The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1886-09-30
Quite to be Expected.

At the risk of being accused OF 81 told you
SO" tendencies, the Manufacturers Record feels
bound to again speak plainly as to the neces-
sity for organized educational efforts among
the southern people in connection with the
subject of Protection to American Capital and
Labor against Injurious foreign competition.
Readers will remember the earnest attempt we
made last year to secure the organization of a
Southern Protective Union and how indiffer-
ently the movement was regarded by the peo-
pie whose duty and interest it was to promote
1t at almost any cost 1t must be confessed that
it often looks as if our industrial leaders were
short of the immediate danger of a commercial
or financial earthquake. That they find it
easy enough to continue in the old grooves of
neighborhood, factional Or personal combina-
tions for political purposes Is, of course, equal
a bad one, too. Any departure from old ruts
Involves a little personal independence, per-
sonal thought and action and it is much easier
to go on in the methods of past generation
than to try novelties. We are sorry to say that
for the manufacturers agriculturalists and
laborers of most Southern localities to forget
and incidentally to the Interests of some few
ANTICIPATED bell wethers of dead and buried
opinions and Issues, and turn themselves loose
In conjunction with like elements of other
Southern communities in defence of Southern
capital, enterprise and progress, would be a
very astonishing thing to witness. In the
present state ate. Of popular enlightenment on
too good thing to hope. All the same, unless
means can be found to bring just such state of
ern people. whose living and development are
dependent upon the untrammeled material
to find the Industrial New South at the mercy
Of its worst enemies, the free-traders and the
Illinois Liz $. Ohio Kentucky whisky monopoly
ardized manufacturing interests could not be
brought together in compact union for mu-
tuai aid and protection was that the only inn
mediate danger seemed to lie in the pro-
British venom of the Morrison bill, and very
few people believed that anything would come
of that. Our friends who ought to have come
TO the 'front.' and prepared for the coming bat
tie, which has been only postponed for short
rather IA he
danger that at the first blush may seem some
what remote. But is 1t remote? Since the
Congress adjourned we have had cause enough
for alarm anent the statistics of gigantic inn
portat1ons of foreign iron ores. We are able to
see that, In that as in other directions, the
Northern and Eastern tendency is to toward
competition of Southern production The NE
Northwestern lumber barons made desperate
effort IN the late session to throttle the South
ern timber and lumber interest by having
Canadian lumber placed on the free list. That
effort will be repeated, and with more corrup-
tion money at its back, next wintar; and So
likewise, will the other demonstrations against
protected ores and Goals.
We speak of protected ores, but in reality the
present duty on iron ores is not any protection,
as we have shown in these columns heretofore
In this instance the South will be criminally
blind not to assume an aggressive in
stead OF a defensive attitude. If American
labor has any right to protection against for
e1gn pauper, convict and slave labor, then
southern mining enterprise and labor is en-
titled, on principle. to protection against the
Spall. Africa and the West Indies. To ignore
this and the duty it involves on the part of
southern representatives and leading men, in
and out of the Congress, is to definitely choke
the industrial development of al least the
States OF Virginia, West Virginia and North
Carolina. II we had reasonable tariff on ORE
these states would be called upon to an enor-
NOUS extent to supply The wants of industry
in the Middle and kaslern states. Mines conld
be opened everywhere, large numbers of work.
Ing people employed, local markets for farm
produce created or ENLARGED &nd the twin in
terests OF agriculture and industry largely ben
Gifted.
we have missed by a whole year our opportu-
NIFTY to establish and organize the Southern
forces against the greatest combination nimi-
cal to home industries and labor that history
can snow II Is not exaggerating the matter to
say that we cannot afford to wait day longer.
Our revenues are increasing rapidly, and to the
terror OF the whisky monopolisis, who see the
nemesis OF their wicked war tax system in
every treasury return. They will come back
to Washington more desperately determined
hope of an extended existence for the tyran-
1cal internal revenue SYSTEM Quite as omin-
ous 1g the temper With which many Eastern
mingham district We need not forget that
Bessemer, nor that were they on the free list
Eastern furnaces would be that much nearer
sley, and the dozens of Southern steel pro-
uucers certain to follow them There is not
doubt that there will be a serious fight to save
ore at ali, ana yet every reason exists why q
solid South should stand up and demand an
embargo, practically, on all foreign raw mate
rial.
If the advice of a few progre ssive Southern
journals had been taken a year ago, a protect
i've league formed and a careful and thorough
protection propaganda carried on among the
people, we can hardly believe that the Bir
mlngham district would have nominated q free
trade Democrat fol Congress- One of our great
est troubles is that while we are idle and in |
different, Northern lumber, iron, steel, whisky
and British free trade busy pushing their
literature and missionaries into our remotest
settlements Cheap wool hats and hoe han
dles' defeated the protection sitting member |
from birmingham and gave the nomination to |
handles and free trade. Now what is to be |
done about 1T? Are not the Southern iron |
STEEL lumber, coal, sugar and other mining and
manufacturing interests of sufficient impor- !
lance and injeopardy enough to demand some |
understanding and unity of action for de fence |
among their exponents? Is it not possible at
last to secure some concerted movement that |
will tend to prepare us for the coming time |
when the industrial New South shall have to |
Union. and perhaps the world? Is the South |
ern Protection League an impossibllity? IT |
not, then in the name of Southern progress let |
the people who admit the necessity while they |
dodge the responsibility step forward and help |
us to accomplish 1t.
The new registration ordered in Rich
mond is piece of questionable political
honesty. It's easy for partizan registrar
to work the registration SO as to favor his
own side, and that will be the case in
as no other than partizan reg
istrars are selected by the Electoral Board |
1t is intended TO confuse and diminish the
vote and aid the ringstrars
in their plans of defeating the will of the
people, Will the people of Virginia for
eyer remain quiet and submissive under
such despotic and corrupt partizan action?