The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1886-12-16
The Sugar DUTY.

aan and other Republican leaders and |
demands the retention of the duty on SUI
,ar. In their anxiety to cut down the sur
illus revenue, some of the prominent Re
have manifested disposition to
transfer sugar TO the tree list, upon the
Plea that the reduction in the price OF this
necessity would benefit the working PEG.
pie. The small proportion OF the home
product to the amount consu med is the
excuse given for the proposed change OF
import duty and the attempt is made to
place it in the same catalogue with tea and
coffee, which now come in duty free
Such classification will not be accepted
by thinking people, and especially those
who believe in the principle of a protec-
tive tariff. Neither tea nor coffee are
grown in this country, and hence the for
eign product does not come in competition
with domestic industry. With sugar it
is different. Its production is not only an
industry but growing industry in certain
of the Southern states. That it may be
enlarged and developed to the extent OF
creating domestic competition sufficient
to reduce the price to the consumer to the
lowest margin of profit to the:producer, is
a result to be desired. Such result has
followed as consequence OF the mainte-
nance of the protective policy in other
branches of production, and there is no
reason why sugar should be made an ex-
ception. If the theory of protective tar
iff is right then the entrance of sugar,
duty free, would crush out its domestic
growth by reducing the selling price below
the cost of production here. That accom-
plished, we would soon be at the mercy OF
the foreign producer, who would have it
in his power to be the sole judge of his own
profit.
The cost of sugar now Expresses no one.
If its growth is encouraged and proper
safeguards thrown about it.. the produc'
tion will increase year by year. the compe-
tition wax stronger. and.the cost to the
consumer decrease.
The abandonment of the principle OF
protection will neither enhance the pros
perity of the country nor strengthen the
Republican party. Especially is this true
when the sole object to be attained is re-
duction of the annual surplus in the Ma
tional Treasury. There ISIS. direct, plain
and broad road to that end, and it will not
do to be beating about the bushes in the
by paths, and trying to draw attention
from the open highway. In thu abolition
of the Internal Revenue. system lies. the
way to ansextinguishmento fi'the surplus.
There is an absolute demand for the re-
lief of tobacco and fruit brandies from the
burdens placed upon them. There is now
no excuse for the Internal Revenue sys.
TEN, and the men or the party that cling
to that relic of the war, and undertake to
maintain it by sacrifice of the principle
of protection, will find an opposition they
little dream of.
The benefits of protection are just be-
ginning to be realized in. the South. The
people are beginning to open their eyes t.
the fact that with the passing away OF sla
very has come the demand for o diyersif
cation of products the abandonment oil
agriculture as the sole source of revenue
the development of natural resources, and
the upbuilding of their section through
the medium of manufacturing industries
They look to the north and east and See
| there vast cities that have been built ul
| ha Of rfaofinn frhpu cp(
that one section of the country has grown
rich and that they have allowed tie gift
so beautifully bestowed upon them to 81
unused, whilst olindly following after pas
sion and prejudice in a senseless warfare
against a name And it is this awakening
| to realization of their own condition
their own folly. and the injustice they
lave done themselves and their children
that is to work out the material and polit
icai revolution Of the South. Against the
name of Republican they have fought fol
a eneration. Against protective tariff
they have striyen no less earnestly. But
the battle can be no longer waged. Al
length and at last the mists are lifting ard
they find their batteries turned against
their own. homes. They understand now
as they have never understood before
that the hope of the South lies in the un.
earthing of the buried treasures. piled
mountain upon mountain in this fair
Southland. They see that with this deyel'
opment must come the transfer OF the
manufacturing centres to meet the raw
materials. They see that the commercial
supremacy of the east must ere many gen
erations yield to the superior advantages
of the South, unless the ports are thrown
open to the free entrance of raw material.
And looking forward, the intelligent
is to be the principal beneficiary of the
protective system in the not distant flu
ture. With this prospect, his political for
tune, ere many years, will be linked with
the party of protection under whatever
name it may be.
Indeed, the stronghold of the tariff will
be in the South. To-day Virginia can be
more safely relied upon to uphold that pol
icy than Massachusetts. And the friends
of American industry must look south
ward for strength and support t. combat
the free trade influences of Massachusetts.
New York and other states controlled in a
large measure by the importing and En-.
glish elements. To undertake Just at this
time to retard the growth of this senti-
ment in the South by striking down the
principal industry of that section which
the tariff benefits, is movement we can
but regard as ill-advised in the extreme
Especially is this the case when the same
ostensible end-the reduction of the sur
plus-could be attained by lifting an I'M
just and onerous burden from one Of the
Southern staples. VIZ removing the tax
on tobacco.
The party of protection must win friends
to the support of It's policy. and there is
no recruiting field half so inviting as that
which lies south of the Ohio and east Of
the Mississippi. with L ouisiana and Ar.
kansas beyo3d.
The Norfolk and Western Extension.
Last week Mr.. w. w. Coe, Chief Engi.
neer of the Norfolk and Western r. r.,
and Mr.. S. q. Osborne. engineer in charge
of the extension Of that line through to
the Ohio river, passed through this city
tho opJ G, n on r.,,to fo, Troufnu r.