The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-12-08

Our usually well informed contempt
rary, the New Olleans Picayune, il
always wrong when it talks about the
tariff. It is now generally understood
Tat the loss of Congressional Districts
in the recent election, was caused by the
apathy Of the Democratic voters, grow
ing out of dissatisfaction with the meth |
DDS CT the present administration. This
the PicGyune will not see, because it is
proud to think that the course of Mr..
Cleveland has been in all things emf
nently wise. We do not blame the Pic
aytne for entertaining this opinion, for
the course it approves has had the effect,
in Louisiana, of putting in Office the PIC
aylne's especial friends. If the same
course had been pursued in Mississippi
it would have disrupted the party be-
yond the hope of redemption, and would
have borne a crop of Independents and
Anti-Democrats that could not have
been gathered into the folds of the reg
alar Democratic organization during Nr.
Cleveland's term. But it may be, and
doubtless is, that what is good for Loui-
siana is not good for Mississippi. How
ever that may be, the Pieayune finds the
Democratic party losing its Representa-
tives in Congress, and feels compelled
to account for it in such way as shall
not impute any blame to the Admins
tration. Read the attempt:
1t now appears that several heretofore
Democratic Congressional Districts in Vir-
GINA and North Carolina which were lost tc
the party in the late elections are tC
be charged to ex-Congressman Morri
sons tinkering with the revenue laws
Those districts are pre-eminently tobac
co producers. Tobacco makes up th'
bulk of their agricultural and manu-
featuring industries, and it is bur
dened with a heavy internal revenu
tax which the people tried to have remoy
ed They contend that since taxes mus
be levied for the support OF the Fedora
Govern ment, they should be paid by foreigl
products in the interest OF home labor. i
a word, the revenue should be deriye
from tariff on imports, while home pro
ducts should go free. The opposition Q
= Mr.. Morrison, who was the master tart
tinker, to these views, set those peopl
f against such of their Congressman VIII
l. had supported his measures, and the
:. threaten to go over to the Republicans
q they cannot obtain relief elsewhere. Th
# revenue question is after all a matter {
local interest rather than a national part
n issue, and if the politicians do not see
=. for themselves they will be forced to d
so by their constituents"
,e Now the fact is, if we are not ser
,e ously mistaken, that the Democrats
il Virginia who were defeated for renon
y ination and those who were renomipate
20 and failed of election, were all in fave
re of the repeal of the revenue tax ON t.
!" bacco and made a record in favor of i
If repeal during the last session of Coz
il gress. 1t may be that the people of vi
10 ginia are foolish enough to believe tn;
ot Republicans in Democratic House wi
es be able to accomplish more for them
Of that direction than Democrats, but "
st do not believe it.
Id When we say that the Democrats 10
lg Congressional Districts in the last ca
to vass because of dissatisfaction with Il
It, Administration, we don't mean to IS
ne that the dissatisfaction was all We
ID founded. On the contrary, much of
was without substantial foundation. b
is it existed, nevertheless, and it is wort
Is considering in any attempt to give
lie reason why in the Fiftieth Congress Il
l. Democratic majority will not exec,
Sc fourteen, whereas in the present Co
gress it is fortyone.