Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-04-15
The Future OF tue south.

say: A reduction OF the price OF any
thing generally craved by man will vastly
increase the consumption. ms Is
abundantly proved by the examples gwen
in all treatises on political economy
taken from facts. Abolish the tax on to-
bacco and manufactures Will spring up
in thousands OF places, making comoi-
nations to keep up the price beyond
fair profit impossible. The consump-
ton, aud hence the demand, would per-
haps double and make tobacco-growing
profitable. The use of tobacco IS the
most harmless OF all narcotics and pre-
vents the use Of opium, and the expert
ence of man proves It harmless. It's OF
great comfort to over-wrought nerves
and largely decreases the consumption
Of food, &c
heabolition of the tax on fruit. brandy
would greatly increase the product and
supercede the poisonous vhiskey OF the
saloons with comparatively wholesome
drink, and make the production OF fruit
in remote places very profitable. Pure
apple brandy Is not an unwholesome
drink. l am not speaking to that class
OF people who think they can prevent
other people from using intoxicating
drinks. This experiment has proven
successful in the Mahomitan world rs
matter of religion, and nowhere else.
The result has been the substitution OF
opium. 1t is distress, sorrow,
poor pay, poor food, want, dis
ease, that causes drunkenness in
most cases The teaching of Christianity
may bring about justice. charity, and
love from man to man, from husband to
wife, from wife TO husband, and Just
laws. From this alone can come the
moral reformation OF society. The priest
and the teacher are the only rational hope
of themoral reformation of society. Not
the laws OF force Christian education
not force can reform the moral senti-
ments. Such are the teachings OF
Christ, who was denounced by the
Pharlsees as "A wlne-blbber and the
companion of Publican5 and sinners.
The abolition Of this tax on tobacco and
fruit brandy would save 10 tine people
$40, 600, 900 4 year. We should appro-
pirate TO our rivers and needed canals at
least $50, 600, 900 yearly FOR agencratlon.
10 deny a large appropriation to our
southern and western rivers IS indirect
robbery. We pay the greater portion
of the revenue, and tremendous freight
to the railroads, mostly owned III the
East. Our only means OF reducing this
is improved rivers. This would secure
certain and cheaper transportation, open
new fields of production and new mar
ket for the manufactures Of the East
With our rivers properly improved we
would need no foreign market for our
manufactures. Forty millions q year
could be better used for these purposes
than for redeeming bonds bearing to
A. per cent interest.
4 great and growing people must do
great things not small things. What IS
SIC, 900, coo year to such people appro-
priated TO the rivers OF such a country ?
1t is no more than the keeping up his
fences or draining his land to thrifty
farmer, or the building necessary roads
to a growing county. We want reye-
nue. reduction not OF 800, 600, coo, but
OF 500, 200, GOO less Sl0,0e0,O0O for our
rivers aud harbors. To effect this
would it be wise TO repeal the tax on
fruit-brandy and tobacco. or would 1t be
wiser to so reduce the tariff as to cripple
ourmanufactOrie and their gr0ch in the
interior? Why not let US have free wine ?
This would reduce the revenues largely
and open great market for our surplus
food, and help the cause of temperance
by substituting cheap wine TOR dear
Whiskey. | say the combination be-
tween the two other sections has victim
lied the South in the past. This Govern
ment has been the patron OF the North
and northern enterprises from the be-
ginning, more particularly OF the East
The protective tariff before the war
enriched the Eastand increased her popu-
lation greatly, and now the same thing
is UNEXPECTEDLY enriching the South,
promising great results, and distributing
manufactures throughout the vast IN
terror. Free raw material would con-
centrate manufactures on the seaboard
and cripple or destroy them in the inte-
rior and keep us tributary to the East.
This is manifest, and at this justice and
true policy revOlts. Becoming cognizant
Of this, many manufacturers on the sea-
board are bending their minds to favor
free raw material, and thus in the future
as has been done in the past, victimize the
great interior, but il an entirely diff
ferent way. Let us combat them by de-
handing not only protection for raw
material but free mnchinerU.
There is a great deal said about our
loss in the carrying trade. Does not
this result from the fact that capital
pays better in manufactures and rail-
road bonds and banks This is better
for the general good and may continue
for generation or more. But Ii you
cripple our manufactures You will Grip
pie our railroad building, mining, &c, and
then capital will be invested in the car
rying trade. Would this be desirable?
JoHs $. SWAMI.
Charleston, ". Td., April 10, 1888.