The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1886-10-14
Republican Prospects in West
Virginia

New York Tribune: Congressman Ma
than Golf, of West Virginia. chairman of
the Republican Congressional Committee,
who is at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, is en-
thusiastic over the Republican prospects
this fall and in 1885. 49,
1.-THE real issue between the two great
parties, he said yesterday, lis the tariff.
The free-trade talk of the Democrats is
having its effect and the people are losing
confidence in them. Even the possibility
of passing such bills as Morrison and
Hewitt introduced had the effect Of par
alyzing trade in many parts of the country
for the time. Coal, iron ore, lumber and
wood are among the principal products OF
my State and the liability that these would
be put on the free list caused temporary
stagnation in business. Capitalists are
afraid to make investments which, II the
Democrats have their way. can only re-
suit in ruin.
1.-The Democrats talk about protection
making articles of necessity unnecessarily
expensive. That is the sheerest nonsense.
The prices of staples are being reduced
and the wages of the workingmen are de-.
creasing. The people are learning the
advantages of protection and will give ex-
preston to their feelings at the polls. 1t
is not at all improbable that we shall have
a good working majority in the next
House, and the administration will again
be intrusted to the keeping of the party OF
protection in 1883 by a splendid majority.
The great body of workingmen are discov-
ering that their best interests are con-
served by the Republican party and will
rally to our Standard
Referring to the speech of Gen. Logan,
at Pittsburg, Pa, on the 25th, opening
the Pennsylvania campaign, the New
York Tribune says:
General Logan does not attribute all the
growth of the country since 1860 to the
protective tariff, as some organs OF British
opinion falsely assert. But he does show
that the rapidity of growth under that
system has been unparalleled in this OF
any other country, and then asks : 'Wlll
any one say that prior to 1850 our people
were not as intelligent, were not as ener-
getic as now ?'' Yet they have gained In
wealth during twenty-five years underp pro-
lection more than twice as much as they
had gained in the whole previous history
of the country, under all forms OF tariff
and changes Of party. To-day, he re-
marks, farm products are higher and yet
manufactured goods are lower than in
1860, and nevertheless the wages of labor
have increased, both on the farm and in.
factory and mine. This one country is the
only one in all the world that has for a
quarter of century consistently defended
its industry. As result, the increase of
wealth by 6O,00O,000 people in this coun-I
try is 35 per cent. of the entire increase of
wealth throughout the whole world-that
is, twenty-five times as many people ia all
the rest of the world do not produce and
save twice as much. Plainly the Republi-
can policy has given to the people oppor
tunity and stimulus than the same Nation
had ever enjoyed prior to 1860 under any
policy or party. Pertinently General
Logan adds that Congressional session
never closes without an attempt by the
Democratic party to break down the tar
if system under which this marvellous
growth has been attained.