National Republican., 1885-10-31

tIc prCsCiNpt!Nn Ci TIE ju!On. Inc Otnar
attached Itself 90 the state government,
viewed oil the powers of Congress with
j,pltusy, ~ d asscutcd reluctantly ~ mcus-
Uits Which would enable The head 10 act In
uiyiUptt independently of the members"
ftlu M0ishull was the great judicial eN-
Joui der Of tie irst OF these theories, and,
" chief Justice Of the supreme Court of the
United states for thiriy-fuur years,was able,
ly lis decisions, 90 mark out the founlu-
tons ind establish the principles of strong
national government, with ample power to
maintain Itself against all enemies at home
or abroad. MIR. jefferson was the author
and champion OF the other theory, and, no
dCult by reason Of bis observations Of mon
archy IN Europe. was actuatcd bynn honest
OPP osit'rn to what he called concentrated
power, forgetting, however, that the power
Of cur rational government was the power
Of The people when administered by the
nation ts we'll rs when administered by the
state.
THE ZEAL WAR ISSUE.
These two opposing theories were mani
tested in every question, great and small,
that nprcaicd in the politics Of the first half
century, though even MIR. Jefferson cXcr-
C.std what he thought was an unconstitu-
tlCnGl power IN the acquisition Of Louisiana,
ard Madison approved the bank bill and the
high protective tariff, and Monroe asserted
the highest national power In respect to for
cign aiIaiIs. Tie result Of the first half
century was 10 establish the principles of
john Malshnll Us against those of Thomas
jefferson. and nothing disturbed this ten
dcncy until the question Of slavery unfortu-
natcly became involved IN party politics,
when the interests OF slavery induced the
southern leadcls, John G. Calhoun at the
head, 10 seek to cripple and limit and mar
row the powers Of the national govern
mont, aud extend the power of the
state and local authority. IL was upon
this dividing line between national and
state authority that the civil war was
fought, aud It ended by the abolition of
slavery, and should have been followed by
the Abandonment Of the doctrine which led
10 the contest, so that now II may he said
IN theory, II not in practice, the doctrines
Of John Marshall are the estG blished princi-
pies Uf national law, while the Democratic
patty still adhercs to the old theories, and
still seeks to bclittlc, to limit, and to cripple
the powers of the national government as
to many Of the great and necessary objects
of national policy.
Now, in these questions, whatever may
lie said of The past, the state of Virginia is
far more deeply interested in Republican
idcps than the state of Ohio or any of the
northern ideas. The two Nirginias. taken
as q whole and united into one state as they
should be, possess more undeveloped re
sources than Pennsylvania or any OF the
western states. You have coal and iron
without limit under Il soil exhausted but
capable of restoration. You have harbors
and rivers as beautiful rs the sun shines
urou. You have proximity to market, a
good climate, all the products of the sea
and all the productions of the land suited
to your climate. These are not my opinions
expressed for the first time to you In po.
litical canvass. but they were expressed
five years ago after careful study of your
resources. ] now repeat to you that what
ever may have been your theories in the
rest, when 1t was necessary for you to do
what you could TO maintain the system Of
slavery, yet now that every man is free and
Il citizen, the interests of Virginia are as much
involved in the fair and Just application
of the principles of John Marshall as
any state in this Union; that for Virginia
still to linger around the resolutions of
1iGS, whCn new elements aud new lie re-
quirc for your aid the exercise of all the
ToweIs of the national government, is mere
bourlonism, intense and pure forgetting
nothing, and learning nothing by the march
of time. What you want is govern ment
able, not only to protect You from foreign
powers, III also to develop your resources,
urCtCct your industries, improve your rivers
aud harhors, and in supporting your
schools, and. IN cooperation with the states,
to create and regulate those great lines of
communication, both of water and rail,
that tend, by absolute free trade between
fifty millions of people within the United
States. to increase the intercourse and sup
ply the wants of the American people.
THE RErrBLIo A NATION.
The constitution confers upon the national
government ample power of taxation to
out huidcning the people of the states with
oppressive direct taxes. Congress can levy
duties ON imported goods without oppres-
sion, even to q greater amount than is now
collected. Experience has deyelopeda mode
Of lcvying eXciscs on number of articles
Welding large revenue, without huing a
burden lut an actual benefit, by restraining
their use. Chief of these is the tax on
whisky, beer, and tObacco-a tax which is
Gs beneficial In restraining the use of these
articles as IL is beneficial as a source of rev.
enue and relief from other taxes. This
system of indirect taxes can, II occasion
d,mGnds, he extended to multitude Of
articles, which would enable the national
government, without burden to the states,
10 confer untold benefits VI on the people Of
all tie states, leaving, however, unrestricted
tothe states all the powers they now possess.
Under the constitution no state can levy
NttiNS ull IHlpoIlCu SOOhHi uil tHuS tnls
luuhtiful source of revenue is cut of from
thCm. III effect, IL not expressly, all states
are prevented from levying any form of
excise taxes, or taxes on production or con-
sumption, because the imposition of those
taxes would tend TO iniurc the state that
lcvics them for the benefit of adjoining
states that do not. No tax can be levied by
a state upon the production ormanufacture
of tobacco, because such tax would only
70.
other states where the tax was not levied.
There is no longer any ground for jealousy
Of national authority, because the commerce
between the states is now so rapid and inti-
mate that Virginia is to-day as near to Ohio
| as adjoining counties were to each Otheriifty
years ago. The states have increased IN
such numbers, distributed over vast
region of country, that the possibility OF
injury to any state by national authority Is
too remote to be feared. Therefore 1t is
that whatever might have been the merits
Of the opposing theories of Marshall and
jefferson certain ii is that now the interests
of Virginia should lie on the side of {
strong national government instead of {
weak one, should be in favor of nationa
authority rather than of local authority
and the largest possible development o.
internal resources consistent with the reve
nue. Of the United States
The TRUE AMERICAN DOCTRINE.
So on the doctrine of the protection o
American industry which is now becoming
chief question Of American politics Tn,
Republican party plainly and strongly an
nounCcs its purpose to protect all forms o
American industry, not only Of the work
shop but of the farm, by levying duties ol
foreign goods that can be manufactured o.
| produced In this country. The object o
This policy is that our people may be in
duccd to manufacture at home every artlcl,
essential to American life and industry
We insist that this policy strengthens ou
eign nations, that the laboring men en-
| ployCd in manufactures furnish the hes
market for agricultural products, now con
suming ninc-twclfths Of all the surplu
| products of the farm. We also insist tina
this policy gives employment to capital
enables manufacturers to pay more wage