on them under the slave dispensa-
tion, and from which they have not yet
been emancipated. Many of our young
men are raised to regard labor as discred-
itable-to avoid intimate association with
mechanics and laboring men, whose only
crime is that they do labor. 1t is indo.