Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-09-14
HOW AND WHY IT CAME
ABOUT,

ABOUT.
It is sometimes asked why it is that it
was left for the Democratic party to make
the fight for reduction of Federal taxa
ton; why, if it was popular movement,
the Republican party didn't take hold of
il; why the Republican party, though three
of its Presidents--Grant,G Garfield and Ar
thur all recommended it, never undertook
it, and finally why the Republican party
itself after promising it in every platform
up to that of 1854, should in that year
have dropped it, and now oppose it. The
explanation is brief and simple. 1t is the
history of Slavery repeating itself. The
old Democratic party was the watchful and
jealous guardian OF the right of hold
ing slaves guaranteed by the Constitution.
Naturally, in guarding the right to hold
slaves, it took the counsel of those most
interested, the shareholders, and logically
the shareholders soon exercised control
ling influence. From slavery ia the States
they went on to slavery in the territories,
thence to disruption Of the party and dis
union. 1t is to be noted that the issues
made by the shareholders were supported
by workingmen at the South and North
who owned no slaves. who had not dol
lars interest in supporting slavery; whose
interests lay in its abolition, but VIII o
were led by State Rights to take the posi-
ton they did.
Sol is with the Republican party and the
tariff. 1t started with protection of Amer
ical manufactures. In its jealous guard
of them it took the advice of those most
interested, the great manufacturers; logic
ally these manufacturers soon exercised a
controlling influence. From Protection
they went on to High Tariff taxation,
thence to defeat in 1884, and are now on
their way to disruption. 1t is TO be noted
that the issues made by these manufac-
turers have been, and to large extent are
now, supported by workingmen at the
North and South who have not a dollar 3
interest in supporting High Tariff,
whose interests lie in Its abolition, but who
are misled by the cry of "Protection to
American Labor" to take the position
they do.
The Republican party is held by the
throat by the great monopolists OF this
country. They have proflted by its policy,
they have furnished the bulk of its cam
paIgn fund in the past, and now that it has
been ousted from the Federal offices will
have to furnish almost all of it. The Re-
publican party must obey them or die. Its
most eminent men have at one time or
another broken out Of their bonds but
have been dragged back into servitude-
Blaine for free lumber and free coal; Gar
field for "a protection which will lead to free
| trade;' Arthur for "a reduction of duties
| and an increase of the free list" Logan
| for free tin-plate; Grant for free wool and
| the admission free of all articles ''of which
we produce constituent part but do not
produce the whole; Ingalls, for free tin
plate; Senators Dawes, Hoar, Hiscock,
Frye and Hale, Garfield, Reed. their pres
ent leader In the House for free salt, and
| last, but most prominent at this day, Ben
jamin Harrison of Indiana, urging in 1882
| that the the tariff should be revised quick,
in view of the Threatened Democratic OPP
| position
The voices OF all these leaders have been
stiAed by the iron grip of the millionaire
highly protected manufacturers, who have
| no idea of letting go of the enormous profits
they are reaping from the tariff policy of
the Republican party. They are as mer-
CHESS to that party as they are in their
greed to their own workingmen, on whose
dinner pals they want the tax doubled but
whose votes they will demand next No
vember on the ground of "Protection to
American Labor" The parallel IS COM
| p!ete in the fate of the two parties. The
| Democracy undertook to carry slavery
| the system that took the fruits of one
man 8 labor and gave it to another man
| upon its shoulders and went down. The
Republican party tried to carry High Tar
| iff-the system that takes the fruit of the
labor of millions of workingmen and puts
| it in the pockets of a few men and went
down in 'S4. 1t will go down in 'SS and
in '92, and forever unless it abandons a
system which shears the farmers, deeces
the workingmen and makes the monopo-
lists fat.