The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1886-11-25
What Did TIP

PAMPLrN CITY, VA, Nov. %, 1856.
| MR.. EDIToR.-1 see that the Democratic pa
| recent disastrous defeat of their party in Viz
| ginia, and in their labors they seem not to
| significance of the popular verdict against
| them. 1t may be that the democrats as they
ciaim in proportion TO their registered vote did
strength did the Republicans. If this be true
what accounts for such Indifference and apathy
on the part OF men who have been eager and
willing to vote in all the political contests we
have eyefhad IN virginia? You struck the key
note when you said IL meant though silent, the
protest, effectual and emphatic, OF the think
ing independent voters OF the country against
the democratic party, Which had been fruit
full in promising public good but barren and
faithless in performance of their pledges to the
people of the state and the Nation.
They promised us to repeal the Internal rev.
enue system of taxation. They were false to
the promise when the time for action came.
They promised to enact the Blair bill into
law. They kept it TO the hope but broke it to
the ear when the power to perform it had been
entrusted to them by the people.
They promised III good times if only Mr.
Cleveland were elected and the Democrats
placed i'll control of the Federal Government.
The people i'll evil hour listened to their
promise and elected Mr.. Cleveland and placed
them in charge of the national administration,
and instead OF the glorious time they promised
to give u.s. we have had period of business
country when we consider the length of its
duration and the amount OF misery and want it
has brought to the homes Of the people.
1t is no wonder, MIR. Editor, that we should
have found apathy among the democratic
voters. for when you touch {, mans pocket
book and beggar his home, it is idle to cry
s'Mahone and niger" to him, for he Instinct
lively knows and feels that .'self preservation
then, if ever, becomes the first law OF nature -
No matter how you LOOK at it, the result in
Virginia was q victory, d glorious and splendid
triumph of the principles of the Republican,
party, and the tariff had more 10 do With it
than anything else. The people are not fools
and they are beginning to ask themselves how
is 1t that in our country every period OF pro-
lection has brought peace, comfort and pros
perity to all sections and every approach to
preston in the Nation and penury and want
among the people; and if they do not vote at
whether the democrats recognize it or not
1t is not necessary. Mr.. Editor for me to go
Into particular discussion here of the tariff
question The people in our district certainly
feel and know thai in the preservation of its
protective feature alone is to be found relief
from the evils that hang heavily upon them;
but if there was other argument IN its favor
1t seems to me The marvellous prosperity of our
country IN the iisst25 years is argument enough
and ought TO bring us to the conviction that
the best policy is TO let well enough alone.
The faverite argument CT the free traders
against our American system seems to be that
II taxes the consumer for the benefit of q
favored few and they womb substitute1ill lis
stead "tarin for revenue only With incidental
protection Now everybody knows that this
IS directly opposed to our daily observation
and experience and that we can buy here the
very protected articles equally cheap as we
can get them i'll England. and cheaper when
manufactured here; but even If this were not
SO, Low could the substitution of the tariff for
revenue theoiy ne DeLlef ior us? The Demo-
Gratis claim that q tariff for protection Is wrong.
NOW II q tariff expressly for protection is
wrong because it makes the consumer. pay
more for what he buys. then it seems to me any
tariff that protects is wrong III so far as 1t pre-
tects. Both are wrong i'll principle and if the
democrats are honest and really intend to raise
the requisite revenue from u tariff on imports
as they say, they must 90 it III q manner to
avoid the least protection rather to avoid
protection totally and entirely.
Then they are forced to This position To col-
leet the needed revenue from q duty on such
things rs we 90 not and can not Manufacture
here because this is the only way to avoid pro-
lection. This system Will then be subject to the
very objection they SO strongly urge against
the Republican system; it Will increase the
price OF the product to the consumer to the
extent of the tariff duty, without furnishing to
him the benefits which conceded to flow
from the increased competition that results
from o tariff that protects our own products.
Is this not the truth of it? f.