Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1885-11-19
THE TARIFF AND THE FLAG

II any reader Of the journals OF the day
finds himself unable to come to a con-
clusion upon the desirability of harmon
giving US such expensive reminders of
events best buried in oblivion, what he
failed to discoverfrop argument he should
seek for in actual fact. There is one single
fact, or series of facts, that should be SUI
ficient to settle the whole question in any
unbiased mind. The United States be-
fore the val riysled England upon the
sea; its vessels were Of greater speed than
any the English could build, mortified as
they we're at being outdone. The conse-
quence was in every sea American ships
were sailing, in every port American flags
were flying. To-day, under operation
OF high tariff, outside of the craft that by
law have the monopoly of our coast trade,
few American ships are on the open ocean,
and the rest Of the world rarely sees the
stars and stripes. Again and sgain APP
peals have been made to the monopolists to
relax their avaricious grip, but up to this
day the request is refused. The vast gums
paid for taking our exports abroad and
bringing our imports home, goes into the
hands of foreigners, principally the En-
glish. The loss to our merchants, and to
laborers who would be seamen, and to
the general public, ia immense. The
degradation is immense, also, for the ma
tionsl flag is a stranger among nations
| where it once was a constant visitor. Is
not such a change a wound to American
| patriotism? Is it not calculated to bring
an indignant blush to the cheek of Ameri-
can pride? Let the reader that is in
doubt find in what high tariff has done to
American shipping the utter condemna-
| ton OF a system that has brought this loss
| and this reprosch. How? such a deliber-
| ator will ask how do the hi9h-terii pen-
| pie meet this staggering fact? They do
not meet it. They try evasion, falsehood,
| ridicule-anything to avoid discussing a
point they know is fatal to their whole
evil system. A Tennessee paper, that has
ability enough to use ''quips and quirks'
and throw dust in the eyes of its readers
with no little skill, had on Tuesday
last a reference 10 a speech made
at New York on Friday upon
this subject, and it is a specimen
OF the crawling, cringing, would-be
light and airy style with which high
tariff meets this American national sub
ject. The following extracts from the ar
ticle will show we have not said too much
i'll our denuncistion OF the policy that has
/ r,blNaI the nathan ri ifa Shfnnfnn- HATr
Hewitt said first that the talk Of our flag
being driven from the seas was senti
mental nonsense" National pride, the
spirit OF patriotism, the ideal OF country
that entbuses the breasts of our American
youth, is sentimental nonsense worthy
to be trampled under the heel Of the hard
coarse, c~ovetous monopolists, whose sou
ia groveling after gold. Here is anothe
, precious chunk from the same base bunch
"As to the flag and that sort Of stuff, Nj
Hewitt was Of the sensibls opinion tina
there was no more honor. in floating it oil
the sea- than at the top of Trinity cburcl
stesple. 1t was ali adry matter of bueiness
To the solid facts adduced by him an
his unanswersble reasoning upon then
the corps of weepers owe the absence c
che flag from the raging deep, made n
/, answer. It may be well enough that tn
, agitation for the upbuilding OF mel
chant marine should go on. But the mos
, Of it is merest blather." Is this enougI
, insult from a Tennessee paper to tn
ardent hearts of men and women and GU
, wsrm-souled youth who love their countr
end venerate "the old flag, God bless it,
that American heroes have fought unde
r and American patriots have bled for? o
the Fourth OF July the Mormons insulte
that flag and have the nations contemr
| for the deed; the money-grabbing, bus
Z ness high-tarifi creature Joins the Mormo
= | in his insult,