The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1886-09-30
Avital Issue.

t century, at least, if not within the
history of the country,a tariff bill is on the
alendar of the House of Representatives,
It the close of session of that body. and |
eady to be called up at the meeting in Con-
,ress in Dec. next The Morrison horizon |
al bill was disposed Of at the session it was !
considered, as was the Wood bill in 1876
The present bill is merely in state Of sus-
pension by reason of vote against taking 1t
lp for consideration in the last days of the
past session of the 10th Congress. Its
discussion is therefore particularly appro-
pirate at this time. for the verdict of
bhepeople in November next will be taken,
and correctly so, as an expression either IN
it's favor or against it. If the result OF the
election in the various Congressional dis
tricts of the Union this fall shall be the
return of majority of Democrats, it will
be authority for not only considering, but
passing that bill, If the result shall be In
favor of the candidates representing the
sentiment of home production, home Ia
Dor and home industries. that will be the
end of Mr.. Morrison's bill and of his free
trade notion for years to come. 1t the
people want to settle this question in be-
half of American interests, they know, or
ought to know, how to vote. If they are
DESTROYS of taking a long step in the direc-
tion of free trade, they will not fail to sup
port the candidates of the party, which
alone favor that policy. 1t is whether they
approve the defeat of the motion to consid-
er that bill in the session Of Congress just
closed. or whether they favor it's adoption
at the session which convenes in Decem-
Der. The issue has never SO directly and
pointedly been brought to the attention of
the country, and the votes of the people as
recorded in November will possess a sig
nificance as it relates to the tariff question,
that has meyer before been attached to
them
Probably there never has been more reck-
less and wanton disregard of the interests of
the country than is involved in this tariff
agitation. 1t is known fact that no i'm
portant interest Of the country-no organ
lied industrial force-has asked for any
such measure as that introduced by the
Ways and Means Committee. composed of
majority of Democrats. 1t is the pro-
duct of poll tical theorists and doctrinaires
who represent nothing but airy rehinings
and metaphysical absurdities. They are
backed by no wealth creating class, they are
endorsed by no labor organization, whether
of the workshop or the field, and only re-
fleet the speculations of dreamy agitators,
who seem Indifferent to the practical
things of this life and the necessity of or.
der and quiet and settled policies, affect.
ing the industrial relations of the country.
To show that Mr.. Morrison and his CO.
laborers never gave thought to the inter
ests of the classes implicated in his tariff
| bill, we have only to refer to his origina
| bill, which placed on the free list, iror
ore, wool, lumber, and reduced the duties
on the metal, glass and earthenware about
20 per cent, and like reduction on sugar
and rice. The organized association of
the iron and steel, the pottery and glass
| ware manufacturers and the worKmen en-
gagged in these vocations and those in
terested in sugar and rice, made themselves
| felt before the Committee and brought
such pressure upon it as to force change
of the measure so as to leave the duties Oh
these articles untouched. But the farm.
| ing class are not SO well organized land con
sequently the substituted bill that is now
pending, kept wool and lumber on the fire G
| list. The effect would be, were the bill tC
become law, to destroy the sheep indus
| try and lumber interests of this country
and build up the sheep industry of Austria
lid and the lumber business of Canada. II
is estimated that there are $500, 600, 900 in
vested in sheep Ill She United States, and
| that the clip from them in 1883 was 800,
DOC, 900 pounds. This vast capital and trade
is threatened by this bill upon which
the voters of the country have to pass in
November next, and would be virtually de-
stroyed were a verdict to be given in favor
of the party which supports the doctrine ii
| embraces.
It is an issue between the Industrial in
dependence of America and our industrial
| dependence upon foreign countries. 1t is
whether the farmers Of this country would
prefer the manufacturing centres of Eu-
rope for their market, or the manufacture
ing centres of America. Whether they
would prefer to encourage diversified in
dustries in this country, by which labor
would be employed in the various avenues
of trade, or to contribute to the impover-
ishment of our manufactures that Euro
pean plants might be established and en-
riched.
When we recur to what the country was
under the Democratic policy of tariff
for revenue only" and the condition in
which it was up to the time Democratic
administration resumed control of the gov
eminent, under the operation of the pro-
tective policy, it seems to US it ought to
determine the vote of every loyal Ameri-
can and every one who would prefer to see
his own country self-sustaining in every
thing and independent in her industrial as
well as political relations.
In considering this vital and pregnant
question of American industries every yo-
ter should first remember that he is
an American citizen and that his political
association should be secondary in his
thought. Party attachments are strong,
we know, but they should not be SO con-
trolling as to lose sight of the development
and progress of the country and the hap
piness and contentment of the people.
This view of the matter was never SO
strongly presented as in this contest. The
result is virtually to determine the fate of
Mr.. Morrison s free trade bill now on the
calendar of the House of Representatives.
If it should result adversely to the protec
tive policy. it would carry with it the war
rant from the people to pass the measure
at the approaching session, and give an
other shock to business that would yibrate
from one extreme of the country to the
other with disastrous effects. It is with
the people to determine which they will
have, another period of business prostration,
idle labor, and want and suffering, or a re-
sumption of industrial activity and all the
blessings that must naturally follow to
stimulate enterprise and the employment
Of fho hroiy, oy,1 r,r,coJo ofs%bo oo,,otrv in