The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1888-08-02


That is a very self satisfactory way of put
ting it, hut-lt is quite likely that our yer.
satile cotenp0rary will not he a lowed to
confine the issue to SO narrow a compass.
The Democrats held a National Co"vpu
ton in June, 1883. They nominated can
didate for the Presidency, and these two
pregnant facts will in all probability have
some relation to the tissue" That cen
vention also adopted platform. in which
it endorsed the President 5 Free T4ade
Message sent to Congress last December,
This will be dragged into the tissue" re-
gardless of the sauirmi.g and protesta
tions of the Fsaadicator. and such giddy
and hickering lights of Democracy as it is
proving itself to he. The President. in
that message, which IS the real party pat
form, as it certainly is the President s. de
mands that all "raw material" be placed on
the free list, and makes especially promi
nent and impe rative the requirement that
foreign wool should come in free. The
Mills bill was originally constructed to con
form to the policy outlined in the Pres
identa message. 1t placed bituminons
coal and iron ore on the free list: fire
brick clay and ka0lir. wooden screws,
also, in the same category, but the rep
resentatives in Congress, of Democratic
States and districts, which would be af-
fected by extending the policy OF free trade
that far, entered a solemn protest against
any such suicidal policy, botE from po-
ltical and industrial standpoint. The SOLID
South had to be respected. 1t is the en-
trenchment Of the party, and once broken
Democratic hopes would go glimmering.
So rice, coal, sugar, iron ore, kaolin, fire
brick clay, had to be eliminated from the
free list. Connecticut is essential to Dem
ocratic success. and as it is there that the
lal gest mandatory of wooden screws is
operated, the Democratic sentiment in
that State had to be deferred to, and
wooden screws were stricken from the free
last. But no argument or appeal could in
duee the surrender of free wool. That was
the hobby of the President in his message,
and to have stricken that off. would have
been total reputation of the policy of
the message and of the national platform.
The Mills bill was designed, as one Of
Its advocates asserted, as the first step in
the direction of free trade. " Mills, Breck-
inridge, Carlisle. Watterson and the Pres.
ident are all substantially committed to
that principle, and when the bill was for
mulated with closed doors and In secret
councils, it was the purpose to make free
trade, or revenue only. the tissue" When
the measure was exposed to the light and
subjected to the scrutiny of those whose
votes we're necessary to pass it and who
desired to be re- elected. the curses both
loud and deep which flooded in, had to be
respected and the free list was so emascu-
| lated as SCARCELY to be recognized by the
projectors OF the bill. But it still cont aims
the principle. especially exemplilied in free
| wool. of free trade, and the whole trend OF
its purpose is essentially free trade Every
English journal recognizes It as such, and
| urged its passage by Congsess. Every free
trade paper in this country, and every free
trade advocate. even to Henry George, the
great exponent and chief apostle of free
trace, gave it hearty endorsement. as look
/ ing in the right direction
1t IS this measure, patched up and tackled
| together, something on tie order OF crazy
cuit that our lively neighbor faunts as
| The issue. Well, let it be so. We think he
| Of + flic co
closes, and he in a mood TO kick himself
severely for presumiDg upon the igno.
rance and gullibility Of the people, in
pressing the policy and the principle in.
| volved for their endorsement and support.
| Toe cheap blanket story, and the cheap
! clothes delusion. pTedicated upon the free
I wool idea, will not deceive the people
| They know that everything they wear,
bel her of wool or cotton. is cheaper now
! than it has ever been. They know that
under the protective policy, every manu-
! featured article from iron, wool. cotton,
wood, that goes into daily use costs far less
than it did under Democratic tariff laws.
| They know that the country has grown 10
| it's present atiiuent condition; that al IN
dnstrial system has been established, and
, enlarged to its present enOrin Jus proper
tions. under the protective policy; that
our skilled workmen and the lab0rer are
| in greater demand and at better wages
| than under Democratic tariff policy, and
that the credit of the government and the
dignity and influence of The Nation have
intensified and expanded under Republic
can policy to a degree tDat has marked the
history of no other people Oh the globe,
The Mills bill will not be neglected as
all Issue, but at the same time, the Blair
educational bill. which the Virginia De-
mocracy are committed to, and the repeal
of the internal revenue laws, which they
declared for, will be brought into promi,
nence to illustrate the false pretenses. the
deception and duplicity of the Democratic
leaders and Democratic Legislators.
We congratulate our neighbor on the
happy frame of mind it has assumed in
thinking it has what it calls an tissue. "
1t is the first one it has claimed to have
had affecting revenue or government ad
ministration, for 10, these many years. Let
i cherish it as a nine days wonder. for
ere the leaves OF autumn begin to fall. it
will wish The issue and those who thrust
it into this canvass were al the ottom Of
the deep blue sea.
The Mask Of Free Trader.
The Democratic papers are repeating
the charge of s'free whisky against the
Republicans, in order to cover up their
free trade tracks. They want to impose
direct taxes upon the people of this eoun-
Try, for the benefit and advantage OF for.
eign nations and their labor and products.
They know that if the internal revenue
laws are repealed-the internal revenue
tax wiped out-that would settle the tariff
question in. the interest of American ill.,
dustries and American labor. To keep up
the internal lax on the people, will necessl-
tate either heavy and dangerous surplus
in the treasury, or the reduction OF Gus
tom house levies to such degree as o Sc
riously impair, if not destroy American
manufactures. When you hear a Demo-