West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1888-08-03
a FARMERS VIEW OF 1T.
s. Putnam in Belford's for July.

My main purpose, however, is to
explain and, as far as can, set my
self right in referenceto anunpleas-
ant transaction that lately took
place at our village. Our Member
of Congress came home from Wash
ington the other day, and a meeting
was called at Noodletoozy, our near
est village, to hear him tell about
the protective tariff. and the attempt
of Democratic free-traders to fetch
about its destruction. | was fool
enough to attend that meeting. l
ought to have kept at home. l
went, and took n back seat. Now,
before the war / was Henry Clay
Whig. In the war | sent my sons
to the field, and gave to the cause
not only my taxes but all the dona-
tions could get from the farm. l
am Methodist class-leader, and q
man of peace. 1t has been custom,
ary TO regard me as Republican
leader of our township, and when a
meeting is he'd | am called to pre-
side. We had the town hall full,
and soon il was moved for me to
take the chair. / got up and de-
clined. / said / did not feel well,
and might be forced to leave before
the meeting was over. This was
strictly true; was sick of protect
ion, and expected to be made sicker
by hearing the Hon. Lycurgus
Leatherlungs pour out his lying
trash. l was excused, and Esq.
Jones took the place.
The Hon. Lycurgus took the
stand, and opened his cheeks in the
centre with the old, old gush of.the
grandeur and achievements of the
Republican party. could stand
this, for was used to it. But when
he got ON the prosperity ofour coun'
try, and said it was all owing to a
protective tariff, got uneasy as If L
was sitting on nettles. AT last,
when he said that the protective tar
if lowered the price of goods, and
appealed to the Democrats present
and there were several on hand, for
Noodletoozy is lager beer saloon
of three hundred inhabitants, and of
course Democrats abound-I say
when he made this appeal, | got up
like an old fool and asked if might
put question.
The Hon. Lycurgus looked sur
prised, as all at the meeting did,
but he said, "Oh, certainly I! were
always delighted to hear from the
Nestor of Washington Township"
"Well," l said, very sarcastic,
'the Nestor wants you to explain,
if a protective tariff lowers prices,
what's the good of protective tar
if?" nAN
'sCertainly.w cried the NJ. c.;
"nothing easier. You see, before a
protective tariff is enacted, the for
eign manufacturers have monopo-
ly, and they put up prices 10 what
they please. Under the fostering
care of protective tariff this isstop
ped, home industries thrive, and
competition brings down prices"
There was laundering applause
among the fools at this; but wasn't
to be put down in that way, 50 l
went on: "very good, very good in.
deed; but if that is the end of pro-
lection, why not have it at the be-
ginning? Why put up prices on us,
only to pull things down again?"
mo, indeed" he replied; "for our
great object is to foster American
labor, and not capital Under our
system wages of labor go up steadi-
ly."
There was another round Of ap-
plause. 1t made me mad as hOr-
net, and said, "hold on, hold on,
there. / know, and / believe you
know, that the worst-paid labor in
the country is protected labor. Why,
look into the Hooking Valley, here,
right under your nose, and see min
ers worked like mules and paid
scarcely enough to keep their wretch
ed souls in their wretched bodies.
They're worse off than niger slaves
before the war"
By this time the Democrats pre-
sent began to get the bearing of our
discourse, and they gave me thun.
dering round of applause, Pete Slo-
cum shouting, $50 it, old Sol!"
Slit i'm aginp' "We'll stand by
YEP The Republicans began to
hiss, and all the Democrats hang
iag round Whites corner came
crowding in. saw there was going
to be a disturbance, and as class
leader and law-abiding citizen ] felt
disposed to back out; but Just then
the Hon. Lycurgus spoke.----.a-z
1T pains me-" he said, Ito see our
venerable friend lending hims elf to
this rabble of unpatriotic people,
willing to sacrifice American labor
| to British interests. Is he prepared
to have these British pour in on us
their cheap products?'
"Yes. he isw / shouted. s'Let 'em